By Rowan Ellis · Updated · Affiliate links, explained in my disclosure
The Challenge Mallorca
Kayaking, Sea Cave, Cliff Jumping & Snorkel Tour
4.8 (2,594) · from $74
Snorkeling in Mallorca is mostly a boat job. The island’s best swim stops are small coves and bays that you reach by sea, and six trips in my data build a snorkel stop into the day: a $39 cruise in the Bay of Palma, a $74 kayak and cliff-jump day in the north, a $100 sailing trip and private boats from $438. Everything below comes from the operators’ listings on GetYourGuide: prices, durations, gear, stops and cancellation. For the full list of cruises see my guide to boat tours in Mallorca. I haven’t snorkeled from 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 a first snorkeling trip: Life and Sea Mallorca at $45, rated 4.3 from 3,236 reviews, because the snorkel equipment is included, it sails from El Arenal towards Cap Enderrocat and Cala Vella, and hotel pickup is listed. If you want the best rating and a smaller boat, I’d book the Isla Sailing trip at $100, 5.0 from 126 reviews.
LIFE & SEA MALLORCA, S.L.
My pick: My first snorkel pick: $45, 2 to 4 hours, gear and hotel pickup included, a barbecue on the morning departure, 4.3 from 3,236 reviews.
Snorkeling in Mallorca, Spain, comes down to water you can swim in from the boat, and the operators sell it in three ways. The first is a shared cruise, where a crew anchors for one swim stop. The second is a small sailing yacht, where you also get a paddleboard. The third is a private boat, where you choose the coves. The Life and Sea cruise belongs to the first group: it sails from the Arenal Yacht Club, anchors in a spot you can swim from, and provides the equipment. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start.
The cheapest shared option is Sa Calma Boats at $39 for 2.5 hours, rated 4.4 from 2,725 reviews. The Super Delfin Verde heads for the Palma Marine Nature Reserve and makes one swimming stop if the weather is good, in places like Cala Vella. The listing includes a snorkel set for a 10 euro deposit, a life jacket, a shower, a toilet on board and one drink, plus hotel pickup. It is a music-and-sun boat rather than a quiet one, which suits some and not others.
Sa Calma Boats
My pick: The cheapest way in: $39, 2.5 hours, one drink and a snorkel set, 4.4 from 2,725 reviews, with a party feel.
A Mallorca snorkeling beach on these trips is a bay where the boat anchors, not a beach you walk down to. The Magic Catamarans cruise at $66 goes to Portals Vells or Cala Vella depending on the wind, and its listing says the water is a few metres from an idyllic beach. The Life and Sea cruise names Cap Enderrocat and Cala Vella, which its listing calls protected natural areas. The Arenal Boat Charter rental includes snorkeling gear and swims in the Cala Blava Marine Reserve. For rules on protected marine areas in Spain, the national ministry MITECO is the official source.
In the north the picture changes. The Caribia Sailing half day from Port d’Alcúdia stops for an hour at Platja del Coll Baix to swim and snorkel, with tapas and unlimited drinks. In my data it is the only trip that names that beach. Because beaches differ by wind direction, I’d ask the operator on the day which side the boat will anchor on.
For a Palma snorkeling tour I’d compare three formats. A catamaran such as Magic Catamarans at $66 gives you five hours, lunch, wine and sangria, soft drinks, and a refundable 10 euro deposit for the snorkel gear. Attraction Catamarans at $62 has a gourmet buffet and a DJ, one swim stop at Cala Vella and gear for sale at 20 euros. Both leave from the Palma waterfront, so they suit people who want a full day on the water, not a quick swim.
The sailing option is Isla Sailing: $100 for 3 to 7 hours depending on the version, with a professional skipper, cava, beer, white wine and tapas, snorkeling gear and a paddleboard. It meets at the back entrance of Club de Mar next to the cruise terminal and sails to a secret stop for swimming and snorkeling. Hotel pickup and drop-off are listed. The listing says wheelchair users and people prone to seasickness should not book, and the stop depends on wind.
Isla Sailing
My pick: Best rating, 5.0 from 126 reviews: $100, a sailing yacht with snorkel gear and a paddleboard, drinks and tapas.
Snorkeling in Mallorca near Alcúdia, the north-coast option, has two good options in my data and neither is a standard boat cruise. The Challenge Mallorca costs $74 for 3 hours and is rated 4.8 from 2,594 reviews. You are picked up at one of ten hotels in Alcúdia, Playa de Muro and Can Picafort, ride about 20 minutes by bus, then kayak at La Victòria, explore a sea cave, swim at a secret stop, snorkel for about 20 minutes and eat a picnic lunch. Guides speak English, Spanish and French, and GoPro photos are included.
The other is the Caribia Sailing trip I mentioned above, and the Brisa catamaran from Puerto Alcúdia, which carries canoes and standup paddleboards on a five-hour lunch cruise at $76. The Brisa listing says its snorkel masks are only available to buy, so I’d not count on included gear there. The kayak trip is the one I’d pick for a first Alcúdia snorkel, because everything is included.
