Puerto Andratx is Mallorca's quieter charter secret. Unlike Puerto Portals, which over the past three decades has become the island's stage, Andratx has stayed what it always was: a working fishing harbour with a yacht marina that settled in next door. If you want charter with a sense of place and explicitly want to avoid the bustle of the premium marinas, this is the better fit. We've placed charter yachts out of Andratx from the start — the marina is 25 minutes by car from our brokerage in Portals, and on most Thursdays I'm on site, inspecting a yacht or saying hello to a crew.
When Andratx is the right charter base
Andratx works particularly well for three charter profiles. First-time charter families looking for a calm start — a smaller marina, less sensory overload, shorter runs to the first cove. Experienced owner-drivers who charter bareboat and want to handle the marina logistics themselves — Andratx has the friendlier atmosphere for that. And sailors who want to make the most of the reliable westerly breezes from midday — Andratx is by far the better sailing harbour, because the first nautical miles are already open sea, not the sheltered Bay of Palma.
When I'd recommend Portals instead: for week charters of 65 ft and up, for crews arriving by helicopter or limousine (the proximity to the city matters), and for charter programmes with a permanent crew that need more service infrastructure. For pure day charters under 60 ft, Andratx is almost always the more sensible choice economically.
The advantage of Andratx is that the marina is still part of a village. Portals is a marina village — a fine distinction.
Day cruising grounds from Puerto Andratx
Cala Llamp and Cala Fornells: 20 minutes east, classic midday anchorages with a swim. Cala Llamp is my most frequent stop for first-time charter guests out of Andratx — a deep cut into the coast, good shelter in southerly and southwesterly conditions, clear water.
Sant Elm and Sa Dragonera: 30–45 minutes. Sa Dragonera (a nature reserve, with restricted motorised access to the mainland) is one of the few islands in the Mediterranean with a genuinely wild character — lizards, birds of prey, barely any tourist development. From Andratx it's reachable as a half-day morning tour, with a lunch stop in Sant Elm or further east.
The western flank of the Tramuntana (Bañalbufar, Estellencs): 60–90 minutes. A cliff coast, a dramatic backdrop, tricky anchoring conditions (steep ground) — better for a pass-by and photo stops than for an extended anchorage. A full day, best planned in settled weather.
Cabrera National Park: 2.5–3 hours one way from Andratx. A permit is mandatory. It only makes economic sense on a week charter with an overnight stay — as a pure day trip from Andratx it's almost always too ambitious.
Prices, the booking process, handover
The price brackets out of Andratx sit 10–15% below those out of Portals — primarily because of lower berth costs and a slightly different yacht mix. Day charters start at €900–1,500 for a 40-foot day cruiser including a skipper, €2,500–3,800 for a 50-foot motor yacht, and €5,500–8,500 for the 65–75 ft class. Week charters: €25,000–70,000 for 60–80 ft. The APA, as usual, is 25–30% on week charters and does not apply to day charters.
The booking process is identical to Portals: a short enquiry by form or WhatsApp, a 24-hour response time with two or three concrete yacht suggestions, a 30–50% deposit, and the balance four weeks before the charter begins. Handover takes place at the pontoon in Andratx — I often come along in person, especially for first-time charters, to introduce you to the crew and pass on the key marina details (where to top up water, which diesel supplier weighs honestly, where the best breakfast is).
— Julian Hoeke