Snorkelling in Mallorca - discover what’s under the surface

Snorkellers can get up close and personal with groupers, sea anemones and cuttlefish in Mallorca's perfect waters. The numerous rocky bays and headlands are the optimal conditions for marvelling at the underwater bio-diversity that Mallorca is famous for.

Snorkelling away from the tourist crowds

Tourists who plan a snorkelling trip on the Mallorcan coast, want to be enchanted by the colourful underwater world abundant with subtropical plants and animals. But for this you need to escape the commercial resorts where the sand is so soft due to thousands of holiday makers breaking the sand into tiny particles that wash back into the sea and cloud the water and scare the fish off as they tend to avoid shallow water with poor visibility.

In short, you need to visit one of Mallorca's many remote bays if you want the best conditions for snorkelling in Mallorca. The La Victòria peninsula in the northeast of the island and the waters around the offshore island of Sa Dragonera on the southwest coast of Mallorca may well be among the very best snorkelling areas in the world. The latter is located off the west coast and is accessed via Port d‘Andratx Harbour. The water here is swarming with frolicking barracuda, bream and monk fish. You need a bit of luck to spot an eagle ray with its majestic ‘wings' or to spot a turtle but it can happen.

Safety first

As with Scuba Diving in Mallorca, snorkelling always places safety as its number one priority. A golden rule is that snorkelling trips have at at least two people. If one runs into difficulty the other person or people can help out. Especially in waters that are unknown to you, you have to exercise caution. Under no circumstances should you reach under rocky outcrops or explore the inside of crevices with your hands. First, there is a risk of injury from sharp-edged rocks or underwater inhabitants with effective defence mechanisms but equally, you must not disturb the animals in their natural and ancient habitat. Also, feeding the fish should be avoided as they start to associate humans as food givers and this does not help their chances of survival.

Snorkelling areas on Mallorca's coasts

Mallorca has a number of diving spots with a wealth of sub-marine beauty. The bay of Cala Sant Vicenç on the rugged The North Coast of Mallorca - imposing cliffs and heavenly beaches of the island is excellent. Sea moss and colourful anemones grow on the rocks near the shore and swarms of monk fish slowly pass by. The rock walls are extremely rugged. The cracks and columns are home to octopuses and their young use small caves as hiding place. Some of the best areas for snorkellers are also Cala Santanyi, Cala des Moro and Cala Mondragó. The small bays and inlets are ideal for snorkelling on the Southeast coast Mallorca. There are a few snorkelling hotspots around Palma de Mallorca - Cala Llamp and Cala Estellencs are places where you can observe colorful anemones and silvery shoals of fish.

Underwater flora and fauna off Mallorca's coasts

The underwater flora and fauna off the coast of Mallorca is extremely diverse. The rugged underwater rocks are often covered with hard coral, sea anemones and sea moss. The small caves serve as a retreat for squid and in some places moray eels prey on smaller animals. Gilthead bream, monkfish and bream are common in all of the coastal waters of Mallorca. From time to time huge groupers pass by and at shallow spots you may spot an eagle ray. In the clear water in the secluded bays you have up to 30 m visibility. So the conditions are perfect for exploring the underwater world that the Spanish holiday island has to offer, equipped with diving mask, swim fins and snorkel.