The Challenge Mallorca
My pick: The north-coast adventure: $74, 3 hours, kayaks, a sea cave, cliff jumping and snorkeling, 4.8 from 2,594 reviews.
The stops in the listings give a rough map. In the Bay of Palma, the miniBAR&Co private tour names Club de Mar, Cala Comtesa, Punta Negra, Cala Vinyes and Cala Bella Dona, going east and south-west of the bay. Magic Catamarans and Sa Calma Boats use Cala Vella and Portals Vells to the west, and Life and Sea adds Cap Enderrocat towards the east. In the north, Coll Baix and La Victòria sit near Alcúdia. All stops are as listed by the operators, and the boat may change them with the wind.
The miniBAR&Co tour is the most expensive snorkel option I’d recommend: $438, 2 to 4 hours, rated 5.0 from 147 reviews. It is private, with a skipper, a SUP board, snorkeling equipment, an underwater camera, a Bluetooth music system and fuel. It is the one with the most named coves. Think of it as the boat for a couple or a small group who want the coves to themselves.
miniBAR&Co
My pick: The private cove-hopper: $438, 2 to 4 hours from Club de Mar, snorkel gear and an underwater camera, 5.0 from 147 reviews.
The best spots for snorkeling in Mallorca depend on the wind more than any list, and the operators pick the cove on the day. If I had to give an order, I’d put the private and small-boat trips first because the skipper can go where the water is calmest. Isla Sailing and miniBAR&Co do that, as does the Vi Charter private yacht, which costs $505 for 2 to 5 hours, with snorkeling gear, a drone, a SUP board, snacks and alcoholic drinks. It has no ratings yet, so I’d compare it with the others before booking.
Vi Charter is a celebration boat first and a snorkel trip second, according to its listing, which talks about music and prosecco. If your priority is the water, the sailing trip or the kayak day gets you more time in it. If your priority is the party, the Vi Charter and Sa Calma boats lean that way. My yacht charter page covers the Vi Charter in more detail.
Vi Charter
My pick: A private motor yacht with snorkel gear, a drone and drinks for $505; no ratings yet, so I'd read the listing closely.
| Operator | Price | Duration | Boat | Rating | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sa Calma Boats | $39 | 2.5 hours | Shared boat | 4.4 (2,725) | Free, 24 hours before |
| Life and Sea Mallorca | $45 | 2 to 4 hours | Sailing catamaran | 4.3 (3,236) | Full refund, 24 hours before |
| The Challenge Mallorca | $74 | 3 hours | Kayaks and bus | 4.8 (2,594) | Free, 24 hours before |
| Isla Sailing | $100 | 3 to 7 hours | Sailing yacht | 5.0 (126) | Free, 24 hours before |
| miniBAR&Co | $438 | 2 to 4 hours | Private boat | 5.0 (147) | Free, 24 hours before |
| Vi Charter | $505 | 2 to 5 hours | Private motor yacht | No ratings | Free, 24 hours before |
If I wanted the cheapest day with a swim, I’d take Sa Calma Boats. For a first snorkeling in Mallorca with a crew and a meal, the Life and Sea catamaran. For the best water time, the Challenge Mallorca kayak day, and for a small boat, Isla Sailing. If you are comparing with other boats, my catamaran tour page and my sailing page cover the same bays from a different deck, and the private boat tour page and boat rental page cover the options without a crowd.
Whichever way you go snorkeling in Mallorca, bring a rash vest or sunscreen, and confirm the meeting point and time in your confirmation email. For every Mallorca boat trip I compared, go back to the boat tours in Mallorca hub, or start from the home page to compare other cities.
In my data the boats snorkel at Cala Vella and in the Palma Marine Nature Reserve from Palma, at Cala Blava and Cap Enderrocat from El Arenal, at Platja del Coll Baix from Alcúdia, and at La Victòria on the kayak trip. The private miniBAR&Co tour names Cala Comtesa, Punta Negra, Cala Vinyes and Cala Bella Dona.
On most trips yes. Life and Sea, The Challenge Mallorca, miniBAR&Co, Isla Sailing and Vi Charter list the equipment as included. Sa Calma Boats asks for a 10 euro deposit, Magic Catamarans for a 10 euro refundable deposit, and Attraction Catamarans sells gear on board for 20 euros.
From $39 for the 2.5-hour Sa Calma Boats cruise to $505 for a private Vi Charter yacht. In between: Life and Sea at $45, The Challenge Mallorca kayak day at $74, Isla Sailing at $100 and the miniBAR&Co private tour at $438. The prices are per booking page, so check whether a private boat is priced per group.
My data does not say. Morning departures are listed on the Life and Sea catamaran, which serves a barbecue on the morning trip, and Isla Sailing runs 3 to 7 hours. I'd pick the morning for calmer water, but the operator's own advice and the wind forecast should decide it.
Often yes. Life vests for children are listed on the Magic Catamarans trip, and a reviewer of the Life and Sea cruise says their teenagers loved it. The Isla Sailing trip excludes people prone to seasickness, and SeaMallorcaTrips excludes children under 6, so read the exclusions on the listing you choose.
My full review of each one, in the order I rank them: