The best beaches near Palma: by bus, by car or by boat

The beaches in Palma de Mallorca fall into three groups: those in the city itself (Can Pere Antoni, Cala Major, Ciutat Jardí, Cala Estància), which you reach by city bus; the Calvià beaches to the west (Illetes, Cala Comtesa, Palmanova, Magaluf, Portals Vells); and Playa de Palma to the east, long, fine-sanded and full of facilities. Then there are the coves of the Llucmajor coast, south of the bay, which almost everyone knows from the deck of a catamaran.

Here is which one to choose for what you are after, which bus to take, where public transport does not reach and what changes the day after a storm. If your idea is to see the coast from the water, start with the catamarans in Palma guide.

Which to choose: the beaches near Palma at a glance

My quick pick: for a proper swim near the centre, Illetes; with young children, Playa de Palma for its gentle slope, or Cala Major if you are staying in the west; for a pretty cove without a car, get on a boat.

Blue Flags: only three beaches in Palma

At present Mallorca has 22 Blue Flag beaches in 11 municipalities, and Palma has only three: Cala Estància, Cala Major and Ciutat Jardí. Cala Major has won its flag back this year. On the other hand Playa de Palma (and S'Arenal) has no Blue Flag, and nor does any beach in Calvià or Llucmajor: not Illetes, not Palmanova, not Magaluf.

The flag is awarded every year, so a beach can lose it and get it back: Playa de Palma had one in the past and does not now. In Palma three marinas also fly the Blue Flag: Club Nàutic Cala Gamba, Marina Port de Mallorca and the Real Club Náutico de Palma.

The practical advantage of the three Blue Flag beaches is that they are on the EMT city bus network, so you do not need a car.

Does Palma have a beach? Can Pere Antoni, Cala Major and Ciutat Jardí

Can Pere Antoni (also written Ca'n Pere Antoni; same beach) is Palma's city beach, east of the cathedral, next to Es Portitxol. It is good for a quick dip between sights, not for spending the day.

Cala Major, west of the centre, is a city beach with a Blue Flag. It is served by EMT 4 (Ses Illetes – Nou Llevant) and TIB 108 (Son Caliu – Cala Major – Palma). The Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró is very close, if you want to combine beach and museum.

Ciutat Jardí and Cala Estància are in the east of the city, on the way to Can Pastilla, and both have a Blue Flag. Cala Estància is also the bus stop ("Cala Estancia", lines 31, 32, 35 and A2) from which you reach the Can Pastilla jetty in five minutes.

Illetes and Cala Comtesa: the best beach near Palma city centre

If I had to pick one beach near the centre, it would be Illetes, just inside Calvià municipality: good buses, none of the rain closures of the city beaches, and it is the gateway to Cala Comtesa. Take EMT 4, which leaves from Palma and terminates at Ses Illetes, or TIB 123, which now stops right at "Playas de Illetes 1" and "Playas de Illetes 2".

The 123 is the key if you are staying in Calvià: it links Santa Ponça, Magaluf, Palmanova, Portals Nous and Illetes without going through Palma. Older guides mention lines 93 and 109; they no longer exist.

Cala Comtesa (or Cala Comtessa) is in the same Illetes area. It is small: the Balearic catalogue gives it 46 × 24 m and Calvià, 100 × 15 m. It has about 30 sunloungers, 10 parasols, a beach bar, showers and toilets. The small free car park fills up early, so in summer it is best to come by bus or before 10:00. Boats anchor off the cove over sand and Posidonia seagrass in 2–3 m of water.

Portals Vells and El Mago: coves with no bus

Portals Vells is at the south-western tip of the bay, in Calvià. The main cove measures about 30 × 20 m, has a beach bar, toilets and sunloungers in season, and above it there is a cave cut into the rock, the Cova de la Mare de Déu, an old marès sandstone quarry turned into a chapel. There is free parking in the pine wood, about 200 m away.

The problem is getting there: no bus line reaches Portals Vells or El Mago. You go by car, by taxi or by boat. The snorkelling and SUP tour at Portals Vells leaves from Palma, lasts 8 hours and costs from €139, rated 4.9 out of 5. Note: the big Palma catamarans do not go here but to the Llucmajor coast (explained further down).

Nudism: El Mago and the rest

El Mago (Cala Mago), in the same bay as Portals Vells, has a long nudist tradition, as does Es Trenc. But no beach in this area is officially designated nudist. In Palma, the municipal by-law allows fines of up to €750 for being naked outside authorised areas. At El Mago and Es Trenc it is a long-standing custom; on Palma's city beaches, do not do it.

Palmanova and Magaluf: hotel beaches with boats from the sand

Palmanova and Magaluf are the beaches of Calvià's big hotel areas: sand, promenade, facilities and plenty going on in summer. Neither has a Blue Flag this year. From Palma, take TIB 104 (Magaluf – Palmanova – Palma), 105, 106 and 107, and from the airport the A11.

