Yacht Charter Alcudia — North Mallorca's Live Fleet

Yacht Charter Alcudia

Yacht charter Alcudia puts you on the north coast of Mallorca, on the wide, sheltered Badia d'Alcudia rather than the busier Bay of Palma further south. This page is the independent guide to chartering directly from Port d'Alcudia and the marinas around it — what makes this stretch of coast different, where boats actually depart from, which boat type suits a day here versus a week, and what to expect on timing and cost. The live search embedded further down queries the booking systems of operators working out of Alcudia directly, so every listing reflects current availability rather than a static brochure.

Alcudia's defining feature is its bay: at roughly seven kilometres wide and comparatively shallow and warm, it is the calmest large stretch of open water on Mallorca's north coast, which is why it draws a disproportionate number of families and first-time charter guests, and why local operators here run a noticeably higher share of half-day and licence-free bookings than the busier bases further south.

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Why charter from Alcudia

Badia d'Alcudia is unusual among Mallorca's charter bays because it faces north-east and is almost entirely enclosed, bounded by the Formentor peninsula on one side and the Arta headland on the other. That geography means the water inside the bay stays notably calmer than the open coastline beyond it, and shallower too — in many spots a boat can anchor within easy swimming distance of a sandy bottom, which is part of why Alcudia has become the north coast's most family-oriented charter base.

Just outside the bay, the coastline changes character sharply. To the north-west, the Formentor peninsula rises into some of Mallorca's most dramatic cliffs, culminating in the lighthouse at Cap de Formentor, with the beaches around Formentor reachable by boat well before the road traffic that clogs the peninsula's single access route in summer. To the south, the coast runs toward Cala Sant Vicenc, a cluster of small, clear-water coves that are a natural half-day target from Alcudia and much less crowded than equivalents further south on the island.

Inland from the bay, S'Albufera de Mallorca — the island's largest wetland nature reserve — sits behind the long beach at Playa de Muro, and Alcudia's old town retains its sixteenth-century walls and the Roman ruins of Pol·lentia, both an easy stop before or after a day on the water for guests staying in the area rather than transferring straight from the airport.

Inside the bay itself, the north-eastern corner toward Cap des Pinar hides Coll Baix, a pebble cove backed by pine cliffs that has no road access at all — it is reachable only by boat or a rough walking trail, and is the kind of anchorage day charters from Alcudia are built around. The southern half of the bay, toward Ca'n Picafort, is lined with long sandy beaches that are easy tender or swim-ashore stops for a lunch break without needing a marina berth.

Alcudia is also the practical departure point for anyone wanting to add Menorca to a Mallorca-based trip: the regular ferry service to Ciutadella runs from Alcudia's port, and the crossing distance from here to Menorca's south-west coast is the shortest of any Mallorca base, a genuine option for a longer itinerary with more than a week available.

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Where charters start in Alcudia

Alcudiamar, the marina inside Port d'Alcudia, is the main charter base on this stretch of coast and sits directly against the old fishing harbour (Moll Vell) and the modern marina development, a five-minute walk from the town's restaurant strip. It handles day boats, RIBs, sailing yachts and catamarans, and its position inside the bay means boats leaving here are in sheltered water from the first minute of the charter, unlike bases that open straight onto exposed coastline.

A smaller number of operators work from Puerto Pollenca, the neighbouring bay to the west across the base of the Formentor peninsula, which offers a similar sheltered-water advantage with a quieter, more residential marina feel. Because the two bays sit either side of the same headland, some Alcudia-based itineraries begin in one bay and finish in the other, weather and route depending.

Both bases are roughly fifty to sixty kilometres from Palma de Mallorca airport, which is a forty-five to sixty minute transfer depending on traffic — noticeably longer than Palma's own charter bases, and worth building into arrival planning, especially for charters starting on the same day as a flight. What is consistent across operators here is that the live search below reflects each one's actual current booking system rather than a fixed departure point assumed on this page.

Most Alcudiamar operators offer secure parking or an easy taxi drop at the marina gate for guests driving from elsewhere on the island, and several run a short tender transfer for boats moored on outer pontoons rather than alongside — worth asking about when booking if travelling with young children or heavy luggage.

