In my local’s guide to my top 10 beaches in Mallorca, I want to fast-track you to my favourite beaches on the island whether you want to find a resort with the best beach or hike to somewhere a little off the beaten track.
There are thousands of “top 10 beaches in Mallorca” articles online – just ask Google, but most are written by people who know nothing about the island, or who haven’t even visited them for longer than a quick holiday.
I’ve been living in Mallorca since 2005, and I’ve been to most of the over 300 beaches and coves (or calas) here in Mallorca. You will have seen many of them on my Youtube channel Mallorca Under the Sun.
So to help maximise your holiday to the island, I have compiled my top 10 beaches in Mallorca.
I have chosen these for the bluest water, the nicest sand, and where at some point in the day, you will find this beach looking like a picture postcard paradise.
This list of the Top 10 beaches in Mallorca has been selected for many reasons.
Some of my favourites have been chosen for their sheer beauty, for clarity of the seawater and the sand quality.
Others have been chosen for being accessible (on bus routes or having good parking) as well as access to services like restaurants or toilets. After all, the nicest beaches needn’t involve a long hike through the countryside!
I’ve also included a few beautiful beaches that you can hike to as well that are neither easily accessible nor have services for those who want an adventure to find a piece of Mallorca paradise.
This is just a small selection of my top 10 beaches in Mallorca counting back from 10 to number one!
Of course, there are more than 10 great beaches in Mallorca, but read on to find out which is my absolute favourite for just about anyone visiting the island right at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
10. Illetas beaches (Iletas beach, Cala Xinxell and Cala Comtesa) – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
I’m lucky enough to live within walking distance of these three beaches in Illetas which offer the turquoise blue so close to the capital Palma de Mallorca.
There are three main beaches here – Illetas beach, Cala Xinxell and Cala Comtesa.
Iletas beach has two beach clubs, and Cala Xinxell now has in place a chringuito serving drinks. There is also a chiringuito on the edge of Cala Comtesa too which is a great place to grab lunch and a few drinks.
Portaloos have now finally been installed but they do get busy.
The best time to visit these beaches is from September to June because it does get very busy in peak season.
The beaches lie end of the Number 4 EMT bus from Palma attracting Palma residents to the beaches. In fact, this is one of my recommended day trips if you are staying in Palma. Check out this article here about using the EMT buses.
During the Summer, you will find all three beaches can get crowded so my advice is to visit early in the day or later in the afternoon.
Cala Comtesa can get extremely busy with young local kids playing music, and families usually go to Cala Xinxell.
You’ll find many holidaymakers on Illetas beach in the Summer months.
The light is at its best in the morning on Cala Xinxell. Cala Comtesa has all-day Instagram-ability and Illetas looks most like a beach paradise in the afternoon.
The sea here on all three beaches is also wonderfully clear so make sure you remember your snorkelling gear.
9. Palmanova beaches – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
Many readers will wonder why I have included the Palmanova beaches in my list of best beaches in Mallorca, and other readers will understand why I have.
This is because the beaches in Palmnova often resemble Caribbean paradise, and are largely underrated because of the image of Palmanova as a tourist destination.
But visit Palmanova out of season and you will see how the beaches in the popular holiday hotspot closely resemble anywhere you will see in a more tropical location.
Check out my videos on my Youtube channel out of season and you will see what I mean. The colour of the water will take your breath away.
Palmanova has three great beaches – Es Carregador, Palmanova and Son Matias Beach, which all have golden sand. It is hard to pinpoint which one I prefer.
My advice is to also come here out of the season to enjoy the natural beauty of this area. You may not have the Summer heat, but you will see it’s still perfectly possible to sunbathe and swim on a sunny day.
Of course Palmanova is a magnet for package holidaymakers and you’ll find some of the best package holiday deals with Jet.com here.
In the hotter Summer months, arrive early. The beaches are never packed full and you can always find space on the sand. But with restaurants, cafes, bars and services just steps from the sand, this is the perfect place to enjoy a seaside holiday.
You will be spoilt for choice with places to eat too. Check out an overview of the Olive Tree restaurant here.
It’s also wonderfully accessible from the boardwalks that are also placed to allow prams, buggies and wheelchairs to access the sand.
8. Sant Elm (San Telmo) – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
I have some wonderful family memories in Sant Elm (otherwise known as San Telmo), and while the resort has changed over the years, the sheer beauty of the beach, and the coastal area around Sant Elm hasn’t.
Sant Elm has stunning turquoise water which is best viewed in the morning if you want that turquoise sea money photo. The sand here is more of a rougher grey colour and pebbly in places, but this is still a great place to visit.
