The Balearics: a week from Palma to Ibiza and Es Vedrà
Mallorca and Ibiza are neighbours, but not close ones: about fifty miles of open sea lie between them. This route is for a crew that enjoys passages: two big crossings of 45–50 nm, and between them short days around Ibiza and Formentera in the clearest water of the western Mediterranean. A loop of about 155 nm; if the weather will not let you across, the week turns into an easy circuit of Mallorca itself.
Day by day
Palma
- Palma39.565, 2.631
Palma airport is fifteen minutes from the marinas on the Paseo Marítimo. Take over the yacht and provision in town — with two long crossings ahead, take more water and food than usual. The cathedral, La Seu, is a twenty-minute walk along the waterfront.
Palma → Port d'Andratx
- Port d'Andratx39.543, 2.386
West along the Bay of Palma and past Cap de Cala Figuera, about three hours under sail. Port d'Andratx is a fishing harbour turned yacht village, with the Tramuntana mountains behind it. Dinner on the quay where the fishing boats bring in their catch.
Andratx → Santa Eulària (Ibiza)
- Santa Eulària (Ibiza)38.983, 1.536
The first big day — the crossing to Ibiza: south-west from Dragonera island, seven to eight hours of open sea. If you have brought trolling gear, this is the best stretch of the week: over water hundreds of metres deep, bluefin tuna run in early summer. Santa Eulària des Riu has the quietest marina on the island and a river to walk along in the evening.
Santa Eulària → Espalmador
- Espalmador (Formentera)38.786, 1.422
South past Ibiza town and across Es Freus to Espalmador, just off Formentera. The night on a buoy or at anchor off Illetes: the water here is reckoned the clearest in the western Mediterranean, largely thanks to the posidonia meadows on the bottom.
Espalmador → Cala d'Hort
- Cala d'Hort (Es Vedrà)38.892, 1.225
A short leg west along the south of Ibiza to Cala d'Hort, below the sheer rock of Es Vedrà. In the afternoon, the dinghy along the cliffs; in the evening, the sunset behind the rock that brings boats from all over the island. Night at anchor.
Cala d'Hort → Andratx
- Port d'Andratx39.543, 2.386
The longest day is the road home: leave at first light for seven to eight hours of open sea to Mallorca. From August, mahi-mahi gather around the floating weed lines, so keep a line out astern. Into Port d'Andratx by the end of the day.
Andratx → Palma
- Palma39.565, 2.631
A last leg east along the foot of the Tramuntana into the Bay of Palma. Refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- The crossings between Mallorca and Ibiza are decided each morning on a fresh forecast: in a strong wind the sea in the channel is short and steep. If the run to Ibiza is off, the week becomes a loop of about 110 nm around Mallorca — Andratx, Sóller, Cala Figuera and the Cabrera national park. The best months are May, June and September.
- Posidonia is protected by law in the Balearics: anchoring on its meadows is forbidden and fined. In the Ses Salines natural park between Ibiza and Formentera, buoy fields operate in summer and are booked online; entering and mooring in the Cabrera national park requires a permit obtained in advance.
- Berths: Palma, Andratx and Santa Eulària are marinas, booked ahead in July and August, and Ibiza at the height of the season is one of the most expensive places in the Mediterranean. Nights at anchor or on a buoy off Formentera and in Cala d'Hort save a good part of the budget.
- Fishing: fishing from a boat in the Balearics needs a recreational licence, issued online. For the two long crossings, carry spare fuel and water and leave at dawn so you arrive in daylight.
When to go and what it costs in Spain
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Spain
All boats in Spain
How long is the Palma — Ibiza route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 155 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Palma. Overnight stops in order: Palma, Port d'Andratx, Santa Eulària (Ibiza), Espalmador (Formentera), Cala d'Hort (Es Vedrà), Port d'Andratx. The longest leg is day 6, 50 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Palma — Ibiza route?
In the Balearics the season runs May to October. July and August are the peak: marinas are expensive and full, so you anchor or pick up a buoy. June and September bring warm water and lower prices; May and October are the shoulder months. In winter people sail in the Canaries, a separate area. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is October: a median of €272 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at €300. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 46%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Spain for a week starts from €1,148 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Spain”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
