Sunset boat trips in Palma de Mallorca: quiet catamaran, DJ boat or sailing yacht

Watching the sunset from a boat in Palma is easy: nearly every boat leaves from the same quay on the Passeig Marítim, crosses the bay towards the Llucmajor coast and comes back with the cathedral lit up against the light. What changes, a lot, is the atmosphere. There is a 90-minute family catamaran for €20, a party boat with a DJ for over-18s only, 4-hour catamarans with dinner and a swim, and private sailing boats for two.

Before you book, check three things: whether the boat takes children, what time it leaves on your date and which quay it leaves from. Those three explain almost every bad experience we hear about.

Sunset boat trips in Palma: boats, prices and times

These are the prices the operators publish themselves (adult, booked direct). The platforms sometimes charge something different: you will see that further down.

Our take: if all you want is to watch the sun go down from the water, Magic's €20 has no rival. If you want to swim and have dinner, the jump is to €75–85, and at that level who you are going with matters more than the price. Attraction gives no child discount for ages 6 to 12 on this trip, so a family of four pays €340. With Life & Sea, children from 3 to 12 pay half.

Magic only takes cards on board and does not accept American Express. On Attraction drinks are extra: cocktails at €15, beer at €4–5 and a glass of cava at €5, according to its menu.

What time the sun sets in Palma (and what time your boat leaves)

This is the detail almost nobody mentions. In Palma the sun sets at 21:22 in late June, 20:22 on 1 September, 19:33 on 1 October and around 19:12 in mid-October. After the clocks go back at the end of October it sets at 17:50.

With those numbers, Magic's published timetable (19:30–21:00) is perfect in July and August: the sun drops halfway through the trip. In October, though, it leaves after sunset and you sail in the twilight. That can be lovely, but it is not the same. Operators adjust times through the season, so check the exact time on your ticket.

Sunset catamaran with children or adults only

The age rules split the market in two, and it is worth knowing before you pay.

Adults only. Barca Samba (sunset and night trips) only takes over-18s. Oasis sells its sunsets as "adults only" and also bans fancy dress and stag or hen groups that have not been declared in advance. Both are for grown-ups, but the atmosphere is the opposite: Barca Samba is music, a dance floor and a bar; Oasis is cava, nibbles and paddleboarding with a small group. If you are a couple and do not want a party, the difference matters. We cover it in Palma for couples.

With children. Magic, Attraction and Life & Sea accept under-18s. Magic is the shortest and cheapest option, ideal with small children who will not last four hours at sea; note that it does not let more children than adults travel free on one booking. For more family ideas, see Palma with kids.

Where they leave from: Golondrinas, Escala Real or S'Arenal

Most sunset boats board at the Muelle de las Golondrinas, on Avinguda Gabriel Roca (Passeig Marítim), right opposite the Auditòrium de Palma. Magic, Barca Samba, Attraction and Palma Cruises leave from there.

The trap is Oasis: its sunset runs on the Oasis Lux, which boards at the Escala Real, below the cathedral next to the Moll Vell, about 1.5 km from the Golondrinas. Turning up at the wrong quay ten minutes before departure is the most common mistake in Palma. Barca Samba, for example, closes boarding 5 minutes before sailing, and anyone who misses it loses the ticket.

Life & Sea leaves from S'Arenal, next to the Club Nàutic S'Arenal at the other end of the bay, and boards from the beach, with no wheelchair access. Barca Samba is not accessible either.

All the big catamarans from the Golondrinas cross to the south-east, to the Llucmajor coast: Cova Verda, Cap Rocat, Cala Vella and Cala Blava, inside the Bay of Palma marine reserve. Cala Blava has a mooring buoy field where anchoring is banned, so the boat ties up to a buoy. If you want the west coast or Illetes, that is a different trip: we explain it in boat trips in Palma.

Parking near the Golondrinas is tricky. Magic recommends the Marquès de la Sènia pay car park. If you are coming from Palmanova or Magaluf, check whether your operator offers a pick-up: Palma Cruises collects in Calvià and Magic runs a coach from several coastal areas, at extra cost.

Booking direct or on GetYourGuide: prices and cancellation

For boats that publish a fare, booking direct is usually the same price or cheaper. Barca Samba states on its website that the direct and resale prices are the same, and warns that at the last minute a reseller may show places that are no longer available. If you are booking for today or tomorrow, do it on its website.

