Port de Sóller yacht charter on the Tramuntana coast
A yacht charter in Port de Sóller centres on the main harbour on Mallorca's north-west coast: a calm, almost round bay ringed by mountains, with the cliffs of the Serra de Tramuntana, the gorge of Sa Calobra and some of the island's most dramatic anchorages within reach.
Port de Sóller sits in an almost round bay on Mallorca's north-west coast, entered through a narrow mouth between two lighthouses: Sa Creu on the eastern headland and Cap Gros opposite. It is the great natural refuge of this coast, and pilot notes describe it as the only real shelter on the north-west coast when the wind blows onshore, which is why the bay is the classic base for seeing these mountains from the water. All around rises the Serra de Tramuntana, inscribed by UNESCO in 2011 as a World Heritage cultural landscape for its terraces, dry-stone walls and centuries-old water channels.
The town of Sóller lies a short way inland, in a bowl-shaped valley of orange and lemon groves. Cut off by the mountains, it traded by sea with French merchants, and the wealth of the citrus trade and of emigrants who came home prosperous helped pay for the railway to Palma and for modernist landmarks such as the facade of the church of Sant Bartomeu and the Banco de Sóller beside it, both by Joan Rubió i Bellver, a disciple of Gaudí. Since 1913 a tram, some of its original cars still in service, has linked the harbour and the town along the waterfront and through the valley, an easy way to spend an afternoon ashore.
East of the bay the cliffs grow taller towards Sa Calobra, where the Torrent de Pareis gorge, a natural monument since 2003, meets the sea at a pebble beach between walls up to 200 metres high. By road, Sa Calobra is a long descent of hairpin bends; by yacht you arrive from the open sea, swim in neighbouring Cala Tuent and land by tender. West of the port, Sa Foradada pushes its pierced rock into the sea below Deià. Every charter runs with a professional captain, who reads the forecast and picks the right day for this exposed, magnificent coast.
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A harbour between two lighthouses
The bay is almost round, with a narrow entrance framed by the lighthouses of Sa Creu and Cap Gros. Inside, the water is usually far calmer than on the open coast, which makes Sóller the natural base for exploring the north-west coast by yacht.
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The Tramuntana from the sea
A UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape since 2011. From the deck you see what the mountain road hides: limestone cliffs falling straight into deep blue water and terraced hillsides high above the waves.
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Sa Calobra and the Torrent de Pareis
A protected karst gorge, declared a natural monument in 2003, runs for more than three kilometres to the sea and ends at a pebble beach beneath walls up to 200 metres high.
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Badia de Sóller
The bay itself is the most sheltered overnight stop on this coast. Yachts anchor on sand, outside the yellow buoys that mark the bathing areas and clear of the Posidonia seagrass, which is protected and monitored here. The tender takes you ashore to the harbour, a few steps from the tram.
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Sa Calobra
An anchorage off the pebble cove at the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis, for settled days only: the cliffs reflect any swell and the water turns choppy quickly. Guests go ashore by tender and walk through the pedestrian tunnels in the rock to the gorge beach. In summer it is a popular excursion by road and by tour boat, so expect company on the beach.
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Cala Tuent
The next cove west of Sa Calobra, framed by pine woods, with a restaurant set on the slope above the beach. It is often the quieter choice for a swim and lunch at anchor. Like the rest of this coast it is open to the north and west, so it is a settled-day stop, with the yacht anchored on sand and clear of the seagrass.
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Sa Foradada
A rocky peninsula below Son Marroig, near Deià, pierced by the large hole that gives it its name. In settled weather a yacht can stop off the point, and the restaurant at the water's edge, with its own small landing, is reached by tender or by a steep footpath down from above. It is open to many wind directions, so it is a calm-day stop.
Ashore
- Ride the tram, running since 1913, from the harbour up to Sóller for the modernist facades of Sant Bartomeu church and the Banco de Sóller on the main square.
- Visit the Museu de la Mar, set in the former oratory of Santa Caterina d'Alexandria above the harbour mouth, on the fishing, boatbuilding and emigration that shaped the port.
- Walk through the citrus groves of the Sóller valley to the stone villages of Biniaraix and Fornalutx, or spend an hour in the Jardí Botànic de Sóller and the modernist house museum of Can Prunera.
- Climb from Sa Foradada to Son Marroig, once the home of Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria and now a museum, for wide views over the coast.
Questions Port de Sóller
/ 01Can we visit Port de Sóller on a day charter from Palma?
Depending on the yacht and the forecast it can be done, but it is a long passage around the south-west tip of the island and much of the day is spent underway. Most guests visit as part of a multi-day charter with a night in the bay. If you are staying on the north-west coast, ask us whether a yacht can meet you closer to Sóller; it depends on the yacht and the season.
/ 02Can a yacht stop at Sa Calobra and the Torrent de Pareis?
Yes, in settled weather. The yacht anchors off the cove and the tender takes you ashore, where pedestrian tunnels lead to the beach at the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis. The anchorage is exposed to swell, so your captain may suggest a swim and lunch in neighbouring Cala Tuent and a shorter visit to Sa Calobra.
/ 03Where does the yacht stay overnight in Port de Sóller?
Usually at anchor in the bay, on sand and clear of the protected seagrass, with the lighthouses at the entrance and the mountains all around. Harbour berths for visiting yachts are limited and in demand in summer. The tender takes you ashore for dinner by the harbour or a ride up to Sóller town.
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.