What makes them interesting is that boats leave from the jetties on the Magaluf, Son Matias and Palmanova beaches: the 2-hour glass-bottom boat trip (€30) and, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, a boat to Palma. All the times are in boat trips from Palmanova and Magaluf.

Magaluf (the Punta Ballena area) is also a regulated-tourism zone: party boats serving alcohol may not board passengers there or come within one nautical mile.

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Playa de Palma and S'Arenal: long sand, easy with children

Playa de Palma is the longest beach on the bay: 4.6 km from Can Pastilla to S'Arenal, with the last stretch already in Llucmajor. It has fine sand with a very gentle slope, lifeguard towers along the beach and buoyed swimming areas. It is the best option with young children who cannot swim yet.

It is divided into 15 numbered balnearios (beach stations), which work as meeting points. The S'Arenal end is the noisiest; early morning is the quietest time all along the beach.

Getting there: EMT 25 (El Arenal – Plaça de la Reina) runs along the beach and is very frequent in summer; the 35 goes from Plaça de la Reina to the Parc Aquàtic; and the A2 links the airport with El Arenal. At the end of the beach is the Club Nàutic S'Arenal, where catamarans and snorkelling boats leave from: they are in trips from El Arenal.

Coves best reached by boat

South-east of the bay, past S'Arenal, the rocky Llucmajor coast begins: Cova Verda, Cap Rocat, Cala Vella and Cala Blava. This is the Bay of Palma Marine Reserve, created in 1982, which protects 2,379 ha of seabed down to 30 m, with Posidonia meadows and artificial reefs off Cap Enderrocat.

Cala Blava has a housing estate and a bus (TIB 504, Tolleric – Badia Blava – Cala Blava – S'Arenal – Palma), but its small coves are best enjoyed from the water. Off it there is a regulated field of 24 mooring buoys where anchoring is banned: boats tie up to the buoys. No bus reaches Cala Vella, and the practical way to swim at Cova Verda, Cap Rocat or Cala Vella is a catamaran.

Those are exactly the stops of the catamarans leaving from Palma's Paseo Marítimo: Magic, Oasis and Attraction anchor at Cova Verda, Cap Rocat, Cala Vella or Cala Blava, not at Portals Vells. If you want a cove without a car, the premium catamaran to Cueva Verde and Cala Vella (4 to 5.5 hours, from €82, 4.7 out of 5) or the 5-hour catamaran with lunch and swim (from €59, more than 12,000 reviews) are the easiest way.

Best boats for swimming in coves

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Premium 4- to 5.5-hour catamaran to Cova Verda and Cala Vella, rated 4.7.

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Bear in mind that in summer many boats share those coves at the same time. If you want peace and quiet, go early or in September. More detail in snorkelling and SUP and in trips from Palma harbour.

Es Trenc: the faraway beach everyone wants to see

Es Trenc is not near Palma: it is in Campos, in the south of the island, inside the Es Trenc – Salobrar de Campos land and sea nature park. It is a long beach with protected dunes, between Sa Ràpita and Colònia de Sant Jordi.

Getting there without a car is tricky: no TIB line goes directly to Es Trenc. The 517 goes to Colònia de Sant Jordi (via Campos) and the 508 to the village of Sa Ràpita; from there, you walk. By car you can only park in the park's signed car parks (the Govern, the Balearic government, lists Na Tirapèl, Ses Covetes and Sa Ràpita); check which are open before you go, because they have changed in recent years. In July and August, arrive early.

By boat you cannot land on the beach either: no boat may moor at Es Trenc. The real options are:

• Life & Sea's "beach taxi" from Can Pastilla (10:00) or S'Arenal (10:15), €40. It drops you at Colònia de Sant Jordi harbour, about a 20-minute walk from the sand, and returns at 16:45.
• Life & Sea boats from Colònia de Sant Jordi itself: 3 hours for €39, or 4 hours with a barbecue for €55, with a stop off Es Trenc.
• A premium catamaran day from Palma, 09:00 to 19:00, from €200, with a swim off the beach.

Park rules: no crossing the dunes, no anchoring on Posidonia and dogs are banned from the beach from March to October. Full detail in full day to Es Trenc.

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Getting to the beaches by bus

EMT lines are Palma's city buses; TIB lines are the Govern's intercity buses (TIB line network). Check times before you set off, because they change with the season.

When to swim: water temperature and wind

The water in Palma is about 21 °C in June, 24 °C in July and 26 °C in August, the peak of the year; in September it is still about 25 °C and in October 22 °C, perfectly swimmable. In May it is around 17 °C: for the brave only.

In the afternoon the embat sets in, the south-westerly sea breeze that blows onshore in the bay and peaks around 14:00. It kicks up a short chop in the bay. Mornings are calmer, both for swimming and for boat trips. All the information, month by month, in best time for a boat trip.

Frequently asked questions