By Rowan Ellis · Updated · Affiliate links, explained in my disclosure
Arenal Boat Charter
Private Mallorca Boat Rental (No License Needed)
4.7 (560) · from $213
If you want a boat to yourself, boat rental in Mallorca is simpler than most people expect. In my data three operators rent small self-drive boats, advertised as needing no licence, from $213 for 2 to 6 hours, and each gives you a short briefing before you set off. One caution first: the listings say no licence is needed, but since 1 October 2026 Spanish rules (Real Decreto 1188/2025) require renters of these boats to hold a title, so ask the operator before you book. Everything below comes from their listings on GetYourGuide: prices, durations, deposits, what is included and cancellation. For the wider choice, including shared cruises, see my guide to boat tours in Mallorca. I haven’t driven any of these boats, so my picks rest on the data and the review snippets. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.
My pick for most groups: the Arenal Boat Charter at $213, rated 4.7 from 560 reviews, because it has by far the most reviews, the lowest price and a guide who comes with you. If you want a bigger boat with room for five and are happy to pay $314, I’d book EMBARK at Santa Ponsa.
Arenal Boat Charter
My pick: My pick for most groups: $213, 2 to 6 hours, listed as no licence needed (ask the operator first), 4.7 from 560 reviews, leaves from El Arenal.
A Palma boat rental really means the Bay of Palma, and the nearest of my three is the Arenal Boat Charter. It starts at Avinguda Miramar 24 in El Arenal, in front of the La Marina restaurant, and the listing tells you to walk down to the beach and then along the sand towards the sea to find the meeting spot. You can book 2, 3, 4 or 6 hours. A professional guide accompanies the group, explains how the boat works and, when conditions allow, lets guests take the helm under supervision.
What does the $213 cover? The listing includes the boat, a boat orientation, petrol, insurance, safety equipment, life jackets for adults and children, port fees and recommendations on where to go. What it does not cover is the guide fee, listed at 25 euros per hour, and any food, drinks, ice or cool box. So for a 4-hour trip, plan on about 100 euros in guide fees on top of the headline price, which is worth knowing when you compare it with the others. The route in the listing runs to Cala Blava, Cala Vella and Platja de Palma. Two reviewers say driving the boat was the highlight of their trip, one with a group of four who rented for 2 hours.
Boat rental in Mallorca, Spain follows a simple pattern: you pay for a block of hours, fuel for a set route is included, and a deposit is held against damage. For a general introduction to what Spain requires of recreational boaters, the official source is the Dirección General de la Marina Mercante, and I’d check it if you plan to rent outside these listings. Inside them, the listings say no licence is required, but that is no longer the whole story: since 1 October 2026, Real Decreto 1188/2025 (BOE-A-2025-27010) allows the licence-free exemption for boats up to 5 m and 15 hp for private use only, so a renter needs the matching title. Ask the operator what it offers.
The three rentals sit on three different coasts. Arenal is on the Bay of Palma, EMBARK is at Santa Ponsa on the west side of the bay and Rapita Charter is at the far south. That matters because the scenery changes. The bay has sheltered, short hops between coves, while the south coast opens onto long sandy beaches. A boat rental in Mallorca is the only way in my data to choose your own pace on the water, and you pay for that freedom: $213 to $314 for a rented boat against $39 to $76 per person on a shared catamaran.
EMBARK
My pick: A Bayliner for up to five from Santa Ponsa: $314, 3 to 6 hours, 4.7 from 92 reviews, with a 150 euro cash deposit.
People search for a Mallorca boat rental with no licence, so here is the honest answer. The three listings say no licence is needed, and that was true of rentals for years. Since 1 October 2026, though, Real Decreto 1188/2025 limits the licence-free exemption to private use, and in rentals the renter must hold the matching title, usually the short Licencia de Navegación course. Before you book, ask the operator whether it offers a skipper, the licence course or a licence-free category. Here is what each listing offers. EMBARK rents new Bayliner boats from Santa Ponsa for $314, 3 to 6 hours, and the listing says they are easy to handle and hold up to five people. It offers three starting points, with routes to Santa Ponsa, Cala Fornells and the Malgrats Islands, each with sightseeing, swimming, snorkelling and sailing. You get an instructor’s initial explanation, a map with a route of the best places to visit, an ice box, a canopy, a solarium and fuel for the hired hours and route. The 150 euro cash deposit is not included, and neither is fuel outside the contracted route.
