Yacht delivery from Palma de Mallorca: routes, prices and the best time to go

Short answer: Palma de Mallorca is one of the Mediterranean's main yachting hubs and one of the most common start and end points for a yacht delivery. For a 40 ft cruising yacht, indicative all-in prices from Palma run from €700 to €1,200 for a hop to Ibiza, €1,000 to €1,500 to Barcelona and €1,500 to €2,500 to Gibraltar, which is about 500 nautical miles and four to six days at sea. Traffic is heaviest from May to October, and autumn is when boats leave Palma for Gibraltar, the Canaries and the Atlantic. To get an offer, share your route and your boat; Captain Tim replies with an indicative all-in price.

Why do so many yacht deliveries start or end in Palma?#

Palma has large marinas, big refit and repair yards and a long cruising season, so boats come and go all year:

• Spring arrivals for the Balearic season, including boats returning from the Caribbean
• Refit and repair: boats brought to the Palma yards for the winter and collected in spring
• Autumn departures: boats leaving for Gibraltar and the Canaries ahead of an Atlantic crossing, or for a winter berth elsewhere
• Sales: boats bought in Mallorca moving to their new owner's home port, and the other way round

Routes and prices from Palma de Mallorca#

The figures are for a 40 ft cruising yacht and are all-in indications: the captain's fee, fuel, expenses and travel home, as on our routes and prices page. Our model puts boats under 40 ft about 15 percent lower and boats of 50 ft and up about 25 percent higher. A real offer depends on your boat, your dates and the weather.

When is the best time for a yacht delivery from Palma?#

• April to June: boats arrive for the summer season. Book early, because this is a busy time for captains in the Balearics.
• July and August: settled weather, but marinas are full and many captains are already committed.
• September to November: the main departure season. Boats head for Gibraltar and the Canaries to cross the Atlantic with the trade winds, which from the Canaries usually means leaving between November and early January.
• Winter: fewer deliveries and more gales to wait out, but boats still move to and from the yards.

Palma to Gibraltar and on to the Atlantic#

The most common longer delivery out of Palma runs west to Gibraltar, about 500 nautical miles along the Spanish coast, planned at four to six days at sea. Boats bound for the Caribbean then continue to the Canaries and cross from Las Palmas. For timing, see Transatlantic delivery: the best windows; for the crossing itself, the Las Palmas to Saint Lucia band on the routes page.

Yacht delivery to Mallorca#

Boats also come to Mallorca from the French Riviera, mainland Spain, Italy and further east: Cannes to Palma is about 300 nautical miles, Valencia to Mallorca about 140 and Athens to Palma about 1,300. From northern Europe a delivery to Mallorca usually runs via Biscay and Gibraltar. Plan it as Solent to Gibraltar (1,300 nautical miles, 9 to 13 days at sea) plus the Gibraltar to Palma leg.

What to arrange before a delivery from Palma#

• Your insurance covers the delivery, the captain and the route
• The ship's papers and registration documents are on board
• The marina knows the boat is leaving and the berth is settled
• The boat is ready to go: engine serviced, safety equipment in date. See the owner's checklist
• If the boat has been in a yard, the work is signed off and tested before the captain arrives

How the whole process runs, from first offer to handover: How does yacht delivery work?

Captains: deliveries departing Palma#

Looking for work out of Mallorca? Open deliveries that start in Palma are listed on yacht deliveries from Palma de Mallorca.