Mallorca is ringed by more than 260 beaches and coves, and Palma is the perfect base for reaching the best of them. Within a short bus ride lie the lively city sands of Playa de Palma and the chic coves of Illetes and Portals Nous; a little further afield are some of the Mediterranean's most beautiful beaches — the Caribbean-white Es Trenc, the rugged artists' cove of Cala Deià, and the protected turquoise waters of Cala Mondragó. Here's where to swim, with facilities and access tips.
FreePlaya de Palma
Area
Playa de Palma
Facilities
Full facilities · Lifeguards
“Walk away from the busiest resort stretch towards Can Pastilla for a slightly calmer patch of sand.”
FreeCala Major
Area
Cala Major
Facilities
Sunbeds · Cafés
“The most convenient beach if you're short on time — a quick bus ride west of the centre.”
FreeIlletes (Platja de Illetes)
Area
Illetes
Facilities
Sunbeds · Beach clubs
“Small and popular — arrive early for a sunbed, or book a table at one of the chic beach-club restaurants.”
FreePortals Nous (Platja Oratori)
Area
Portals Nous
Facilities
Sunbeds · Marina nearby
“Combine a swim with a stroll around the glamorous Puerto Portals marina and its waterfront restaurants.”
FreeEs Trenc
Area
South Mallorca
Facilities
Natural · Few facilities
“Arrive early and park at Ses Covetes or Colònia de Sant Jordi — it's a protected beach with limited access.”
FreeCala Deià
Area
Serra de Tramuntana
Facilities
Rustic · 2 beach restaurants
“The steep walk or narrow road down is part of the charm — book lunch at Ca's Patró March for the view.”
FreePlaya de Muro
Area
Bay of Alcúdia
Facilities
Full facilities · Blue Flag
“The far natural end by the S'Albufera reserve is quieter, with the shallowest water for little ones.”
FreeCala Mondragó
Area
South-East Mallorca
Facilities
Natural park · Some facilities
“Two coves linked by a short cliff path — arrive early, as the protected car park fills fast in summer.”
Palma and Mallorca beaches in detail
1.Playa de Palma
Playa de Palma is the big, buzzy beach most associated with the city, a five-kilometre ribbon of soft golden sand running east from Can Pastilla through S'Arenal. Wide, shallow and gently shelving, it's a genuinely good stretch of Mediterranean beach that just happens to be backed by one of the island's biggest resort strips, so it comes fully loaded with amenities: a long palm-lined promenade, dozens of beach bars (balnearios), restaurants, ice-cream stands, playgrounds, showers, sunbed and pedalo rentals, watersports and summer lifeguards. That makes it supremely convenient and family-friendly, if far from quiet or unspoilt — the resort behind it is best known for lively package-holiday nightlife. Its great advantages for city-based visitors are accessibility and facilities: it's a short EMT bus ride from the centre, so you don't need a car, and it sits right by the Palma Aquarium and Aqualand water park. Come here for an easy, well-served beach day with everything on tap; head elsewhere on the island if you're after seclusion or turquoise coves. Arrive earlier in peak summer to claim a good spot.
Hours
Always open; lifeguards in summer
Price
Free; sunbed + parasol ~€12/day
Getting there
EMT bus 25 or 35 from the centre; ~10 km east of Palma
Insider tip: Walk away from the busiest resort stretch towards Can Pastilla for a slightly calmer patch of sand.
2.Cala Major
Cala Major is the nearest beach to the centre of Palma, which makes it a handy option when you want sand and sea without travelling far. Just a few kilometres west of the city, it's a compact cove of imported golden sand with calm, shallow water that suits families and swimmers, backed by hotels, apartments and a scattering of cafés and beach bars. Being so close to the city and surrounded by development, it's more urban resort beach than idyllic hideaway, and it can get busy in peak season given its convenience, but it has sunbeds, parasols, showers and summer lifeguards, and the water is clean and easy for paddling. It's especially useful for visitors without a car, reachable in minutes on several EMT bus lines, and it sits near the Fundació Miró and Marivent Palace, so a beach hour can be folded into other plans on the western side of the city. For a quick, no-fuss swim close to your Palma base it does the job nicely; for the postcard turquoise calas you'll want to venture further around the island. Go earlier in the day for the pick of the sand.
