Snorkelling in Mallorca: boat trips, kayak tours and coves by area

Snorkelling from the beach is free and all you need is a mask and snorkel, but you stay inside the swimming area, often crowded and over sand. A boat trip with a snorkelling stop takes you to rocky coves with no land access, usually includes the gear, and the skipper picks the spot according to the day's wind. For most people it is the easiest option.

Kayaking and paddleboarding are the active version: you paddle for one or two hours, look into sea caves and swim wherever you stop. They call for some fitness and confident swimming. If you want to go deeper than a few metres, you need a try dive, which we cover in our guide to scuba diving in Mallorca.

In Cala Ratjada, Dive & Fun leaves the harbour on a trip of about 90 minutes to stretches of coast you cannot reach on foot; a shorty wetsuit, fins, mask and snorkel are included. According to its price list it costs 49.50 euros per person without a guide and 69 euros with one. Close by, SUP Center Cala Ratjada combines an hour and a half of guided paddleboarding from Cala Agulla with a snorkelling stop, in groups of up to seven; children under 12 can ride on an adult's or the guide's board.

From Porto Cristo, Skualo runs a two-hour speedboat trip along the protected Llevant coast with a 30 to 40-minute stop to swim among fish and sea urchins; our listing shows it from 72.42 euros per person, and the operator says children under 6 go free until 31 October 2026. Roig offers two hours of kayaking or paddleboarding with a snorkelling stop at Cala Morlanda, from 49 euros and from age 6.

The coast between Colònia de Sant Jordi and Cap de ses Salines is one of the least built-up on the island, with very clear water. Aventura IB leaves the harbour in a boat for up to 12 passengers on a two-hour trip with two snorkelling stops around Es Carbó, Es Caragol and the cape; our listing shows 69 euros per person and four departures a day. Life & Sea runs a three-hour trip with snorkelling gear on board; one listing gives 39 euros and a single 15:00 departure Monday to Saturday between August and October, a figure worth confirming.

If you would rather not get on a boat, GoFurgo runs six to eight-hour van trips with paddleboards, snorkelling gear and parasols: one on Es Trenc beach, one in the Mondragó nature park (S'Amarador and Cala Mondragó) and one at Cala Llombards, with Es Pontàs as the alternative when the sea is rough. There is no single euro price in our listings, so compare before booking.

Several boats with snorkelling stops leave Alcúdia harbour. Click Mallorca takes a RIB towards Cap de Farrutx, enters the Cova Gran de Farrutx by boat and stops for a swim by the cave; it takes about three hours, costs 65 euros per adult according to our listing, has a minimum age of 4 and offers optional hotel pick-up. JetFun runs three hours by speedboat with two snorkelling stops and Coll Baix beach for 75 euros; it is not recommended with back or heart problems or during pregnancy.

For something calmer, Coral Boats leaves Port d'Alcúdia from 9:30 to 13:30 on a classic wooden boat with snorkelling, paddleboarding, tapas and a drink, from 68 euros. In Can Picafort, Smolin Adventure offers two hours by speedboat to see sea caves, with a swim and snorkel; the price per person is not stated. And in Port de Pollença, Robinson Boat hoists the sails on a five-hour catamaran trip with snorkelling, paddleboarding and a buffet, from 50 euros, with crew speaking Spanish, English and German.

In Port d'Andratx, Sa Calma Boats runs a trip of about three and a half hours towards Sa Dragonera with artisan pizza, a drink and around 40 minutes of snorkelling in a cove, returning at sunset; 49 euros per person, and you need to be able to swim. In Santa Ponça (or from Tora pier in Peguera), Cruise Cormoran explores the coves and caves of Calvià in two and a half hours with two swim stops; snorkel gear is included against a 10-euro deposit.

In Palma Bay, Sa Calma Boats also runs a three-hour boat with a barbecue, swim stops and snorkelling (10-euro deposit), from 59 euros; according to Viator it leaves Palma on Fridays and Can Pastilla on other days. For a longer day, the sailing boat El Gordito leaves the Real Club Náutico on a six-hour trip past the Cathedral and Bellver, with swimming and snorkelling; its price does not appear in our sources.

With young children, short trips with shade work best, ideally ones where you can see the seabed without getting in the water. Ocean Charter's clear-hulled kayak in Cala Figuera shows fish and rocks without anyone getting wet: 20 euros an hour for a single and 30 euros for a double. Skualo's trip from Porto Cristo is free for under-6s until 31 October 2026, and our listing gives it top marks for families.

Large boats with a crew are another good choice: Robinson Boat Trips' pirate ship in Port de Pollença spends about five hours out with snorkelling, paddleboarding, paella and drinks, and the same operator's sailing catamaran is suitable for all ages. Bring a life jacket or pool noodle for weaker swimmers and check the minimum age: the boat to the Farrutx cave, for example, starts at 4.

In most of our listings, the snorkelling season runs from April to October. The water is warmest in late summer and September, which is also quieter than August; in June and October many people are glad of a shorty wetsuit. Check the wind before booking: when the tramontana blows, the north gets choppy and skippers switch coves or cancel. Our month-by-month pages give the average sea temperature.

Bring reef-friendly sun cream, a rash vest to protect your back, water and water shoes for rocky coves. Do not stand on or pull up the posidonia: these protected seagrass meadows are what keep the water so clear. And always swim with someone, staying within the distance from the boat that the crew gives you.