Rapita Charter is the quiet one. It starts at dock H inside Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita, 200 metres to the right of the club entrance, for $314 and 4 to 8 hours. The listing describes a 2022 boat with a bimini shade, swim stairs, life vests, snorkelling gear and 25 litres of fuel. The route takes in Sa Ràpita beach, Es Trenc, Colònia de Sant Jordi and Es Carbó. A 200 euro deposit is held as security. It has 4.9 from only 33 reviews, and the listing is in English only. One reviewer calls it a great way to see the southern beaches with kids.
Rapita Charter
My pick: The longest option and the highest rating, 4.9 from 33 reviews: $314, 4 to 8 hours from Sa Ràpita, 200 euro deposit.
On licence-free boats the limits are about the boat, not about you: the listings say the boats are small, easy and slow enough to be driven after a briefing, but confirm the licence position with the operator first, as explained above. In practice you stay on the route the operator gives you: EMBARK hands you a map of the best places to visit, and Arenal’s guide tells you where to go.
Weather decides the day. The Spanish weather agency AEMET publishes marine forecasts, and I’d look at it the evening before, then confirm with the rental office in the morning. All three rentals offer cancellation up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, so if the forecast turns, move the date. On the boat, bring water, food and sun protection, because none of the three includes food, and drinks are extra or not included.
If you would rather not drive, the cheapest way in my data is the Arenal Boat Charter, because a guide comes with you at 25 euros per hour. For a full skipper, three other trips in my data come with a captain and go farther. The miniBAR&Co private tour with snorkel and paddle costs $438 for 2 to 4 hours, rated 5.0 from 147 reviews. The Isla Sailing trip is a sailing yacht with a skipper at $100, and Drive Mallorca’s Fairline Targa 52 costs $1,066 with a skipper. I cover those on my private boat tour page and my yacht charter page.
The trade-off is simple. A self-drive rental gives you control at $213 to $314 for the boat, and a skippered tour gives you someone who knows the coast and the anchorages. For a group of four, a Mallorca boat rental often works out cheaper than separate tickets on a shared boat, which is the case I’d run the numbers on before booking. For a group of two, a shared catamaran such as the catamaran tours usually costs less.
| Operator | Price | Duration | Boat | Rating | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arenal Boat Charter | $213 | 2 to 6 hours | Small boat with guide | 4.7 (560) | Free, 24 hours before |
| EMBARK | $314 | 3 to 6 hours | Bayliner, up to 5 people | 4.7 (92) | Free, 24 hours before |
| Rapita Charter | $314 | 4 to 8 hours | 2022 boat with bimini | 4.9 (33) | Free, 24 hours before |
Three checks save most of the trouble with a boat rental in Mallorca. First, read the cost list for what is not included: the guide fee at Arenal, the deposit at EMBARK and Rapita, and any fuel beyond the contracted route. Second, find the meeting point on the map the evening before, because Arenal’s is on the sand and Rapita’s is a numbered dock inside a club port. Third, check your group size against the limit: EMBARK says five.
If you are still choosing between a rental and a shared trip, my snorkeling tour page and my sailing page cover the options that put a crew in charge. Back on the Mallorca boat tours hub, I compare every boat rental in Mallorca next to the cruises, and you can start from the home page for other cities.
The three listings (Arenal Boat Charter, EMBARK and Rapita Charter) say no licence is needed, but the rules changed. Since 1 October 2026, Real Decreto 1188/2025 limits the licence-free exemption for small motorboats to private use, so renters of these boats must hold a title. Ask the operator whether it offers a skipper, the short licence course or a licence-free category before you book.
The three rentals cost $213, $314 and $314 on GetYourGuide. The $213 Arenal Boat Charter lasts 2 to 6 hours, EMBARK is 3 to 6 hours and Rapita Charter is 4 to 8 hours. Fuel is included on two of the three, but deposits of 150 and 200 euros and a guide fee of 25 euros per hour are separate.
The EMBARK Bayliner holds up to five people, according to its listing. The other two listings do not state a limit in my data, and reviewers mention groups of four on the Arenal boat. Confirm the passenger limit with the operator before you bring a larger group or small children.
Arenal Boat Charter starts at Avinguda Miramar 24 in El Arenal, on Palma's beach side, and EMBARK is at Santa Ponsa on the west side of the bay. Rapita Charter is much farther, at Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita on the south coast. None of the three starts in the centre of Palma.
All three include life jackets and safety equipment. Arenal adds petrol, insurance, port fees and a briefing, EMBARK adds fuel for the route, an instructor, an ice box and a canopy, and Rapita adds 25 litres of fuel and a bimini shade. Food and drink are not included on any of the three.
My full review of each one, in the order I rank them: