Where to go mega-yacht-spotting in Mallorca

With its prime position in the glittering Mediterranean and ever-growing popularity amongst celebrities, tech moguls and the rich and the famous, Mallorca has established a position as the port of choice for the worlds most fabulous megayachts. The island builds on its reputation and invests further in creating state-of-the-art facilities and booming service industry around them. Even if you don't yet own a magnificent boat, make sure you include a trip to one of the marinas in Mallorca to get your fix of yacht-spotting!

There are over a dozen marinas in Mallorca, but three of them stand out if only super-yachts float your boat (pun very much intended!).

Palma de Mallorca: Real Club Nautico & Club de Mar
Palma has two neighbouring marinas located right in the heart of the city center. Real Club Nautico is the oldest and biggest marina in the Balearic Islands. It's also the one best known for hosting an annual Copa del Rey Regatta, where one of the crews is skippered by the reigning King of Spain, Felipe VI. The event takes place at the end of July - try to arrange your trip to coincide and get a glimpse of the competition.

Club de Mar is just very slightly west of the Palma Cathedral and Real Club Nautico. It boasts facilities for mooring the biggest yachts, up to 135m in length (plus a waiting dock for boats up to 350m).

You can expect to see the most magnificent and biggest of super-yachts here. Clients include Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs' heirs, David Geffen, and a whole host of tech moguls, industrialists and celebrities.

Both 'Clubs' are easily accessible and a perfect place for yacht-spotting - this is where the biggest boats are moored. We particularly recommend an evening walk when the boats are gloriously lit up!

Puerto Portals
About a 10-minute drive west of Palma is a slightly smaller, but equally exclusive Puerto Portals. It's the axis of a whole upmarket neighbourhood and very much an engine for the whole local economy. Known as the ‘millionaires’ marina', it's not just about the boats, it's a great place to spend the day. With plenty of luxury boutiques, pop-up shops (like Elizabeth Hurley's beach pop-up), lots of restaurants and bars, it's the ultimate place to see and be seen. It's also known for organising fabulous events, including an annual Christmas Market - make sure you have a look at the agenda to plan your visit.

Port Adriano
A little further west of Palma and Puerto Portals lies the last marina on our list. It's a fairly new addition to Mallorca, having been built in 2007. But what a spectacular addition it is! Possibly the most technologically advanced marina in the Med, it was designed by Philippe Starck. The main building was shaped to resemble a mega-yacht itself. It melts into it's surrounding, with the woodwork mirroring that on the decks of moored yachts, bollards and lighting being reflecting the design of the yachts themselves.

It's a particularly great place for yacht-spotting as it can accommodate boats up to 80m long, having had the floor of the harbour dredged to create enough depth for them.

Port Adriano was built to become a lifestyle axis for the neighbourhood, so you can expect plenty of shopping, dining and events. Make sure you plan a few hours to spend on your visit.

Other than the marinas, Mallorca offers plenty of places to go yacht-spotting. During the high season pretty much any cove will be speckled with a few at least. But if you'd like to make yourself more comfortable, buy a day pass in a hotel like Hospes Maricel, Nixe Palace or Pure Salt Port Adriano. Each of them will let you lounge comfortably by the pool, while a yacht parade passes by!

Photo by Arno Senoner on Unsplash