Mallorca's north coast is a different island from the Bay of Palma. The Tramuntana falls steeply into the sea, the coves are smaller and more intimate, and the weather has a dynamic of its own — afternoon thermals from the north-west are reliable, the morning hours usually mirror-flat. If you're staying in a hotel like the Formentor, Son Brull or above Cala San Vicente and you want to get out on a Mallorca yacht, you don't drive 90 minutes back to the Palma marinas — you charter from Port de Pollença. The marina is smaller than Portals, it curates a different class of yacht, and it gives you access to a cruising ground that many Mallorca charter programmes leave out entirely.
What makes the north coast special
The Bay of Pollensa itself is one of the largest sheltered bays in Mallorca — roughly circular, framed by the Tramuntana, with long shallow stretches of sand across its eastern half. Cap de Formentor, closing off the bay to the north, is one of the most dramatic cliff backdrops in the western Mediterranean; in calm weather a 30-minute pass with a photo stop at the lighthouse, in a sea state a more serious task for the yacht.
Cala San Vicente, five kilometres to the north, is the quieter sister cove — smaller, more intimate, with two beach restaurants and a good anchorage line. Cala Murta on Formentor is accessible only by water; the mooring line off Playa Formentor is allocated under supervision in high season. If you stay out longer, you head for the Bay of Alcúdia south of Pollensa — watersports centre, wide beaches, a family profile.
In Pollensa the class of yacht is smaller, but the bay is more generous. Different island, different arithmetic.
Day route: Cap de Formentor
The standard day trip out of Port de Pollença is the Formentor loop: cast off early, past the Coloms island, a stop in Cala San Vicente for a morning swim, then on to Cala Murta on the western side of the peninsula. Lunch either on board or with a tender transfer to the Hotel Formentor restaurant. Afternoon: round Cap de Formentor on the outside — a photo stop at the cliffs, then back on the inside through the Bay of Pollensa. A full eight-hour day with two swim stops and a dramatic photo haul.
The ambitious variant: west from Pollensa along the northern flank of the Tramuntana to Sa Calobra (about 2.5 hours one-way). This passage is one of the most dramatic routes in Mallorca — cliffs, a narrow strip of mainland, the occasional visible hiking trail. Arriving at Sa Calobra is striking: a tight gap between the rocks, with the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis as a natural gateway. A same-day return to Pollensa is possible but strenuous; better as a two-day trip with an overnight in Cala Tuent (5 nautical miles east of Sa Calobra, a calmer mooring spot).
Weather and wind profile
The Pollensa weather pattern is distinct enough that Palma forecasts capture the north coast only approximately. The main pattern: light in the morning, a north-westerly thermal of 12–18 knots at midday, easing in the evening. On Tramontana days (a French pressure system funnelling through the gap in the Pyrenees) the wind builds to 20–30 knots — rarely for several days at a stretch, but when it does, with a sea state of 1.5–2.5 metres. My skipper's note for charter guests: on Tramontana days, ask the skipper explicitly whether the planned route is safe. On yachts under 45 ft it's often better to stay inside the bay rather than head out to the open side.
Best charter months for the north coast: early June to mid- September. May and October are also possible, but the water temperature and length of day are less generous. July and August are less crowded in Pollensa than in Palma — marina occupancy rarely hits 100%, and restaurant reservations on the day itself are often still doable.
— Julian Hoeke