If you visit in the Summer in the mid-afternoon, because of the position of the sun in the sky, it can look a little green so my advice is to get there early and then head to the many restaurants for a late lunch to get the best out of the day.
There is a car park right in front of the beach (it costs around 6€ to park) and a line of restaurants right behind the beach too so you have plenty of places to get a bite to eat.
Sant Elm is also a lovely town so walk through right to the end, and you’ll see even more restaurants which have views over to Dragonera Island.
This is also the perfect sunset point too to complete your day in Sant Elm.
7. Portals Vells, Cala Mago and Cala Rei – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
Just a 10 minute drive from Palmanova and Magaluf and on the road to Port Adriano, you will find a trio of beaches set in a forest area, that are just some of the most beautiful on the island.
The water regardless of the weather is a stunning, deep turquoise blue. These beaches are great to visit outside of peak season or go early if you are visiting in the Summer.
There are beach restaurants on Portals Vells and Cala Mago open during the Summer season (so from the start of April until approximately October), and there is a walkway linking these beaches together.
These beaches are not recommended for those with accessibility issues or young children because there is some walking and scrambling involved if you want to explore the coastline here.
Also, these are not resort beaches, so you do not have your usual services here such as boardwalks or toilets, and the beaches here do attract some nudist sunbathers.
However, this area is well worth making the effort to visit for its beauty, and for this reason, these three beaches are in my top 10 beaches in Mallorca.
To access these beaches, you will need to hire a car and follow the road towards Port Adriano from Sa Porrassa in Magaluf. Alternatively, take the 105 TIB bus from Palma to Sol de Mallorca (see the timetable here) and walk 20 minutes from there.
The small parking areas fill up quickly during the Summer, so go early!
6. Magaluf – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
Magaluf beach is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful on the island and is famed for its golden sands and turquoise clear blue sea.
It is also one of the least busy of all Mallorca beaches during July and August over the weekend. At least this has been the case in recent years.
This is because residents in Mallorca are most likely to visit anywhere but Magaluf, simply because of the reputation Magaluf holds as a party destination for British visitors.
For this reason, you will find plenty of room on the beach at the weekend (often when other beaches on the island are busy). You will also find plus some of the clearest bluest water in the South West of Mallorca, as well as plenty of things to do and places to eat here which are just paces from the beach.
Check out a restaurant video review I made here and the restaurant overview here at Blackbeards Beach Bar and Grill which has amazing views over Magaluf beach, so you needn’t go far to get a bite to eat.
For great package holidays in Magaluf, check rates here.
5. Playa Formentor Beach – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
I used to visit Playa Formentor beach frequently when I first arrived in Mallorca in 2005.
After spending a lot of time in the Caribbean, this was the closest I could find to a beach that looked most like being in the British Virgin Islands, without leaving Europe.
The beach is just beautiful shelving sand with turquoise waters and a stunning mountain backdrop. It’s paradise.
The Hotel Formentor which is currently under renovation once attracted A-List movie stars, and you can understand why from this incredibly beautiful location.
However, the area has had to adapt to accommodate the numbers of tourists that want to see this piece of paradise but the changes have been for the better.
There is a regular bus service now leaving from Alcudia and Puerto Pollensa which goes to Playa Formentor from June to September, which I would advise visitors to use.
It is prohibited to drive unless the purpose-built parking area is used (which is expensive – around 4€ an hour!).
If you drive on this road, you will automatically be issued a fine, which can be cancelled only if you park in the designated parking area.
So it is essential to submit your parking ticket to ticketsformentor@dgt.es to have the fine cancelled.
To enjoy this beach in the Summer, I would recommend taking the bus or one of the recommended boat tours from Alcudia to this Playa Formentor which you can find here.
Further along this road on the way to the lighthouse, you will also find some hidden coves too. This will involve hiking in the Summer months so these are best explored out of season.
For one of the most spectacular, hike down to Cala Figuera which you can see in this photo here.
4. Playa Es Carbó beach, Colonia Sant Jordi – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
The virgin white sands of Playa Es Carbó are a must-see for those seeking the very best beaches Mallorca has to offer.
This is a wonderful piece of paradise that many visitors to Mallorca will not make time to visit, simply because it involves a 2km hike to get there.
However, the hike is easy and flat and involves taking a coastal route from Cólonia Sant Jordi along the coast.
You can see a video here of how to get there on my Youtube channel here. In fact it was one of the first YouTube videos I made in 2020.
Es Carbó Beach attracts many residents who head to the beach for the day with a picnic.
The only services (so beach bars and restaurants) can be found in Colonia Sant Jordi, so if you do visit, you will need to take food and drinks.
This is a popular stop for those on a yacht charter, but also for residents wishing to spend the day on the beach.
