Formentor yacht charter
A Formentor yacht charter takes you to the northern tip of Mallorca, where the Serra de Tramuntana ends in sheer cliffs and the highest lighthouse in the Balearic Islands. Between the cape and the old towns of Pollença and Alcúdia lie two wide bays with a pine-backed beach, pebble coves reached only on foot or by sea, and clear water over sand and rock.
The Formentor peninsula is the final ridge of the Serra de Tramuntana, whose cultural landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it ends in cliffs that fall straight into deep water. Mallorcans call this headland the meeting point of the winds. Its lighthouse, opened in 1863, shines from more than 200 metres above the sea, and its builders shipped their materials to Cala Murta and hauled them up a track to the top. The road from Port de Pollença, built by the engineer Antonio Parietti, only arrived in the 1920s, and much of the shoreline is still reached on foot or from the water.
On a charter, Formentor is best enjoyed as a sequence of unhurried stops. A day might begin with a swim in Cala Murta, continue with lunch on a mooring buoy facing the Illa de Formentor, and save the cliffs for the hour when the sea is kindest, so the captain can bring the yacht beneath the lighthouse. Across the water, the Bay of Alcúdia adds the pebble cove of Coll Baix, the lighthouse islet of Alcanada and the walled old town of Alcúdia, with the Roman ruins of Pollentia just outside. As the peninsula lies on the far side of the island from Palma, it suits a week charter around the north, or a day charter on a yacht based nearby.
Care for the seabed shapes every stop. Posidonia seagrass is protected under Balearic law, so anchoring over the meadows is not allowed, and the Balearic Government's Posidonia patrols check boats along the coast. Off Platja de Formentor, Ports IB runs a field of ecological mooring buoys, reserved online, which lets a yacht stay close to the sand without touching the seagrass. In the summer season, private cars are restricted on the peninsula road during the day, so arriving by sea is often the most relaxed way to reach the beach and the lighthouse cliffs. Every charter runs with a professional captain.
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The meeting point of the winds
At the tip of the peninsula, cliffs drop straight into deep blue water beneath the 1863 lighthouse. Seen from the deck on a calm day, the full height of the rock face is easiest to appreciate.
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Formentor beach
Platja de Formentor, also known as Cala Pi de la Posada, is a long, narrow strip of pale sand backed by pines and holm oaks, with the Illa de Formentor just offshore and the historic Hotel Formentor, opened in 1929, on the shore.
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Two bays, two old towns
The Bay of Pollença lies between Formentor and the Victòria peninsula, with the Bay of Alcúdia beyond it. Ashore wait Pollença's Calvari steps and Alcúdia's medieval walls, with Roman Pollentia beside them.
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Platja de Formentor and the Illa de Formentor
The classic lunch stop of the north, facing the pine-backed beach and the small island just offshore. To protect the seagrass, yachts use the ecological mooring buoys managed by Ports IB. Day-use slots are booked online on the day itself, overnight stays can be reserved ahead, and each buoy has a maximum yacht length, so the crew makes the booking and checks that your yacht fits.
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Cala Murta
A pebble cove on the bay side of the peninsula, boxed in by limestone walls and pine-covered slopes. There are no facilities ashore, the water is calm and clear in settled weather, and the rocky sides make for rewarding snorkelling. It was here that the lighthouse builders landed their materials in the nineteenth century.
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Cala Figuera de Formentor
Not to be confused with the fishing village of the same name in the south-east, this cliff-framed cove on the Formentor peninsula has a rocky shore, very clear water and no facilities, and it can only be reached on foot or by boat. It is a stop for settled days, chosen on the day according to the forecast.
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Coll Baix
A secluded pebble cove on the Victòria peninsula near Alcúdia, ringed by cliffs and pines, with no buildings on the beach. It lies within a protected natural area and is reached by a steep path or by sea. The water deepens a few metres from shore, which suits confident swimmers.
Ashore
- Step ashore in Port de Pollença, the setting of Agatha Christie's 1935 story Problem at Pollensa Bay, then head inland to Pollença old town to climb the 365 cypress-lined Calvari steps to the chapel at the top.
- Walk a stretch of Alcúdia's fourteenth-century walls and visit Pollentia, the Roman city just outside them, with the remains of its small theatre. The old town holds its market on Tuesdays and Sundays.
- See the peninsula from above at the Mirador Es Colomer and the Talaia d'Albercutx, an old watchtower built to spot pirate raids, looking over the Bay of Pollença. Car access on the peninsula road is restricted during the day in the summer season, so plan around those hours or use the TIB public shuttle bus, line 334. For days ashore, SERMAN RENT, our sister company in the SERMAN group, offers premium car rental.
- Spend a morning at S'Albufera de Mallorca, the largest wetland in the Balearic Islands and a natural park since 1988, known for its birdlife and a short drive south of Alcúdia.
Charter experiences
Week charter
A week across the Balearics on a crewed yacht, waking each morning in a different bay.
Day charter
A full day at sea in Mallorca: quiet coves, long swims and lunch on deck, with a captain at the helm.
Celebrations
Birthdays, anniversaries and proposals on a private yacht, with the sea as the venue.
Questions Cap de Formentor
/ 01Can we visit Cap de Formentor on a day charter from Palma?
Formentor lies on the far side of the island from Palma, so a round trip makes for a very long day at sea. It is far more comfortable on a week charter around the north coast, or on a day charter with a yacht that starts in Port de Pollença or Port d'Alcúdia, depending on availability. Your captain plans the route around the yacht's speed and the sea state.
/ 02Can a yacht anchor off Formentor beach?
Not freely over the seabed. Posidonia seagrass is protected in the Balearic Islands, so yachts here use the ecological mooring buoys managed by Ports IB or anchor on sand where the rules allow. Buoys are reserved through the Ports IB online system, and your captain handles the booking and the choice of spot.
/ 03When is the best time for a yacht charter to Formentor?
The season runs from late spring into autumn. June and September usually bring a warm sea and quieter bays, while July and August are the busiest months. Because daytime car access to the peninsula is restricted in summer, reaching the beach and the lighthouse by sea is often the easiest option. In any month, rounding the point depends on the wind and swell.
Let's plan your day at sea
Tell us your dates, your group and the kind of day you have in mind. We reply with yacht options and a route idea.