Sailing trips in Mallorca: half-day, private and multi-day, port by port

The shared trip is the entry point: you pay per person, the group is small (9 to 12 places on the boats we list) and snorkelling gear, snacks and drinks are usually included. It is the best option for two or three people who want to try sailing without paying for a whole boat.

A private yacht is hired with its skipper: you choose the route together depending on the wind, you can bring children or celebrate something and the price is split across the group. From six or eight people it usually pays off. A multi-day cruise is a different thing: you live on board, anchor in a different cove each night and book well in advance. No experience is needed for any of them, and on almost every boat you can lend a hand with the sails if you like.

DayCharter Mallorca leaves the yacht club at Can Pastilla, at the eastern end of the bay, for four hours under sail with a maximum of 12 passengers. The boat has shade and a toilet, and the listing includes snorkelling, snacks and two drinks per person; be at the members' entrance of the club ten minutes early. If you are staying in Playa de Palma or S'Arenal, this is the most convenient trip.

From Pelaires quay in Palma harbour, Mercanautic runs a four-hour sunset trip for a maximum of 10 people, with an open bar, snacks, snorkelling and paddleboards. You cannot walk into the port on your own: the meeting point is the quay and it is best to arrive about 15 minutes early.

To see the city from the water, Sailing Trips Mallorca sails for six hours from the Real Club Náutico aboard El Gordito, a traditional Balearic sailing boat for nine people: the route passes the Cathedral, the Almudaina, the Lonja and Bellver Castle, with a swim and snorkelling. Our listing has no price; check availability with the operator.

Palma is the port with the most private sailing yachts. Islander Charter leaves the Club de Mar on a 35-foot yacht for up to 9 people, for three to four hours, with skipper, fuel, drinks, snorkelling gear and paddleboards included according to the listing; guests can take the helm and paella or tapas can be ordered. There is also a three-hour sunset trip.

Velas de Palma charters a Beneteau Oceanis 390 from the Real Club Náutico in three formats: a three-hour sunset, a four-hour half day and an eight-hour full day leaving at 10:00; the listings include drinks and, except at sunset, tapas. Vela Mayorca has two boats, a 12.5-metre Gambitero for up to 11 people and an 11-metre Servus for up to 7, with a sunset trip of about two hours, a half day and a full day; paella is extra.

In all three cases the price is per boat and the sources do not agree, so we give no figure: ask for a fixed quote in euros and include fuel, drinks and food in your question. The season shown in the listings runs from April to October.

In Port d'Andratx, Pura Vida Sailing goes out on Idefix, a three-cabin yacht with a Mallorcan skipper. Weather permitting, the half day visits south-western coves such as Cala Llamp, Cala en Tió and Cala d'Egos, with swimming, snorkelling, paddleboarding, tapas and drinks; there is also an eight-hour full day and a sunset trip of about two hours. Sources disagree on capacity (8 or 10 people) and on whether the skipper fee is extra, so ask when booking.

Port de Sóller offers two very different options. Bonnie Lass is a restored 1949 Scottish boat for about twelve people, with snorkelling gear, paddleboards, a rope swing and a dinghy to reach quiet coves; food and drink are booked separately and our listing shows 120 euros per person for the shared day, according to a review. Perfect Charter, by contrast, runs a private two-hour sunset trip on a Hanse 495 with cava on board, aimed at couples and celebrations.

Romantic Sailing Mallorca leaves Marina Bonaire in Alcúdia on a 14-metre yacht with a German skipper who also speaks Spanish and English. The trip of about four hours includes tapas, wine, beer, soft drinks, snorkelling and paddleboarding, for a group of up to 9 or 10; Viator lists it from age 5. The six-hour day rounds Cap de Formentor to Cala Figuera: according to the operator's website, shared departures run on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 12:00 for 145 euros per person, and on other days only as a private charter.

For something simpler and family-friendly, Robinson Boat Trips runs a five-hour day on a sailing catamaran from Port de Pollença: passengers help hoist the sails (the engine is used if there is no wind), the boat anchors for snorkelling and paddleboarding and the crew serves a buffet with drinks. It suits all ages, runs from April to October, costs from 50 euros according to our listing and the crew speaks Spanish, English and German.

On the east coast, the private yacht Malakai leaves Porto Cristo for Cala Varques and Cala Magraner with a local skipper, snorkelling gear, paddleboards and a Mallorcan aperitif; there is a four-hour half day, a seven-hour full day and a two-hour sunset trip. From Portocolom, Caribia Sailing goes out on a Bavaria 49 for a maximum of 10 people: it sets off around 11:00, sails for about an hour and a half and anchors for some two hours in a cove chosen according to the wind (Mondragó, Cala Serena, Cala Varques or Cala Mitjana), with snorkelling gear on board.

In the south, Aventura IB runs a private four-hour trip from Colònia de Sant Jordi for up to 12 people, with a morning slot (10:00 to 14:00) or an afternoon slot (15:00 to 19:00) from April to October; you choose the route with the captain among Es Trenc, Es Carbó, Es Caragol or Cap de ses Salines, and paddleboards, snorkelling and an aperitif are included. The price is per boat and, according to the operator's website, starts at 490 euros for a group of one to four.

To reach Cabrera under sail, Click Mallorca sells a trip of about eight hours with food and drinks, at 140 euros per adult and 98 per child aged 0 to 12 according to its website, which showed it as unavailable when we checked: confirm first. It is the slow alternative to the speedboats and large boats in our Cabrera guide.

If you want to sleep on board, Sail With Us charters, with a skipper, a monohull yacht with four cabins for up to 8 people or one with five cabins for up to 10. There is no fixed route: every morning the crew and the skipper decide where to go depending on the wind and the weather. The price is per yacht and, according to the operator's website, starts at 7,200 euros for the four-cabin boat; duration and dates are not in our listing, and another advertiser mentions a separate onboard kitty for food, moorings and fuel, to be confirmed.

For this format, book months ahead, ask exactly what is included (bed linen, final cleaning, the skipper's meals, moorings) and remember that space on a yacht is limited: pack in a soft bag, not a hard suitcase.

Almost all the sailing trips in our listings run from April to October and all of them depend on the sea: in strong wind the skipper may change the route, look for a more sheltered cove or postpone the trip. So book early in your holiday and leave room for a second try. In light wind many boats motor part of the way; if sailing matters to you, ask.

Wear your swimsuit, bring a towel, water-resistant sun cream, a cap, sunglasses with a strap and a light layer for the return, especially on sunset trips. Wear light-soled shoes or go barefoot: black soles are not used on deck. If you get seasick, take something before leaving and keep your eyes on the horizon while sailing.