This beach is picture postcard perfect, and a world away from many of the other beaches on the island.
Some visitors will camp on the sand here overnight although it is not allowed to do so. If you decide to spend the night, please leave only your footprints and take everything back off the beach with you.
3. Cala d’Or beaches – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
If you are seeking the turquoise clear waters and white sands that you have been reading about earlier in this article then you will find that many of the Cala d’Or beaches are accessible to all.
Cala d’Or is a purpose-built resort built around many calas or coves of some of the bluest water in Mallorca.
Hotels lie around these beaches and cater fantastically for visitors who do not wish to walk or hike through woodland or down along rocky cliffs to access the beaches.
The main beach in Cala d’Or is Cala Gran which neighbours Cala d’Or centre where you will find restaurants, shops and cafes.
It does however get very busy during the Summer months. To read more about the pros and cons of visiting Cala d’Or, check out this article here to get a better overview.
To find the best package holidays in Cala d’Or, search the Jet2.com website here.
2. Cala Sant Vincent beaches (Cala Barques beach, Cala Clara, Cala Molins, Cala Carbó) – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
This cluster of tiny beaches and coves are some of the loveliest on the island. Cala Sant Vincent is Puerto Pollensa’s northern neighbour which attracts visitors who want to experience a quieter holiday experience outside of Mallorca’s main resorts.
It’s also a wonderful place to visit for a day trip if you are staying nearby. Check out this article here to find out more about sightseeing in the North East of Mallorca by public transport to find out more
This side of the island is a little more expensive than most, but holidaymakers are paying a premium for the views and the scenery and some enviable turquoise sea views.
But the beaches here are just stunning and are flanked by the high cliffs and stunning scenery that North East Mallorca has to offer.
Cala Barques is just a stunning small beach, with a concrete walkway running along to the tiny Cala Clara.
If you are not a huge fan of sand then this is a great swimming area and platform to sunbathe for the day.
Keep walking through the resort towards the extremely beautiful Cala Molins which has a beachside chiringuito restaurant.
Continue walking around the bay to the hidden rocky cove of Cala Carbó (not to be confused with Cala Cárbo on the South mentioned earlier in this article).
You will find wonderful photo opportunities along this stretch as well as plenty of places to eat and drink.
And if you are feeling energetic you can even hike down to Puerto Pollensa.
1. Alcudia Bay Beaches: Alcudia Beach, Playa de Muro & Can Picafort – Top 10 Beaches in Mallorca
There are three resorts which rank Number One best beach in Mallorca – Alcuida beach, Playa de Muro beach and Can Picafot beach.
All three resorts share the same 13 km beach which stretches from Alcudia Port to Can Picafort.
This is also the biggest beach in the Balearic islands and all along this stretch you will find stunning white sands and turquoise blue seas.
Playa de Muro beach was voted the 5th best beach in Europe in the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards in 2023.
These picture postcard beaches are some of my favourites in Mallorca simply because you can always find room on the sand, even in peak season.
Avoiding the main hotel areas and any high concentration of visitors and you will see some areas of the beach are less busy than others.
To find the best package holidays, search the Jet2.com website here.
Plus there are parking opportunities right along this stretch of sand.
You will also find a fantastic selection of traditional beachside chiringuitos serving paellas and others serving a great menu of other lunch dishes.
There are also plenty of resort restaurants, cafés and bars as well as shops in tourist areas of the main sands to pick up supplies.
There is no better place in my opinion in Mallorca to experience the ultimate beach paradise with gentle shelving sands and turquoise blue seas.
You will find the beach to be a little emptier and a little windier outside the main summer season, and you will also see it attracts windsurfers, kite surfers and wing foil enthusiasts.
Plus you will love the walk from Alcudia Beach resort to Alcudia Port. Or if you are feeling more energetic, you can walk the entire length.
There is something for everyone on the beaches in Alcudia Bay.
There are also so many great activities to enjoy in Alcudia Bay – check them out here:
Where to find empty beaches in Mallorca?
Finally, I am constantly asked on the Mallorca Under the Sun Facebook group and on my channel where to find empty beaches in Mallorca.
The answer is to come in winter.
You will find Mallorca is a beach paradise out of season with few visitors and miles of empty sands.
You could enjoy an entire cove to yourself that you would normally find busy and packed during the summer months.
Often the temperatures over winter allow you to go to the beach, have a picnic and enjoy temperatures that are not so hot and intense over the Summer months.
You can hike around coastlines comfortably, and enjoy Mallorca at its best. But don’t be deceived by the cooler temperatures, and don’t forget to bring your sunscreen.
Let me know in the comments below where your favourite beach is in Mallorca, and whether I have missed a key beach from this list. I look forward to hearing from you.
