Guides · Mallorca
5 Best Beaches in Mallorca
By Tomas Achmedovas · CEO and co-founder
CEO and co-founder
The best beaches in Mallorca are among the finest in the Mediterranean - and the island has enough variety to reward visitors looking for anything from a 2 km empty natural beach to a sheltered family cove to a dramatic north coast setting that has appeared on travel magazine covers for decades. This guide covers the 5 best Mallorca beaches, selected for water quality, scenic quality, and the distinctive character of each, rather than just listing the most famous names.
Each entry includes the exact address, access details (including any summer vehicle restrictions), nearest transport, and a Pro Tip. The beaches spread from the south coast (Es Trenc, Ses Salines municipality) to the northeast (Cala Mondragó, Santanyi) and the far north (Playa de Formentor, Pollenca). A hire car from Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI, Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca) gives you full flexibility. Important: Es Trenc and Formentor both have summer vehicle access restrictions - check current rules before driving.
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1Es Trenc - Mallorca's Best Natural Beach
Es Trenc (Playa de Es Trenc, Ses Salines) is the best beach in Mallorca for sheer natural quality - 2 km of white-powder sand backed by protected dunes and pine scrub, with water ranging from pale turquoise in the shallows to deep blue offshore. It's one of the last undeveloped long beaches on the island: no hotels, no apartment blocks, and strict vehicle access controls in July and August (shuttle buses run from Campos town, about 4 EUR return). The beach faces south and is in full sun all day.
Facilities are deliberately minimal to protect the natural character: a few seasonal chiringuitos at the western end (June to September), beach showers, and toilets. Naturist use is common at the eastern end (furthest from the car park). Sunlounger hire is available near the chiringuitos; the rest of the beach is free sand.
2Cala Millor - Mallorca's Best Long Sandy East Coast Beach
Cala Millor is the finest long sandy beach on the east coast of Mallorca - 1.7 km of fine, pale-gold sand with calm, clear water sheltered from prevailing westerly winds by the shape of the bay. It consistently holds a Blue Flag designation and has full services including lifeguards in season (June to September), beach showers, sunlounger hire, and a promenade of restaurants and bars behind. The water is shallow and the gradient gentle, making it one of the most family-suitable beaches on the island alongside Es Trenc.
The beach sits between the resorts of Son Servera and Sant Llorenç des Cardassar on the east coast, roughly 65 km from Palma. The promenade is well-maintained and the resort itself is more balanced than some of the larger west coast developments. From here, the nearby Coves del Drac (Drach Caves, Porto Cristo, 10 km south) make a natural half-day combination.
3Playa de Formentor - Mallorca's Most Dramatic North Coast Beach
Playa de Formentor (Carretera del Far de Formentor, Pollenca) occupies a setting that has made it one of the most photographed beaches in Spain - a 1 km strip of white sand at the end of the Formentor Peninsula, surrounded by pine-clad limestone cliffs falling directly to the sea, with the mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana as a backdrop. The water is pale green over sand and blue beyond, and the beach faces southwest, protected from north winds by the peninsula. It's backed by the historic Hotel Formentor (Playa de Formentor, 07470), which opened in 1929 and counts Churchill, Chaplin, and multiple Nobel laureates among past guests.
Private vehicles are prohibited on the Formentor Peninsula road (PM-221) from July 1 to September 15 between 7:30 AM and 9 PM. Shuttle buses run from Port de Pollenca (Avinguda de la Platja, roughly every 15-20 min, about 5 EUR return); a boat service also runs from Port de Pollenca marina in peak season.
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4Cala Agulla - Mallorca's Best Undeveloped Northeast Coast Beach
Cala Agulla (Carrer Cala Agulla s/n, Cala Ratjada) is a 600-metre beach on the northeast coast, set within the Cap de Cala Agulla natural area and backed by protected pine dunes rather than tourist development. The water is clear and the beach sand is fine and white; the surrounding scrubland gives it a wild, unconstructed feel rare on the Mallorcan coast. It faces northeast, making it excellent for morning sun and relatively calmer in the afternoon westerly winds.
The beach has limited facilities - no permanent sunlounger rental on most of the sand, a seasonal chiringuito at the northern end. The walk from Cala Ratjada town centre (2 km) passes through pine woods and takes about 25 minutes. The beach is not suitable for visitors with limited mobility due to the soft sand path.
5Cala Pi - Mallorca's Most Dramatic Narrow Inlet Beach
Cala Pi (Carretera Cala Pi s/n, Llucmajor) is a narrow, deep inlet on the south coast - one of the most unusual beach settings on the island. The cove is barely 40 metres wide but opens through a limestone gorge to the sea, with vertical rock walls on both sides and water so clear and still that you can see the sandy bottom 3-4 metres down. At the top of the gorge, Cala Pi village has a cluster of traditional Mallorcan holiday houses and a small watchtower (Torre de Cala Pi, a 17th-century coastal defence tower) that is free to visit.
The beach is small (about 80 metres of sand at the base of the gorge) with no sunlounger hire and no permanent restaurant. The walk down from the village car park takes about 10 minutes via a stepped path. The gorge walls provide shade from mid-afternoon, making this an excellent beach for families with very young children who struggle with direct sun exposure.
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CEO and co-founder
Tomas is the co-founder and director of trip1, an European company specializing in reservation services. He launched the company in 2025 with a focus on building scalable, efficient operations.
5 Best Beaches in Mallorca - FAQ
Es Trenc, for sheer natural quality: almost 2 km of white sand backed by protected dunes, with no hotels and water from pale turquoise to deep blue. For drama, Playa de Formentor sits under pine-clad cliffs at the end of the Formentor Peninsula. At Es Trenc, walk east from the beach bars to find the clearest water and the fewest people.
The south and east, for long sand and calm water. Es Trenc on the south coast faces south and gets sun all day, Cala Millor on the east coast is sheltered from westerly winds and shelves gently, and Cala Agulla in the northeast is backed by pine dunes. The north has the most dramatic setting, at Formentor, under cliffs and the Tramuntana mountains.
Yes. Es Trenc is the best known: naturists use its eastern end, furthest from the car parks, and the Balearic tourist board lists it as a beach where you can bathe without a swimsuit. Most other beaches, such as Cala Millor, are busy family resort beaches with lifeguards and promenades, where swimwear is the norm.
June and September. The sea is warm, the beaches are calmer than in July and August, and prices are lower. Late May and early October also work if you do not mind cooler water. In July and August, arrive early: the Es Trenc car parks and the Formentor beach car park fill up by late morning, and Cala Agulla's chiringuito is only open in season.
Cala Millor on the east coast: 1.7 km of fine sand, shallow water with a gentle slope, lifeguards from June to September, showers and a promenade of restaurants. Es Trenc is also shallow but has few facilities. Cala Pi suits very young children, as its gorge walls shade the small beach from mid-afternoon, though the path down has steps.
Formentor. From mid-May to mid-October 2026, private cars are restricted on the Formentor road between 10:00 and 22:00: you can drive to Formentor beach only while its car park has spaces, and the road on to the lighthouse is closed. TIB buses run from Port de Pollenca. Es Trenc is reached through paid car parks that fill early in summer.
