Mallorca is the busiest superyacht and charter cruising ground in the western Mediterranean — and also one of the most opaque markets. Over fifty marinas, hundreds of charter yachts of every quality, and prices that swing from honestly priced to absurd. UK and Irish charterers usually see the glossy photos but rarely the honest assessment. That's where my work starts.
I'm Julian Hoeke, a yacht broker based in Puerto Portals, 15 minutes west of Palma de Mallorca airport. I run a single-broker operation — every inquiry comes to me directly, and every yacht in my charter portfolio I've personally inspected, met the crew on, and assessed against real-world weather. This is not a charter aggregator. It's a curated brokerage that takes 24 hours to come back with two or three honest options for your week, with the trade-offs spelled out.
What charter costs on Mallorca
Charter prices on Mallorca split into three clearly different classes. Mixing them is the most common mistake first-time charterers make.
- Daycruisers up to 50 ft: €800–3 500 per day. Good for daytime trips into the bays west and east of Palma. Cruising speed 25–30 knots, ideal for 6–8 people. Often available without a permanent skipper for smaller models if you hold a recognised licence.
- Comfort yachts 50–80 ft: €4 500–9 000 per day, €25 000–80 000 per week. The class where multi-day cruises with overnight stays in coves become genuinely enjoyable — dinner anchored in Cala Marmols, breakfast at sunrise off Sa Dragonera. Crewed charter is the norm.
- Superyacht charter from 24 m: €100 000–500 000 per week plus 25–30% APA. A separate world: permanent crew including captain, mate, stewardess and often chef. MYBA-standard contracts. Pricing transparency is high in this segment; the harder question is yacht-vs-yacht fit.
For most UK clients the sweet spot is the 60–80 ft class: large enough that a week onboard is fun, small enough that the charter fee doesn't equal the cost of a city car per week.
Where you can sail to
Mallorca as a charter ground is surprisingly varied — three distinct coastlines, each with its own character.
West coast (Palma to Andratx): the classic day trip. Cala Fornells, Cala Llamp, Sant Elm, all reachable in a single day. Sheltered from the prevailing afternoon westerlies, anchoring almost always available. My default suggestion for first-time charter guests.
North coast (Sóller to Pollença): dramatic, with the Tramuntana mountains as backdrop. Sa Calobra is accessible only by water and is one of the most spectacular landings in the Mediterranean. Afternoon thermal winds from the northwest can become gusty — capable yacht and experienced skipper essential.
East coast (Cala d'Or to Pollença): calmer waters, better sandy beaches, but day-trip reach from Palma is sporty (4–5 hours one-way). Better suited to 2–3-day cruises. Cala Mondragó and Cala Marmols are two of my favourite bays on the entire island.
Inter-island: with a good 60-ft yacht you reach Cabrera National Park in two hours (permit required), Ibiza in 5–6 hours, Menorca in 8–10. A weekly charter combining Cabrera, the Mallorca east coast and one day in Ibiza is my standard recommendation for owners with some charter experience.
A good charter yacht isn't recognised on the spec sheet — it's recognised by whether the skipper still enjoys it on day three.
Skipper or self-driven?
For first-time visitors to Mallorca I almost always recommend a skippered or crewed charter, even for experienced sailors. The reason isn't qualification — it's local knowledge. Knowing which bay holds in a freshening 18-knot northeasterly, where the prawn boats anchor at lunchtime, which restaurant in Sant Elm takes table reservations from the water, which fuel berth has the shortest queue at 6pm on a Friday in August. None of this is in the charts. A good local skipper saves you a day of figuring it out.
For bareboat charter (without skipper), recognised qualifications are required: RYA Day Skipper minimum for smaller yachts, RYA Yachtmaster or equivalent for larger; ICC; SBF-See/SKS for German clients. Coastal-skipper credentials are typically required for yachts above 50 ft. Each operator publishes their specific requirements; I cross-check yours before recommending a bareboat option.
A professional day-skipper costs €250–400 per day plus a 5–10% tip. A week-long skipper engagement runs €1 500–2 500. For larger yachts requiring captain plus mate, expect €600–900 per day. Hostess service adds €150–250 per day. Catering varies by yacht class; in the 60+ ft class a chef is increasingly standard.
How to book — and how I work
Send me a short brief: number of people, preferred dates, profile (relaxed, active, family, friends, business occasion), rough budget. I reply within 24 hours with two to three concrete yacht suggestions — each with honest pros and cons. No pressure, no upsell, no platform fees.
Confirmed bookings require a 30–50% deposit, with the balance due 4 weeks before charter start. APA (the fuel-and-provisioning advance) is settled in cash or transfer at the start of the week. Cancellation terms vary by yacht and season — for my curated list these are tiered and transparent from first contact.
I work in English, German and Spanish. For UK and Irish clients the workflow is normally entirely English; for Dutch and Scandinavian clients I'll often loop in their on-island advisor in the language they prefer. Final contracts are MYBA-standard, in English and Spanish for yachts above 24 m, English-only for smaller ones.
— Julian Hoeke