Day trip to Cabrera from Colònia de Sant Jordi: boats, prices and what to see

A Cabrera boat trip is the only way to set foot in the national park without your own boat. Trips leave from Colònia de Sant Jordi, in the south of Mallorca, 10 nautical miles away, and the park has authorised four companies to carry passengers. Trips from Porto Petro no longer appear on the official list: if someone offers you one from there, be wary.

The important decision is not the operator but the format. There are 6-hour boats that give you about 3 h 30 on the island and fast 3-hour boats that circle the archipelago and leave you around 45 minutes at the harbour. Either way, the swim at the Cova Blava (Blue Cave) depends on the state of the sea.

What is Cabrera National Park?

The Parque Nacional Marítimo-Terrestre del Archipiélago de Cabrera was created in 1991 and extended in 2019 with more than 80,000 hectares of sea. It now covers 90,794 hectares, 89,478 of them marine. According to Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition, it is the largest marine park in the western Mediterranean and the largest national park in Spain, land-based parks included. It protects seabeds deeper than 2,000 metres, whales and dolphins, migratory fish and deep-water coral banks.

It has 19 islands and islets, but only Cabrera Gran can be visited. The rules are strict because the park is: you are not coming to a beach with a bar, you are coming to an islet with almost no facilities.

You can swim, snorkel, kayak or paddleboard, walk the marked trails and take photos. Scuba diving needs written permission from the park.

The four authorised operators from Colònia de Sant Jordi

These are the companies the park has authorised to carry passengers. All leave from Colònia de Sant Jordi (ses Salines). There is more on each in our Cabrera boats review.

• Excursions a Cabrera. The Serra Ferrer family has been crossing to Cabrera since 1965 and has run regular trips since the 1980s. Shop at C/ Dofí 11, tel. 971 649 034. Boats: L'Imperial Jet (80 seats), Miquel Serra (62) and Castell de Cabrera (47). Six formats from €45 to €69. excursionsacabrera.es
• Mar Cabrera (Cabrera Sea Fun). Yellow panoramic launches with a maximum of 50 seats, office on the harbour esplanade, tel. 971 656 403. 7% off if you book online. It claims to be the first Balearic excursion company with the Blue Flag for sustainable tourism operators. marcabrera.com
• Life & Sea. The only one that also goes to Cabrera from the Bay of Palma. Its Colònia boat does not leave from the harbour but from the Es Marqués quay (see below). Full review: Life & Sea.
• Aventura IB Sub. Dive centre at C/ Gabriel Roca 24: dives at Cabrera for certified divers and private sailing boat or llaüt (traditional Mallorcan boat) hire. Not the option for a standard visit.

GetYourGuide3 - 6 hours

Leaves from Colònia de Sant Jordi

Colonia Sant Jordi: Classic & Express Boat Tour to Cabrera

4.6 (364)

from €45Check availability

GetYourGuide3 - 6 hours

Leaves from Colònia de Sant Jordi

Colonia Sant Jordi: Premium & Fast Boat Tour around Cabrera

4.6 (154)

from €56Check availability

See all on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 6 October 2026

Prices: classic boat or fast launch

Excursions a Cabrera (adult / child). All stop for a swim at the Cova Blava if the sea allows:

Mar Cabrera (adult / child aged 3 to 12):

Life & Sea: "Visit Cabrera" from Colònia, 5 h, €60 (children aged 3 to 12, €40), departs 12:00, snorkelling included.

On GetYourGuide there is the classic and express tour from €45, rated 4.6 out of 5 from more than 360 reviews, and the premium fast-boat tour from €56, also rated 4.6. The starting prices match the cheapest direct fares in Colònia. One advantage of booking on GetYourGuide is free cancellation up to 24 hours before; booking directly with Mar Cabrera, the cut-off is 48 hours. More in our GetYourGuide review.

Which one to choose

1

If you want to walk up to the castle and swim at sa Platgeta

The 6-hour format gives you about 3 h 30 on the island: time to climb to the castle, see the museum and have a relaxed lunch.

GetYourGuide3 - 6 hours

Leaves from Colònia de Sant Jordi

Colonia Sant Jordi: Classic & Express Boat Tour to Cabrera

4.6 (364)

from €45Check availability

2

If you only have half a day or rarely get seasick

Fast boat round the archipelago, in 3- to 6-hour options: the 3-hour one gives you about 45 minutes at the harbour.

