Cruising the Balearics: A First Season Guide
Anchorages, marinas and passage planning for Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
Jack & Anchor Editorial3 August 2026 7 min read
Passage planning
From Valencia, Ibiza is a comfortable overnight or a long day sail at 130 miles. Formentera to Mallorca is around 60 miles, and the Ibiza-Mallorca channel can build quickly in a northeasterly.
Anchorages worth the detour
Cala Saona on Formentera, Cala Portinatx on Ibiza's north coast and Cala Pi in southern Mallorca all offer good holding in sand. Note the posidonia protection zones — anchoring on seagrass carries substantial fines.
Marina strategy
Book July and August berths by March. Shoulder season in May, June and September gives you the same water with a third of the boats and half the berthing rate.