Hours
Always open; lifeguards in summer
Price
Free; sunbeds ~€10/day
Getting there
EMT bus 3, 46 or 50 towards Cala Major; ~5 km west of the centre
Insider tip: The most convenient beach if you're short on time — a quick bus ride west of the centre.
3.Illetes (Platja de Illetes)
Illetes (Illetas) is one of the prettier beaches within easy reach of Palma, a set of small sandy coves tucked among low rocky headlands and pine along the smart coastline west of the city towards Portals. The water here is notably clear and turquoise, sheltered and good for swimming and snorkelling around the rocks, and the setting — backed by upmarket hotels and villas — feels a cut above the big resort beaches. That desirability comes at a price: the coves are compact and get crowded quickly in summer, sunbeds and the stylish beach clubs that overlook the sand are on the pricey side, and space is limited, so arriving early is key to bagging a spot. Facilities include sunbed and parasol rental, beach-club bars and restaurants, showers and summer lifeguards. It's an easy EMT bus ride from the centre, making it accessible without a car, and its combination of clear water, pretty scenery and chic amenities makes it a popular choice for a more polished beach day close to the city. Come early, or book ahead at one of the beach clubs to secure your place.
Hours
Always open; lifeguards in summer
Price
Free; sunbeds/beach clubs premium
Getting there
EMT bus 3 or 46 towards Illetes/Portals; ~8 km west of the centre
Insider tip: Small and popular — arrive early for a sunbed, or book a table at one of the chic beach-club restaurants.
4.Portals Nous (Platja Oratori)
Portals Nous, on the fashionable coast west of Palma, offers a small, sheltered beach paired with one of the island's most glamorous marinas. The main beach, Platja de s'Oratori, is a compact crescent of sand with calm, clear, shallow water framed by rocks and a little chapel-topped islet just offshore that you can swim out to, making it pleasant and safe for families and swimmers. What sets the area apart is its neighbour, Puerto Portals, a glossy marina lined with designer boutiques, cafés and upmarket restaurants where superyachts moor and the beautiful people gather — a fun place for a waterside stroll, a drink or lunch, and some people-watching before or after your swim. The beach itself has sunbeds, parasols and summer lifeguards, and while it's on the small side and can fill up, it's more relaxed than the big resort strips. It's reachable by bus from the centre, though a car gives more flexibility for exploring the surrounding coves. For a beach day with a side of marina glamour and clear turquoise water, Portals Nous is an appealing, easy-going choice close to the city.
Hours
Always open; lifeguards in summer
Price
Free; sunbeds ~€12/day
Getting there
EMT bus 3/46 or bus 104/106 towards Portals; ~12 km west of the centre
Insider tip: Combine a swim with a stroll around the glamorous Puerto Portals marina and its waterfront restaurants.
5.Es Trenc
Es Trenc is the beach that launches a thousand Mallorca postcards, a wild, protected stretch of brilliant white sand and shallow, luminous turquoise water on the island's south coast that's often compared to the Caribbean. Unusually for Mallorca, it's largely undeveloped: part of a protected natural area backed by dunes, pine and the salt pans of the Salines de s'Estanyol (source of the island's prized flor de sal), with no resort behind it and only a handful of beach bars, so it retains a natural, unspoilt feel. That wildness is the appeal, but it also means limited facilities and access — you park in paid lots at either end, at Ses Covetes or near Colònia de Sant Jordi, and walk in, and there's little shade — so come prepared with water, sun protection and supplies. The reward is one of the most beautiful and photogenic beaches in the Balearics, with space to spread out even in summer if you walk along it. It's about fifty minutes' drive from Palma and awkward to reach by public transport, so a hire car is best. Arrive early in peak season for parking and the calmest, clearest water.
