Protected Areas in Mallorca: Where You Can Anchor and Where You Need a Permit

Three layers of protection worth telling apart

When people talk about a «protected area» in Mallorca, three different realities get mixed up. The first is the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, the most restrictive of all. The second is the marine reserves and natural areas, each with its own regulation of activities such as fishing, diving or anchoring. The third is the protection of Posidonia oceanica, which applies across all Balearic waters.

Understanding this classification helps you know which rules apply along each stretch of coast, and what to arrange before setting off.

Cabrera: prior authorisation and a daily quota

To navigate, anchor or dive in Cabrera National Park you need prior authorisation, handled entirely online through the Balearic Government's official platform. The navigation permit is valid for 12 months.

Anchoring, however, is subject to a quota: a maximum of 50 vessels a day, with limits on consecutive nights that vary by season (two nights in July and August, up to seven the rest of the year). Buoys are colour-coded by boat length (up to 12 m, 12 to 15 m, 15 to 20 m and 20 to 35 m) and priced differently in high and low season. Occupancy runs from 18:00 on the first day to 17:00 on the last.

These conditions are updated, so always check the current information on the official website before planning. And above all, apply well in advance: in the busiest months places run out.

Marine reserves around Mallorca

Mallorca has several marine reserves: the Bay of Palma, Migjorn de Mallorca, Llevant and the western islands (el Toro, the Malgrats and el Sec), off the Calvià coast. Each has its own rules, with higher-protection zones where extractive activities such as fishing and, in some cases, diving or anchoring are restricted.

Since the rules are not identical between reserves, the right approach is to check each reserve's official page on the Govern's website before stopping in it. Sailing through them is generally not prohibited, but you should know where you can anchor, dive or fish.

Regulated buoy fields and natural areas

In some especially sensitive areas the Govern has installed ecological buoy fields where the rule is to moor to the buoy and not drop the anchor. Regulated fields include Sant Elm–Dragonera and Cap Enderrocat–Cala Blava, and the list keeps growing. We explain how they work in our guide to eco-mooring buoys in Mallorca.

Sa Dragonera island is also a natural park, adding another layer of protection to that part of the southwest. If you depart from Port Andratx, it is a nearby and highly sought-after area, so it pays to plan your anchorage or buoy in advance.

Posidonia runs through everything

Regardless of any park or reserve, anchoring over posidonia meadows is prohibited in the Balearics. The Govern publishes a mapping viewer (IDEIB) showing where the meadows are, and clean sandy bottom remains the safe option along the rest of the coast.

We develop this in our guide on anchoring and posidonia and in the one on how to anchor safely.

What it means for your day on the water

In practice, most charter days take place in open waters, with stops to swim in sandy coves. When the plan includes protected areas, the sensible thing is to decide in good time: check whether a permit is needed, choose alternatives in case the quota is full and take the weather forecast into account.

A flexible plan, with a second option ready, is the best guarantee the day will go well even if the first option isn't available.

The southwest: several protections within a few miles

Mallorca's southwest coast packs an unusual density of protected areas into a short distance: the island of sa Dragonera, which is a natural park, the Sant Elm–Dragonera buoy field, and the islands of el Toro, the Malgrats and el Sec, with their marine reserve, off Calvià. It is also one of the most requested areas for a day on the water, thanks to its clear water and coves.

That means a single day can cross several different regulations. It is therefore worth deciding beforehand where you want to stop, checking which rule applies at each point and not improvising the anchorage: in this area a last-minute anchorage is the one that most often ends up in a regulated space.

Good practice in any protected area

Beyond permits, some behaviours apply in every sensitive area. Speed is reduced near the coast and bathing zones, unnecessary noise is avoided, nothing is collected from the seabed or shore, no waste is discharged or left behind, and marked zones are respected. Approaching wildlife is avoided and distance is kept from fishing and diving boats.

These rules aren't a formality: they are what keeps the water so clear. A professional crew applies them without the guest having to think about them, and explains them if asked.

How it is planned in advance

Planning a day that includes a protected area follows a simple order: decide which area interests you, check the current rules for that point, arrange the authorisation if needed, prepare an alternative in case the quota is full and confirm everything against the forecast the day before and on the day itself. In high season, the authorisation step is the one that needs the most lead time.

This method avoids the most common mistake: arriving at a regulated area without a permit or a place, and having to change plans on the spot. With a plan B ready, the change is a simple adjustment rather than a setback.

Official sources

Authorisation to navigate, anchor or dive in Cabrera National Park (Govern de les Illes Balears) · Marine reserves of the Balearic Islands · Rules for regulated buoy fields · Posidonia viewer (IDEIB). Checked in September 2026; conditions may change.

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