Windsurfing in Mallorca

For many tourists these days, spending two weeks on a sun lounger by the hotel pool or on the beach is no longer enough as a holiday in Mallorca has so much more to offer than that. If you are looking for variety, you will find it in the holiday resorts between Alcúdia and the island's capital, Palma de Mallorca. Windsurfing in Mallorca is one of the most popular leisure activities for active holidaymakers and the island has some first-class surfing spots to offer.

Windsurfing in the north and northeast

Ideal conditions for windsurfing in Mallorca await you in the north and northeast. In the popular resort of Cala Ratjada there is a well-known surf school and in the bay you can glide over the water in total peace. Also, the bay of Cala Mesquida offers the best conditions for windsurfing. The resort of Cala Millor in the northeast of Mallorca has great access to the beach and the low hills north of the village have no significant impact on wind speeds.

The bay of Pollença on the north coast of Mallorca offers optimal conditions for windsurfing. The wind blows mostly onshore with strengths of 4-5 on the Beaufort Scale. The jet effect makes the wind blow in the bay of Pollença more than in any other coastal strip on the island. Further east, the bay of Alcúdia is another surfers' paradise. The best entry points can be found at S’Albufera nature reserve, where only a comparatively small amount of seaweed is washed towards the beach.

Surf spots in the south of Mallorca

On the opposite side of the island, the bay of Palma is a major hotspot for windsurfers. At Can Pastilla there are two surf schools offering courses of different difficulty levels as well as equipment. From noon onwards, the thermals in the bay of Palma often change and the onshore south wind refreshes.

The best time for travelling if you are a surfer is in spring and autumn. As soon as a low-pressure area moves from Spain towards France, the wind refreshes noticeably and piles up high waves in the bay of Palma and much of the south west. Es Trenc, located in the heart of a nature reserve between Sa Rapita and Colonia de Sant Jordi, also offers excellent conditions for windsurfing. Surfers need to be mindful not to use their boards in or near the swimming and bathing area, as this beautiful beach is hugely popular in the summer months.

Restrictions on windsurfing

Windsurfing in Mallorca is generally possible in all bays. The only requirement: there must be a beach area, so that the surfboard is not pressed directly against the rocks after it has been launched.

Some areas are less suitable though and these places are generally to be found on the west and northwest coast of Mallorca. There, the Tramuntana Mountains plunges steeply into the Mediterranean Sea and despite the presence of several small bays dotted around, many of them are hard to reach and tend to be pebbly rather than sandy.

To catch a fresh breeze, you would have to go far out to the open sea as thick clusters of beech trees tend to block the winds coming from the mountains. Also, the east of the island has certain restrictions on windsurfing. Although no high mountains prevent the emergence of a fresh air flow, the rugged coastal region is not ideal for water sports meaning quite some trek across the island to reach the open coastal waters.