Cabrera Archipelago National Park
Spain's largest national park, permit-only and mooring-buoy-only — 50 boats a day, no anchoring, and a 14th-century castle standing guard over the one harbour you're allowed to enter.
Season: May–OctNearest jet: PMIThe vibe: restraint
Twelve nautical miles south of Mallorca, Cabrera is the one Balearic water that cannot be bought — only fifty boats a day are let into the whole marine park, each on a reserved buoy, anchoring banned outright to protect the seagrass below. The reward for the restrictions: a turquoise harbour under a pirate-era fort, a sea cave that turns electric blue at midday, and water so clear the seabed reads like a chart.
You don't turn up to Cabrera. You're allowed in.
Moorings, not anchorages
Every stop in the park is a booked buoy. Anchoring is prohibited everywhere in Cabrera's waters.
- Es PortThe only overnight zone and sole permitted landing — a deep, sheltered natural harbour beneath the castle headland. Ranger station, cantina, the only "town" Cabrera has.
- Sa Cova Blava (the Blue Cave)A 40m sea cave reached by tender; from midday the light turns the water electric sapphire. An essential excursion, not a mooring.
- Cala GandufNorth-coast cove, exceptionally clear and calm water — a swimming and snorkelling stop.
- Cala Santa MariaRocky inlet with a sea cave boats can enter; a scenic secondary tender stop.
- Es BurríDay-use buoy field, east side, ~30 moorings; day access only, from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset.
- Sa Coveta RojaSmaller day-use buoy field, ~8 moorings; the quieter alternative to Es Burrí.
The park
No beach clubs, no marina bar circuit — the glamour here is scarcity, enforced by law.
Cabrera Castle
14th-century fortress raised against Barbary pirate raids, standing over Es Port — the single defining image of the anchorage.
Marine reserve & endemic species
One of the world's largest Audouin's gull colonies nests here; the endemic Lilford's wall lizard is everywhere underfoot; whales and loggerhead turtles pass through the surrounding deep water.
Museum & the fort trail
A small museum and botanical garden at Can Feliu, waymarked walking trails to the castle and the lighthouse headland — the only land access beyond Es Port.
Facilities
Cabrera itself offers almost nothing ashore — that is by design.
Es Port cantina
The only catering point in the archipelago: a small bar by the ranger station serving drinks and snacks. No restaurant, no hotel, no overnight accommodation ashore.
Palma
Club de Mar and Port Adriano are the realistic bases for provisioning, agents and dining before or after the crossing south.
Colònia de Sant Jordi / Portopetro
Small-craft harbours on Mallorca's south coast, the shortest crossing point at roughly 12nm — not superyacht marinas, but the practical staging ground.
A week, sketched
Palma / Port Adriano
Provision, brief the crew, confirm the Cabrera buoy booking made twenty days out.
South to Colònia de Sant Jordi
Cruise the south coast and stage overnight for an early crossing to the park.
Cross to Cabrera
Check into the booked buoy at Es Port, visit the castle, evening beneath the fort.
Sa Cova Blava & Cala Ganduf
Tender excursions for swimming and snorkelling; the museum and botanical garden if time allows.
Depart within the window
Out by the booking's end time, back north to Cala Pi or Cala Portals Vells.
Es Trenc & Palma Bay
White sand and calas on the return leg; re-provision.
Return to Palma
Disembark, or continue north toward the Tramuntana coast.
The long weekend
Cabrera on its own terms — a short, tightly timed version built around the buoy booking, with nothing either side of it.
Palma / Port Adriano
Provision and confirm the buoy booking; the crossing itself is short enough that a full staging day isn't necessary.
Cross to Cabrera — Es Port
Head straight into the park and check onto the booked buoy beneath the castle, ashore before the day-boats land in numbers.
Sa Cova Blava & Cala Santa Maria
Tender out to the Blue Cave for the midday light, then the rock inlet at Cala Santa Maria for a quieter second stop.
Es Burrí
A morning on the park's day-use buoy field before its access window closes; a walk up to the castle if you haven't already.
Colònia de Sant Jordi / Palma
Out by the booking's end time and back across to Mallorca to re-provision or disembark.
The naturalist's route
Every buoy field and both sea caves, bookended by a longer look at Mallorca's own coast.
Palma / Port Adriano
Provision and confirm the reservation, made twenty days out as the park requires.
Colònia de Sant Jordi / Portopetro
Stage overnight on Mallorca's south coast, ready for an early crossing to the park.
Cross to Cabrera — Es Port
Check onto the booked buoy beneath the fort and climb to the castle before the day's visitors arrive.
Sa Cova Blava, Cala Santa Maria & the fort trail
A full day of tender excursions to both sea caves, plus the waymarked walk to the lighthouse headland and the museum and botanical garden at Can Feliu.
Es Burrí
A day on the park's larger day-use buoy field, watching for the Audouin's gull colony that nests here — one of the world's largest.
Sa Coveta Roja
The quieter of the two day-use fields for a last morning, Lilford's wall lizards underfoot on any trip ashore; depart within the booking window.
Cala Pi, Cala Portals Vells & Es Trenc
Back north along Mallorca's coast, calling at three of its calas on the run in; re-provision at day's end.
North to the Tramuntana coast
Continue past Palma Bay toward Mallorca's mountain coastline to close out a longer week.
Pair with
The year, measured
Monthly means at the heart of this water — daily maxima averaged, wind as mean daily peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air, day °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 19 | 16 |
| Sea °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 17 |
| Wind, peak kt | 18 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 18 |
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo · 2019–2023 means · sea temperature 2022–2023
The yachts that run these waters
Profiles from the record — introductions via the harbour desk.
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