GetYourGuide3 - 6 hours

Leaves from Colònia de Sant Jordi

Colonia Sant Jordi: Premium & Fast Boat Tour around Cabrera

4.6 (154)

from €56Check availability

My pick: a 6-hour boat with an early departure (09:00–10:00). You will get 3 h 30 to 4 h ashore, and the path to the castle has no shade, so it is best done before midday. The 3-hour boats are fine if you care more about the scenery from the water than the island itself, but 45 minutes only gets you round the harbour, not up to the castle.

Day trip to Cabrera from Palma

If you are staying in Playa de Palma and have no car, Life & Sea runs the only day trip to Cabrera from the bay: €90 (children aged 3 to 12, €70). It leaves Can Pastilla at 10:00 and S'Arenal at 10:15, returning at 18:15 and 18:30. It passes Cap Rocat, Cap Blanc, Cala Pi and the waters off Es Trenc, lands on Cabrera and stops at the Cova Blava. Details on lifeandsea.com.

It is a long eight hours with a lot of time at sea, so it is not a good idea if you get seasick. The boarding points are in our guide to boats from S'Arenal and Can Pastilla. The premium day trip that leaves Palma harbour heading south goes to Es Trenc, not Cabrera: do not mix them up.

The Cova Blava (Blue Cave) and what to see on the island

The Cova Blava is a sea cave you cannot visit on foot: the boat pulls in and you swim from it, usually on the way back and only if the sea allows. Do not book just for the cave.

On land, this is what is open:

• Museu Es Celler, an ethnographic museum, free.
• Archaeological remains at sa Platgeta, the small beach by the harbour, with a picnic area behind it.
• An interpretation room at the Molí de Sang.
• A canteen at the harbour, toilets at the harbour and at the Mollet de Cas Pagès, and a first-aid post.

Passenger access to the island is limited and shared out between the authorised operators, so in July and August it is worth booking a few days ahead. The afternoon departures (the Golden at 15:30, or Mar Cabrera's at 15:30 and 18:30) are the least crowded for landing.

How to get to Colònia de Sant Jordi

Driving is the most practical option. Colònia has no pay-and-display zone, but parking is tough in July and August. By bus, TIB line 517 reaches Colònia de Sant Jordi via Campos.

The park's visitor centre is in Colònia, on c/ Gabriel Roca s/n, at the corner of Plaça del Dolç (tel. +34 971 17 61 24). It opens 10:00 to 17:00, and 10:00 to 18:00 from June to September; it is closed in January and December. It is worth a visit before boarding if you have children with you.

Going to Cabrera by private boat: permits and moorings

With your own boat, or a hired one, you can only enter with prior online authorisation, requested through the park's booking system. The navigation permit is free and valid for 12 months, but does not include staying overnight.

To stay the night you need to book a mooring buoy in Cabrera harbour, the only overnight anchorage: a maximum of 50 buoys per day. A booking runs from 18:00 on the first day to 17:00 on the last, with a maximum of 2 nights in July and August and 7 nights the rest of the year.

If you cancel at least one hour ahead you get 50% back; after that, nothing. In July and August the buoys sell out, and from May to September they cost twice as much or more than in winter. Navigation and diving enquiries: 971 17 76 41, 09:00 to 14:00.

Remember that since 1 October 2026 no boat can be rented without a boating licence: we explain it in boat rental. If you have no licence, a private boat with skipper from Colònia or a scheduled trip are the legal options.

What to bring and when to go

Season. The operators do not publish fixed season dates. Check each one's booking calendar; if you are travelling outside summer, look at the weather and sea conditions first.

Accessibility. The paths are unsurfaced forest tracks. Folding pushchairs are allowed. Mar Cabrera's boat is adapted for reduced mobility, but on the island only the harbour is wheelchair-accessible; Mar Cabrera suggests asking the Red Cross for volunteer escorts.

Mobile signal. Coverage is patchy: Movistar and Vodafone work in some spots.

Cancellation. With Mar Cabrera you can change or cancel up to 48 hours before, and if you miss the boat there is no refund or change of date. With Life & Sea, free cancellation up to 24 hours before. If you want to combine the day with a beach, Es Trenc is right next to Colònia; for more ideas around the island, see day trips.