Which boat type fits

The shallow, sheltered nature of Badia d'Alcudia makes it one of the most forgiving stretches of water in the Balearics for less experienced sailors and for families with young children, and the boat mix here reflects that. Catamarans are a strong choice for exactly this reason: stable at anchor, plenty of deck space for children to move around safely, and shallow draft that suits the bay's gentler depths close to shore.

Licence-free motorboats and small RIBs are widely available from Alcudiamar and are a genuinely popular option for guests who want to explore the bay and nearby coves independently for a half or full day without booking a skipper — the bay's calm water and short distances between anchorages make this more realistic here than on more exposed coasts. Sailing monohulls remain available too, and the protected bay is a comfortable place to learn or to sail with a less experienced crew before committing to a longer, more exposed passage toward Formentor or south to Cala Sant Vicenc.

For guests planning to reach Menorca or the Formentor cliffs, a slightly larger motor yacht or sailing yacht with the range and sea-keeping for open water beyond the bay is the more realistic choice. As with every base on this site, the live search queries current operator listings directly rather than a fixed fleet description, and our operator directory is the place to compare the businesses running charters from this coast.

A signature day out from Alcudia is a RIB or motorboat run up to Coll Baix and on to the Formentor lighthouse at the peninsula's tip, returning inside the bay for a calmer final stretch — a route that is difficult to do by road in a single day but straightforward by water, and one of the clearest reasons to charter directly from this coast rather than drive up from Palma.

When to charter from Alcudia

The charter season from Alcudia follows the same May-to-October window as the rest of the Balearics, with June through September bringing the most settled weather. Because the bay is so sheltered, Alcudia is also one of the more usable bases in shoulder months when wind on Mallorca's more exposed coasts can put off less experienced charter guests — a moderate northerly that would make the west coast uncomfortable is often barely noticeable inside Badia d'Alcudia.

July and August bring the heaviest demand, both on the water and for marina space at Alcudiamar, and booking ahead matters here as much as anywhere else on the island. The bay's popular anchorages near Playa de Muro and the beaches toward Formentor get busiest around midday in peak season, and an early start remains the most reliable way to find quieter water. May, June, September and early October offer a calmer alternative for guests with flexible dates, with generally settled conditions and noticeably less traffic on the water.

The one weather pattern worth knowing before booking is the tramuntana, a strong north-westerly that can bring rough conditions to Mallorca's exposed north coast for a day or two at a time, most often in spring and autumn. Because Badia d'Alcudia faces north-east and is sheltered by the Formentor headland, it is generally more usable during a moderate tramuntana than the fully exposed stretches of coast further west, though operators will always cancel or reschedule rather than run a charter in genuinely unsafe conditions.

Alcudia yacht charter prices

Cost from Alcudia follows the same core variables as the rest of the Balearics: boat type and size, half day versus full day versus week-long charter, whether a skipper is included or the charter is bareboat for a licensed guest, and season, with July and August carrying the highest rates. Alcudia's fleet skews toward day boats, licence-free motorboats and family-oriented catamarans more than Palma's does, which in practice means a strong range of options at the lower and middle end of the market, alongside larger sailing and motor yachts for guests planning to reach Menorca or the Formentor coastline.

As with every base on this site, a fixed price cannot usefully be stated here — the live search below shows current rates for each specific listing, which is the only accurate way to compare cost across boats, dates and operators on this coast. Most charters from Alcudiamar require a refundable security deposit in addition to the charter fee, and fuel is commonly charged separately from the base rental rate, particularly for motor-powered boats. Our dedicated guides to deposit and insurance and to yacht charter fuel costs are worth reading before confirming a booking so the full cost is clear from the outset.

Guests comparing Alcudia against Palma on price alone should weigh the transfer cost too: a longer airport taxi to Alcudiamar can offset a slightly cheaper day-boat rate, so it is worth checking the total cost of the day rather than the headline charter price when deciding which base to book from.

Planning guidance

Bareboat charter requires a recognised qualification under Spanish rules — see the licence guide. Deposits and fuel follow standard Balearic practice: deposit and insurance · fuel costs.

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