The platforms win when you want to compare several departures, pay in your own language or get a more flexible cancellation policy than the operator's. Palma Cruises, booked direct, only gives a full refund if you cancel more than 3 days ahead; inside that window it keeps 20%. On a platform the listing's policy applies, which is often 24 hours. Two more things to watch: GetYourGuide's "reserve now, pay later" charges your card before the date, and Headout adds a service fee at checkout.

GetYourGuide4 hours

Sea· Palma city

Mallorca: Midday or Sunset Sailing with Snacks and Open Bar

4.7 (954)

from €95Check availability

GetYourGuide3 hours

Sea· Rest of the island

Alcúdia: Sunset Tapas Cruise with SUP & Snorkelling, Small Group

4.5 (165)

from €65Check availability

GetYourGuide3 hours

Sea· Palma city

Palma: Sunset Sailing Trip with Tapas and Paddleboard

No reviews yet

from €79.20Check availability

See everything on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 6 October 2026

On GetYourGuide, the sunset boat with a DJ and dance floor starts from €44.91 depending on the date, against the €49.90 Barca Samba advertises on its website. The 2-hour catamaran with appetiser and canapés has the best rating (4.8), but at €99 it is one of the dearest per hour. The S'Arenal barbecue trip costs the same, €75, as Life & Sea's direct sunset from that port.

Our sunset picks

1

Couples and groups who want to sail

A sunset departure with drinks included, rated 4.7 from almost a thousand reviews.

GetYourGuide4 hours

Sea· Palma city

Mallorca: Midday or Sunset Sailing with Snacks and Open Bar

4.7 (954)

from €95Check availability

2

Something short and polished

Two hours on a catamaran with appetiser and canapés; the best rating on the list.

GetYourGuide2 hours

Sea· Palma city

Palma: 2-Hour Sunset Catamaran Cruise with Appetiser & Canapés

4.8 (267)

from €99Check availability

3

Over-18s who want music

The boat with a DJ and dance floor, more than 3,400 reviews.

GetYourGuide3 - 4 hours

Sea· Palma city

Palma de Mallorca: Sunset Boat Tour and Music

4.4 (3,445)

from €44.91Check availability

4

Tight budget with a swim

Barbecue and snorkelling in the bay with a sunset option for about €53.

GetYourGuide3 hours

Sea· Palma city

Palma Bay: Boat Tour with BBQ, Snorkelling & Sunset Option

4.4 (1,273)

from €53.10Check availability

Palma by night from the sea

If you want to see Palma by night from the water, the only regular night departure is Barca Samba's Palma by Night: 22:30 to 01:30, over-18s only, from €39.90. It sails on Fridays and Saturdays, and daily in summer according to its calendar. It is a party boat with a DJ and a bar, not a quiet cruise. We look at it in detail in our Barca Samba review.

Headout also lists a "sunset and evening" cruise from the bay for about €75, with very few reviews so far.

Sunset in Palma without a boat

Not every Palma sunset has to be at sea. Three alternatives on land:

• Cathedral terraces at sunset. In summer there is a guided terraces visit around 19:00–20:30, for €30, in Spanish, Catalan or English. The dates change every year: check them at visitpalma.com. It is not suitable for under-9s or wheelchairs. Everything about the visit in Palma Cathedral.
• Es Baluard on a Friday. The museum, on the bastion looking west over the bay, opens Tuesday to Saturday until 20:00, and on Fridays you pay what you wish. Between mid-September and October, when the sun sets before 20:00, it works.
• Bellver in late October. In summer the castle closes at 19:00, long before sunset. After the clocks go back the sun sets around 17:50 and the castle closes at 18:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, although the ticket desk stops 45 minutes earlier. Details in Bellver Castle.

Tips: wind, seasickness and bad weather

In the afternoon the embat, the south-westerly sea breeze, comes into the bay and kicks up a little swell. If you get seasick, sit in the middle of the boat on the lower deck, look at the horizon, avoid reading and do not drink alcohol before sailing. Tablets from the pharmacy help.

The captain decides whether the boat sails. If the operator cancels for bad weather, GetYourGuide refunds you; booked direct, each operator offers another date or a refund according to its own terms. Trips continue into October (Barca Samba advertises a closing party on 31 October), but each company sets its own season, so confirm it on its website.

For everything else on the water, see activities in Palma or the price comparison.