The Best Beaches in Mallorca, by Area

Mallorca has more than 260 km of coastline and hundreds of beaches, from broad family bays to rocky coves you have to walk to. Where you should go depends entirely on which side of the island you're based — driving from Palma to the far north and back eats half a day. This guide splits the coast into the same five regions we use across the site, so you can match the beach to your base.

Prefer to browse the full, filterable list with photos and facilities? See the Mallorca beaches directory.

Palma & the Southwest

The most convenient beaches if you're staying in or near the capital — short drives, good bus links, and easy half-day plans.

• Platja de Palma — a long, sandy, shallow city beach stretching from Ca'n Pastilla to S'Arenal. Busy and touristy, but genuinely good for a quick swim with full facilities.
• Cala Major & Illetes — smaller resort coves just west of Palma, calm water, popular with families.
• Portals Vells & Cala Comtessa — quieter, prettier coves in the Calvià area, backed by pines. Better for a proper beach day than the resort strips.
• Sant Elm — right at the southwest tip, with views across to the Dragonera island. A relaxed end-of-the-road feel.

Best for: convenience, short trips, city-based visitors who don't want to drive far.

North Mallorca

The north is where you go for big sandy beaches and calm, shallow water — the classic family choice around the Bay of Alcúdia and Pollença.

• Platja de Muro — probably the best family beach on the island: fine sand, gently shelving turquoise water, pine shade, and plenty of facilities.
• Alcúdia beach — long and sandy, connected to Muro, with a lively promenade and watersports.
• Platja de Formentor — a beautiful pine-fringed beach on the dramatic Formentor peninsula. Note: in peak summer the peninsula road is restricted to cars and served by shuttle bus/boat.
• Cala Sant Vicenç — a cluster of small coves with clear water and a more low-key feel.

Best for: families, calm swimming, longer beach days.

East Mallorca

The east coast mixes resort beaches with scenic coves, and it's the easiest region for beach-hopping — several good spots sit close together.

• Cala Agulla (Cala Rajada) — a wide, sandy, pine-backed beach that stays attractive despite its popularity.
• Canyamel — a broad sandy cove near the Coves d'Artà, family-friendly and less frantic than the big resorts.
• Cala Mesquida — wilder, with big dunes and often some surf; a nature-reserve feel just north of Cala Rajada.
• Cala Torta — undeveloped and windswept, for people who want sand without the sunbed rows.

Best for: variety, beach-hopping, mixing resort comfort with wilder spots.

Southeast Mallorca

The southeast, around Santanyí and Cala d'Or, is cove country — turquoise calas set between low cliffs and pines. It's the most photogenic stretch of coast on the island.

• Cala Mondragó — two connected sandy coves inside a protected natural park. Gorgeous and family-friendly, with a short walk keeping the crowds down.
• Cala d'Or's calas — a string of small, sheltered coves around the resort, good for calm swimming.
• Es Trenc — the famous long white-sand, Caribbean-lookalike beach. Stunning, but very busy in summer — go early.
• Caló des Moro & the hidden calas — the tiny, dramatic coves that fill Instagram feeds. They deserve their own guide: see the best hidden coves in the south for how to find them and visit responsibly.

Best for: turquoise-water photos, cove-hopping, scenic swims.

West Mallorca

The west coast is shaped by the Serra de Tramuntana — dramatic, rugged, and short on sand. The beaches here are smaller and rockier, but the settings are the most spectacular on the island.

• Cala Deià — a small pebbly cove below the village of Deià, with clear water and a couple of legendary seafood shacks on the rocks.
• Port de Sóller — a calm, crescent-shaped bay that's easy to reach and good for families, with the vintage tram running down to it.
• Sa Calobra & Torrent de Pareis — reached by a famously twisting road (or by boat from Port de Sóller), where a dramatic gorge meets the sea.
• Cala Tuent — a quieter alternative near Sa Calobra, backed by mountains.

Best for: scenery over sand, dramatic settings, combining a beach with a mountain drive.

Which area should you base yourself in?

A quick honest summary:

• Families wanting easy sand: North (Muro / Alcúdia).
• Turquoise coves and photos: Southeast (Santanyí / Cala d'Or).
• Dramatic scenery, don't mind rocks: West (Tramuntana coast).
• Staying in Palma, short trips: Palma & Southwest.
• Variety and beach-hopping: East.

Getting to the beaches

Many of the best beaches — especially the coves — have limited parking that fills by mid-morning in summer, so arrive early or come late. Some are reachable by the TIB bus network, but for the wilder coves a car makes a real difference. For the full breakdown of buses, trains, and where a car is genuinely required, see getting around Mallorca without a car.

If you're planning a short trip and want to fit a beach day around Palma and the mountains, our first weekend in Mallorca itinerary shows how to balance it.

Whatever you choose, the rule holds across the whole island: go early, take your rubbish home, and the beach will be better for everyone after you.