Jeep safari Mallorca: buggy, quad, jeep and trike tours compared

A jeep is the most comfortable: you sit as in a car, several people fit and the routes mix coastal roads, inland roads and the odd stretch of track. A buggy is open, seats two and feels more adventurous while staying stable. A quad is ridden like a four-wheeled motorbike; it is the sportiest and the most demanding for the driver.

The trike, a large motorised tricycle, and the Slingshot, a three-wheeled sports car, are designed for long scenic road routes with no tracks. For all of them you need a car licence, except the off-road scooter. If you are travelling with children, check the minimum age for passengers, which varies a lot from one operator to another.

Wrangler Jeep Safari leaves its shop in Cala Millor for the Panorama Tour, lasting about four hours: each group drives its own original Jeep Wrangler in convoy behind a guide, along coastal roads and through inland scenery. According to one reseller it passes the Artà caves and Cala Ratjada, fits up to four people per jeep and includes fuel, water and a swim stop. There is also an Adventure Tour of about seven hours with a barbecue at a country estate and an off-road section. The website does not publish prices.

In Playa de Palma, Island Tours Mallorca runs a four-to-five-hour day safari on rural roads and to viewpoints, leaving at 10:30 from Balneario 4, and a three-to-four-hour evening version with a swim at Cala Pi, a short off-tarmac stretch and the sunset, leaving at 17:00 with shared vehicles. For both you must bring your original driving licence and ID; the price is not published.

Buggy 4 Fun leaves Cala Millor in open manual buggies along the east and north coasts, on four-to-five-hour routes from 84 euros. The company itself makes clear that there is no off-roading or racing: it is a relaxed sightseeing route, with three itineraries, one including a swim. Drivers must be 19 with a category B licence; children can ride as passengers from age 4, and partial (20 euros) or full (29 euros) insurance is paid separately.

Dragon Buggy, in Cala Mandia, has two three-hour routes through mountains and beaches or with panoramic views, at 9:00 and 15:00, plus a coastal sunset route on request. It includes instructor, fuel, insurance, a snack and transport; drivers must be 18 with a licence, and children from age 4 ride with a booster cushion. In the south-west, Buggy Tours Paguera spends four hours touring Calvià, Es Capdellà, Andratx, Sant Elm and Port d'Andratx, for 158 euros per two-seater buggy with fuel, instructor and insurance; according to the listing, the driver needs a Spanish category B licence and the co-pilot must be over 10.

The south-west, between Paguera, Santa Ponsa and Sant Elm, has the most quad routes, with the Tramuntana as a backdrop. Quad-Mallorca in Sant Elm runs rides of about two hours with groups of no more than five drivers and tailored routes, from 79 euros, with photos and fully comprehensive insurance (850-euro excess) included; children aged 7 to 12 ride free. FUN Quad Mallorca leaves Peguera on 550 cc 4x4 quads for about three hours, from 89 euros, operates 365 days a year and also takes bookings in German.

Mallor'Quad starts in Santa Ponsa and heads towards Galatzó and Puigpunyent on 300 cc quads suitable for beginners, with guide and equipment, for adults with a licence only. From Palma, Quad Tours Mallorca combines quad riding, cliff jumping and snorkelling in three hours from April to October: 95 euros per driver and 55 per passenger. It requires drivers to be 18, an original licence (no copies or provisional licences) and a maximum of 150 kilos per double quad.

In Port d'Alcúdia, Living Tours runs two quad outings from Carrer La Siesta: a two-hour one towards La Victoria and a three-hour one to the Es Colomer viewpoint on Formentor. It is an active way to see the bay and the peninsula. The price and minimum age are not clear in our sources, so confirm them with the operator before booking.

EASY-MOOV in Son Serra de Marina offers something different: guided rides on off-road electric scooters along the tracks of a country estate, lasting an hour and a half (at 16:00) or two hours (at 10:30), for ages 15 and over, with helmet, protective gear, photos and videos. There is also a 1-hour-15 family version from age 5 within the property. No licence is needed.

Trike & Quad Shop Paguera runs two long trike routes of four to five hours and about 130 kilometres, leaving at 9:30: one via Palma, Banyalbufar, Estellencs, Andratx and Port d'Andratx, the other via Palma, Sóller, Deià, Valldemossa and Esporles. The price is per trike, with up to three people on board, and a car licence is enough; fully comprehensive insurance costs 30 euros extra per driver.

The same company has outings of about three hours in a Slingshot, a three-wheeled sports car, along the coast of Calvià, Palma and Port d'Andratx: one at sunset and one at 14:30. They cost 59 euros per person (90 if you go alone), with fuel, helmet and cold drinks included and no deposit. It is the lowest per-person price listed in this guide.

To drive a jeep, buggy, quad, trike or Slingshot you need a car driving licence, and several operators ask for the original and ID. Where stated, the minimum driver age is 18 (Dragon Buggy, Mallor'Quad, Quad Tours Mallorca) and 19 at Buggy 4 Fun. For passengers it ranges from 4 (Buggy 4 Fun, Dragon Buggy) to 7 (Quad-Mallorca) or over 10 (Buggy Tours Paguera).

Insurance is what varies most: at Quad-Mallorca fully comprehensive cover with an excess is included, Buggy Tours Paguera and Dragon Buggy also include insurance, while at Buggy 4 Fun and Trike & Quad Shop it is extra. Always ask whether the price is per person or per vehicle, what deposit is required and what happens if the tour is cancelled due to bad weather. And wear clothes you do not mind getting dirty: the tracks are dusty.