In short
The Balearics have three tiers of mooring option: a marina berth (secure, expensive, scarce), a mooring buoy (moderate cost, some restrictions), and dry ashore storage (cheapest, but requires advance planning for every trip). Anchoring freely in Balearic bays has become significantly restricted to protect Posidonia seagrass meadows — check current zoning before dropping anchor.
Marina berths (amarración en puerto)
A full marina berth gives you a fixed floating pontoon with direct access to the boat, plus shore power, water, and typically wifi. It's the most convenient option and the one most owners aspire to — but in the Balearics, available berths are the rarest commodity in recreational boating.
Cost ranges
Berth costs vary significantly by marina prestige, berth size, and season:
Rates are indicative for 2025–26. Superyacht berths (20m+) in premium Balearic marinas are priced by negotiation and can exceed €5,000–15,000/month peak.
Types of tenure
Not all marina berths are equal. There are three distinct arrangements:
Annual contract (contrato de temporada anual): You pay a full-year rate or seasonal rate. The berth is assigned — it may be the same berth each time or reassigned between visits. You do not own the berth.
Concession of use (cesión de uso or derecho de uso): In some marinas, berths can be purchased as a long-term use right, often for 25–50 years. These trade on a secondary market and carry real-estate-like prices. A 12m berth right in Puerto Portals can cost €80,000–200,000+ to purchase. This grants you priority occupancy but not freehold ownership — the seabed belongs to the State.
Ownership via co-operative or club membership: Some clubs (e.g., Real Club Náutico de Palma) allocate berths to members. Membership may require a substantial entry fee plus annual dues.
Berths cannot be rented out like property
If you hold a concession of use, you generally cannot sublease the berth commercially. Some marinas allow a swap arrangement where the marina rents your berth to others when your boat is absent and credits you part of the income — useful for offset against berth fees.
Mooring buoys (boya de amarre)
Mooring buoys are anchored to the seabed and marked with a buoy you tie to. They're common in smaller bays, anchorages, and some outer harbour areas. In the Balearics:
- Most buoys in natural bays are managed by the Balearic government and require a permit (licencia de fondeo). Day-use buoys in protected bays can be booked via the online booking systems (e.g., Reserva de Boyas Baleares portal).
- Privately managed buoy fields exist in some marinas (e.g., Club Náutico Alcudia).
- Leaving an unattended boat on a public buoy overnight or for extended periods may not be permitted — check the specific zone's rules.
Buoy fees: typically €15–50/day for a day-use buoy in a protected bay, or €150–400/month for a seasonal buoy contract in a private field.
Anchoring in the Balearics
Free anchoring (fondeo libre) in Balearic bays has become heavily restricted. The Balearic government has progressively banned anchoring in most areas with Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows — a protected habitat under EU law.
Key restrictions:
- Total anchoring bans in protected coves (e.g., Cala Macarella, Cala d'Or bay, most of the south Formentera coast)
- Size limits: in some areas, only boats under 8m (or 12m) may anchor at all
- Time limits: maximum 24-hour stay in most anchoring areas, sometimes 12 hours
- Season-specific rules: restrictions typically tighten June–September
- Fines: violations carry penalties of €100–600+ per infraction, enforced by the Guardia Civil Mar and Balearic maritime inspectors
Check the BOIB and marina notice boards each season
Anchoring zone rules in the Balearics change regularly via the BOIB (Butlletí Oficial de les Illes Balears). Before each season, check the current map of permitted anchoring zones — it is not stable year to year. The Capitanía Marítima de Baleares website also publishes updates.
Dry storage ashore (varadero)
Boatyards that lift vessels out for storage ashore — known as varadero — are the most cost-effective option for boats that aren't in constant use.
How it works: The yard lifts your boat with a travel lift or crane, stores it on a cradle or stands in their yard. You pay a monthly storage fee. When you want to launch, you call ahead and book a lift time. Most boats are back in the water within a few hours of arriving at the yard.
Costs: roughly €6–15/metre of boat length per month, depending on the yard and location. A 10m boat might cost €80–180/month in storage.
Maintenance advantage: boats on the hard are accessible for antifouling, osmosis checks, engine work, and other maintenance that's easier ashore. Most varaderos have chandleries and engineers nearby.
Practical constraint: you cannot be spontaneous. If you decide on Thursday to go sailing that weekend, you need to book a Saturday morning lift. Popular yards can be booked out during peak spring and autumn maintenance periods.
Where to find varaderos in Mallorca
Several well-established boatyards in Mallorca offer dry storage: Astilleros y Varadero de Palma, Can Picafort Varadero (north coast), Varadero Blau (Alcudia area), and boatyards in the Cala d'Or and Porto Cristo areas. The mainland coast (Valencia, Alicante, Costa del Sol) has significantly more capacity and lower prices.
Comparing the options
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