The Best Boat Tours in Mallorca: Every Trip Compared, and Who Each One Suits

Twelve boat trips, eight departure points and one honest comparison. What each fare covers, what it quietly does not, and which one suits the day you actually want.

What actually separates one Mallorca boat trip from another

Twelve boat trips leave from eight different points around this island, and on a booking page they look interchangeable: blue water, a white hull, a price. They are not interchangeable. Four things separate them, and only one of them is the price.

1. Whether you stop or keep moving. A catamaran anchors once and stays; a rigid inflatable covers coast. That single difference decides more satisfaction than anything else.
2. Where it leaves from. Four marinas are inside Palma; Cala Figuera is fifty minutes away.
3. Whether the price is per person or per boat. Four of these are chartered whole.
4. What the fare actually covers — and, more usefully, what it excludes.

The cheapest way onto the water

The rigid inflatable out of Cala Figuera, at From $66 for nearly three hours. That fare includes fuel, a professional skipper, snorkelling gear, insurance and soft drinks, and it caps at eleven passengers. It runs the south-east coast past Cala Santanyí, the Es Pontàs sea arch, Cala Llombards and Caló des Moro, then anchors forty-five minutes at Cala Màrmols.

The catch is geography. Cala Figuera sits about fifty minutes from Palma, and there is no hotel pickup. If you are staying in the south-east it is the obvious booking. If you are in Palma, weigh the drive.

Worth saying plainly: no boat here runs along the west coast, where the Serra de Tramuntana drops into the sea. The only water leg on that side is the forty-five minute stretch out of Sa Calobra, and it comes bundled inside the one-day circuit rather than sold on its own.

Which one gives you the longest day for the money?

The five-hour catamaran cruise out of the Port of Palma, at From $68. Five hours, two swim stops at Portals Vells or Cala Vella depending on the wind, and a barbecue buffet with salads and dessert served on board, with Mallorcan wine and sangria alongside it. Soft drinks, coffee and juice run throughout.

Two things to know before you book it. Snorkelling gear needs a €10 refundable cash deposit, and only cards are taken on board — American Express is not accepted. Departures are 10:00 or 15:30.

Best small-group catamaran

Two contenders and they split on where they leave from. The luxury catamaran out of La Lonja Marina caps at twelve, serves tapas made on board, and sits a few minutes' walk from Palma's old town — the easiest boat on this island to reach without a car. The Sail4fun catamaran leaves D-Marin Palma Cuarentena on the Paseo Marítimo, also caps at twelve, includes snacks, snorkelling gear, floats and SUP boards, and is a short walk from the cruise terminal.

The difference that matters: the La Lonja boat excludes the bar beyond a welcome drink and does not allow your own food or drink aboard; the D-Marin boat includes snacks but excludes alcohol. Neither is hiding it. Read whichever one you prefer and budget accordingly.

Best for speed

The jet boat out of Magaluf, From $82 for two hours with twelve on board, running the south-west coast to Playa Portals Vells. Snorkelling gear, stand-up paddleboards, underwater sea scooters and iced refreshments are all included, and the listing publishes no exclusions at all — which among twelve boat listings is unusual enough to be worth saying.

It is not recommended if you have back problems, are pregnant or have a heart condition. The operator asks you to arrive thirty minutes before departure, in capitals.

Best private charter

Three of the four per-group boats are genuine charters rather than rentals, and they suit different group sizes.

Split between six or eight people, the sailboat out of Port d'Andratx lands close to what the same number of seats would cost on a shared boat — and you get the boat to yourselves. The private boat tours page works through the arithmetic properly.

What does “tapas included” actually mean?

It varies more than you would expect, and the wording is specific if you read it. On the La Lonja catamaran it means tapas made fresh on board plus a welcome drink. On the Sail4fun boat it means snacks. On the five-hour cruise it means a barbecue buffet with salads and dessert, which is a meal. On the private all-inclusive sailing it means lunch, plus alcoholic and soft drinks, plus snacks, inside one price.

The practical test: look for the word lunch or buffet. Where it says snacks, expect snacks.

What the price does not cover

This is where the real comparison happens, and it is the part booking pages bury.

• Gratuities — excluded on nine of these listings.
• Fuel and cleaning on charters — up to about €150 on one boat once the port fee is added.
• Alcohol — included on some, sold separately on others, and explicitly excluded on the Sail4fun catamaran.
• Your own food and drink — not merely uncovered but not allowed on one catamaran.
• A €200 cash deposit on the licence-free rental, returned when the boat comes back undamaged.

How does the wind decide your day?

More than the forecast does. Operators here cancel for wind rather than rain and refund when they do: one states departures may be cancelled without notice for weather, another that the sails go up only if the wind allows, and the sea-caving trip swaps to an alternative cave when conditions are dangerous.

The practical move is the same on every one of these boats. Put your boat day early in the stay rather than on the last afternoon, so a cancellation is a rescheduling instead of a refund. On the Bay of Palma the wind usually builds through the day, so a 10:00 departure is the calmer one. The weather page has the month-by-month detail.

Can you take the wheel yourself?

Yes, on one of them. The licence-free rental out of Santa Ponça gives you the boat for two hours after a briefing at the office, for From $236 covering up to five people. No licence is needed, snorkelling equipment comes with it, and a €200 cash deposit is held against damage. Santa Ponça's bay is sheltered enough that first-timers manage it.

Which trips suit families?

The licence-free rental, because a family of up to five splits one fare rather than buying five seats. The five-hour catamaran cruise, because a buffet lunch and two swim stops fill a day without anyone getting bored. And though it is not strictly a boat trip, the north-coast kayaking day is recommended from age five and provides every piece of equipment. The things to do page lists the stated minimum ages across everything here.

Every boat trip, side by side

So which one should you book?

• Cheapest, and you are in the south-east: the Cala Figuera rigid inflatable.
• Longest day, food included: the five-hour catamaran cruise.
• No car, staying in Palma: the La Lonja catamaran.
• Short of time, or travelling alone: the Magaluf jet boat.
• Six or eight of you: price a charter, then add the fuel.
• You want to drive it: the Santa Ponça rental.

Whichever you pick, the boat tours page carries the full grid with live prices, and the map tells you how far the meeting point is from your hotel.

Every one of the boat tours in Mallorca Spain named above is listed with its price, its group cap and its meeting point.

Every trip named in this guide is compared on price, hours and what the fare covers at Mallorca Spain Tours.

Frequently asked questions

Three that between them cover most people

Boat Trip from Cala Figuera to Calo de Moro, S'almonia, Cala Màrmols. Mallorca.

The lowest fare on the water, and the only one that anchors at a cove with no road to it.

From $66 per person

Check Availability

Palma de Mallorca: 5-Hour Catamaran Cruise with Lunch & Swim

Five hours, two swim stops and a barbecue buffet, out of the Port of Palma.

From $68 per person

Check Availability

Luxury Catamaran Sailing in Mallorca with Tapas and Welcome Drinks

Twelve guests, tapas made on board, and a marina you can walk to from the old town.

From $117 per person

Check Availability

Decide whether you want to stop or keep moving, then let the departure point narrow it. Everything here refunds in full up to 24 hours before it starts.