Palmanova, Magaluf, Santa Ponça and S'Arenal: things to do near Palma

If you are looking for things to do in Palmanova (often written Palma Nova) or near Palma without spending the day on the road, the bay gives you four resorts less than half an hour away by bus. Palmanova and Magaluf, side by side to the west, live off the beach, the boats and the theme parks. Santa Ponça has the best quiet sea activities: kayaking, snorkelling and diving in a marine reserve. To the east, Playa de Palma and S'Arenal have the aquarium, the water sports and the German party scene.

None of them is in Palma city: Palmanova, Magaluf and Santa Ponça belong to the municipality of Calvià, and the far end of S'Arenal to Llucmajor. Different councils and, in Magaluf and Playa de Palma, a regional law that fines drinking in the street.

Palmanova, Magaluf, Santa Ponça or S'Arenal: which suits you

• Palmanova: a 20th-century resort and the last stop for the boats along the Calvià coast. It has no old town: the old town with the cathedral is Palma's, 25 minutes away (things to do in Palma).
• Magaluf: the parks (Katmandu and Western Water Park), the boats and the nightlife. Punta Ballena and the seafront are inside the excess-tourism rules zone.
• Santa Ponça: a dive centre at the yacht club, a marine reserve offshore, and the spot where King Jaume I landed in 1229.
• Playa de Palma and S'Arenal: 4.6 km of sand from Can Pastilla to S'Arenal, with fifteen numbered balnearios (beach kiosks used as landmarks). Balneario 6 is the German "Ballermann". This is where you find the aquarium and almost all of the bay's water sports.

If you are staying in Palma and only want an afternoon on the beach, the city's own beaches are easier: see Palma's beaches.

How to get there from Palma by bus (and by boat)

You do not need a car. TIB intercity buses run to Calvià from the Estació Intermodal (Plaça d'Espanya); EMT city buses run to Playa de Palma.

The 104 has departures from Magaluf until after midnight, so you do not need a taxi back from dinner. The last bus from Palma changes with the season: check it on tib.org.

Two rules that catch many people out: TIB buses do not carry passengers between stops within Palma (use the EMT), and the A11 airport bus only takes people travelling to or from the airport, so it is no use from Magaluf to Palmanova. More in our review of public transport in Mallorca.

Things to do in Palmanova and Magaluf

The sea comes first. The Cruceros Costa de Calvià boats leave from the jetties on the beaches of Magaluf, Son Matias and Palmanova:

"Dolphin" is just the glass-bottom boat's name: it is a coastal trip and nobody guarantees dolphins. If you really want to see them, read our guide to dolphins in Mallorca. And to get a good seat, board in Magaluf, the first stop; Palmanova is the last.

In the evening, the Pirates Adventure dinner show (Camí de Sa Porrassa 12, the 104 stops at the door) is the local classic; Gringo's Bingo Night is adults only. More ideas in Palma with kids.

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Rules in Magaluf and Playa de Palma: what you can be fined for

Magaluf, Playa de Palma and S'Arenal are three of the four areas in the Balearics covered by the law against excess tourism, which is in force now. It applies to specific streets: in Magaluf, Punta Ballena and its surroundings plus the seafront; in Palma, the Playa de Palma area including the whole promenade along the carretera de l'Arenal; in Llucmajor, the centre of S'Arenal. Palmanova and Santa Ponça are outside it, as are central Palma, Santa Catalina and the Passeig Marítim.

Calvià also has its own public-conduct bylaw, which fines walking around naked or undressed in the street and disturbing residents. If you are coming with a stag or hen group, read our guide to stag and hen parties in Mallorca first: it explains what you can legally book. For nights out beyond these zones, see Palma nightlife.

Santa Ponça: what to see and do

On 10 September 1229 part of King Jaume I's fleet reached this coast, the army camped the next day and on the 12th fought the decisive battle of the conquest of Mallorca. The Creu de la Conquesta (Cross of the Conquest) marks the landing, and the Festes del Rei en Jaume celebrate it with re-enactments; check the dates with Calvià council.

Today the best of it is underwater. Off the coast lie the Malgrats islands, inside the western islands marine reserve, where jet skis may not enter the strictest protection zones. From the Club Nàutic Santa Ponça (Via de la Creu 46), Zoea Mallorca runs a dive centre with more than 25 years behind it:

• Kayak hire from €16 to €66 and paddleboard hire from €16 to €40.
• Kayak tour or snorkelling trip: €60.
• Try-dive in the reserve: €115.

It is the most sensible choice if you want the sea without the noise. Book the kayak through the marine reserve or the try-dive, and compare options in our guide to diving in Mallorca.

On land, Jungle Parc (Av. Jaume I 40 A) is a ropes course in 9 hectares of pine woods: 154 high-level challenges, circuits from €16 to €22 and a minimum age of 3 on the family circuit. It only takes cash, and between 10:30 and 12:30 the children's circuits fill up. Quad tours also leave from Santa Ponça (Mallor'Quad, €139 for a single quad).

Things to do in Playa de Palma and S'Arenal

Playa de Palma has no Blue Flag, but it does have lifeguards in season and assisted bathing for people with reduced mobility at balnearios 7 and 15, from late March to 31 October.

• Palma Aquarium (C/ Manuela de los Herreros i Sorà 21): one of the deepest shark tanks in Europe, 8.5 m. €30.50 for adults, open 365 days a year. The EMT 35 runs from there to the centre. Everything is in our Palma Aquarium guide.
• Water sports from S'Arenal: Life & Sea operates next to the Club Nàutic S'Arenal. "Superman" boat with snorkelling €33, 2-hour catamaran €40, 4-hour catamaran with barbecue €65, sunset catamaran €75, parasailing €65 per person (you fly in pairs or threes) and banana boat €14. More in parasailing and water sports.
• Dolphins and Cabrera: Life & Sea runs dolphin watching (€80), including a dawn trip at 06:00, and is the only operator going to Cabrera from the Bay of Palma (€90).
• Zip lines: TirolinasGo Mallorca (Av. Fra Joan Llabrés 1), formerly Forestal Park, has zip lines up to 250 m long, 5 minutes' walk from the beach.

Aqualand El Arenal is closed until the 2027 season; it usually opens from early May to late September. When it reopens, the EMT 23 stops opposite the car park and works out cheaper than ticket-plus-bus combos.

For partying, Megapark closes for the season in mid-October and Bierkönig says it opens all year. Remember the whole promenade is inside the street-drinking fine zone.

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Excursions from Palmanova, Magaluf and S'Arenal

Many tours pick up from hotels in Calvià and Playa de Palma; Palma Cruises collects from Palmanova, Magaluf, Santa Ponça and Portals Nous for its dolphin trip from Palma. Boats to Sa Dragonera also leave from Santa Ponça (Dragonera boat trip). For the Caves of Drach, an hour from Palma, a tour with pick-up is worth it. More ideas in excursions from Palma and boat trips around the bay.

Water parks and theme parks in Magaluf and around

With children, closing dates matter a lot in autumn:

Katmandu (Av. Pere Vaquer Ramis 9) is almost entirely indoors, so it works on a rainy day; children 3 to 12, €22. The TIB 106 takes you to Western Water Park. Western closes on some autumn days in bad weather: check westernpark.com before setting off. Marineland is still open and its dolphin shows are still running; the TIB 104, 106 and 107 stop outside. Prices by platform:

Frequently asked questions

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