Hours
Always open; limited facilities
Price
Free; paid car parks nearby
Getting there
By car via Campos/Ses Covetes (~50 min from Palma); limited bus service
Insider tip: Arrive early and park at Ses Covetes or Colònia de Sant Jordi — it's a protected beach with limited access.
6.Cala Deià
Cala Deià is a small, rugged cove tucked beneath the celebrated artists' village of Deià on the Tramuntana coast, and it's one of the most atmospheric swimming spots on the island. This is not a sandy resort beach but a wild little inlet of pebbles and rock, framed by steep cliffs and old fishermen's boathouses, with wonderfully clear, deep turquoise water that's a joy for swimming and snorkelling. Reaching it is part of the experience: a narrow, winding road and a steep walk lead down from Deià village, and parking is very limited, which helps keep it from becoming overrun. Its cult status owes much to two rustic beach restaurants, including the famous Ca's Patró March perched on the rocks above the water, long a favourite of the artists, writers and celebrities who have gravitated to Deià — booking is essential in season. There are no big facilities, so bring what you need and wear decent shoes for the descent and the pebbles. About half an hour from Palma and easily combined with the villages of Deià and Valldemossa, it's a gorgeous, characterful cove for those willing to make the effort to reach it.
Hours
Always open; no lifeguards
Price
Free; restaurants moderate–pricey
Getting there
Steep road/walk down from Deià village on the MA-10; ~30 km from Palma
Insider tip: The steep walk or narrow road down is part of the charm — book lunch at Ca's Patró March for the view.
7.Playa de Muro
Playa de Muro is regularly rated one of the best beaches in Mallorca, a long, gorgeous stretch of fine white sand along the Bay of Alcúdia in the north of the island. Its calling cards are the water and the sand: the sea here is shallow, calm and a beautiful clear turquoise, staying safe and gentle a long way out, which — combined with the soft, wide beach — makes it superb for families with young children. Blue Flag rated, it mixes well-serviced sections near the resorts, with sunbeds, parasols, beach bars, watersports and summer lifeguards, and quieter, more natural stretches at the far end where it borders the S'Albufera wetland nature reserve, a haven for birdlife. That variety lets you choose between full facilities or relative peace along the same beach. It's about an hour's drive from Palma via the motorway, making it a day-trip beach rather than a quick city dip, and it pairs perfectly with a visit to the nearby walled town of Alcúdia. For a proper north-coast beach day on some of the island's finest sand and water, Playa de Muro is a standout. Arrive earlier in peak summer for parking and space.
Hours
Always open; lifeguards in summer
Price
Free; sunbed + parasol ~€12/day
Getting there
By car via MA-13 (~1h from Palma), or bus towards Alcúdia/Can Picafort
Insider tip: The far natural end by the S'Albufera reserve is quieter, with the shallowest water for little ones.
8.Cala Mondragó
Cala Mondragó is one of the loveliest protected beaches in Mallorca, set within a natural park (Parc Natural de Mondragó) on the quieter southeast coast near Santanyí. It's really two neighbouring coves — s'Amarador and Cala Mondragó (Ses Fonts de n'Alís) — linked by a short, scenic cliff-top path, each a scoop of soft white sand lapped by shallow, clear turquoise water and framed by pine-clad rocks. Because it lies within a protected area, development is kept firmly in check: there are just a couple of low-key beach bars and basic facilities, and the surrounding park offers gentle walking trails and unspoilt coastal scenery, so it retains a natural, tranquil feel a world away from the big resorts. The calm, shallow water makes it good for families and swimmers, and the pine-backed setting provides some welcome shade. Access is by car — it's around an hour from Palma via Santanyí — to a paid car park that fills up early in peak season, so an early start is wise. With its beautiful twin coves, clear water and protected surroundings, Cala Mondragó rewards the drive and pairs well with the pretty market town of Santanyí nearby.
Hours
Always open; lifeguards in summer
Price
Free; paid park car park
Getting there
By car via Santanyí (~1h from Palma); limited bus service
Insider tip: Two coves linked by a short cliff path — arrive early, as the protected car park fills fast in summer.