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Malle is only windy once a year? It's certainly true that the Balearic island of Mallorca doesn't exactly enjoy a reputation as a windsurfing stronghold. Right after boot Düsseldorf in January, with five degrees, zero wind and constant rain, we - Valentin Böckler, Loris Vietoris, Luke Jertz and yours truly - just wanted to get away and stumbled across a forecast for a major storm in the Mediterranean, just off the Balearic Islands. On closer inspection, a trip to "Malle" seemed increasingly appealing, despite all the preconceptions: great scenery, cheap and short flights, affordable accommodation and a warm climate made for a thoroughly appealing overall package.
Mallorca can also be windy
We quickly booked accommodation and a hire car, and a little later we dragged our bags out of the airport building straight to the deserted Ballermann in 16 degree temperatures and 20 to 30 knots. Our hire car was not yet available, so we started our Balearic adventure on foot. In the end, our attempt to walk directly from the airport to the beach with our board bag without taking a taxi ended in front of a four-lane motorway that cut off the last few metres to the beach. We still managed to get into the water - within six days we explored six different spots, which we would like to introduce to you in the following guide.
The spots stretch from the south in Palma along the east coast to the two large bays in the far north. The steep west coast of the island, however, is not suitable for windsurfing.
After a week on Mallorca it was clear: Malle is windy, and certainly not just once a year - if you are flexible and can fly according to the forecast or travel with your family and an alternative programme in your luggage, you can definitely get your money's worth here - less than three hours away from the cold and drizzle - in the winter months.
The best windsurfing spots on Mallorca
1 Can Pastilla
Not far from "Ballermann" and the airport lies Can Pastilla, a spot that is particularly worth heading for when the poniente is strong from the west. The beach then offers classic sideonshore conditions with wind from the right. A very nice, steep wave for jumping builds up here over a fairly shallow sandbank, and real frontside rides are also possible without any problems. The best entry point is at the aquarium in Can Pastilla, from the car park there it is just under 100 metres to the sandy beach. The upwind harbour pier partially sorts the waves and reduces the chop.
Because there are hardly any dangers here, apart from some current, and the wave breaks moderately on sand, everyone has fun here - cracks and wave climbers. The waves are ideal when an onshore south-westerly wind turns to the west. In the north-west, it blows sideshore, but due to the buildings and the harbour, it quickly becomes gusty and the waves quickly disappear due to the location in the bay of Palma. Can Pastilla is also a tip when there is a strong south-easterly wind - then there is good surf with a cross onshore wind from the left. The spot is also extremely popular for surfing and SUPing - you're never alone on the water here. SUP hire and replacement equipment are available on site.
2 Sa Ràpita
A good twenty kilometres south-east of Can Pastilla is Sa Ràpita, a spot that offers similar conditions and is also ideal in westerly winds. Locals claim that this is one of the best wave spots on the island. Here too, the westerly wind blows diagonally across the harbour pier, but the cover of the harbour is somewhat smaller here, which means that the wind still gets through well even with sideshore. The waves also run a little longer here, as the sandbank stretches a little further out.
Coming from the west, follow the MA-6021 through Sa Ràpita until you see the entrance to Club Nàutic (Port Esportiu) on the right at the end of the village. There you can either park for free in front of the barrier and walk a few metres to the water or you can drive into the harbour and pay a parking fee of six euros. The investment is well worth it in view of the beautiful sandy beach, great water colours and surprisingly powerful surf for every wave fan. Here, too, the wave runs out on sand, so that even inexperienced surfers will at least be spit out on the beach again. The south-westerly wind comes onshore, the current becomes strong and the surf belt endless.
3 Colonia de Sant Jordi
The south-westerly wind pushes directly onshore into the narrow bay and forms beautiful, small swell waves that can be used for jumping off on both sides. The water remains really smooth between the waves, which is fun for all manoeuvre and freestyle fans. However, the wind has to be in the south-west for the spot to work properly, which doesn't happen very often. There is a restaurant called "Sal de Cocó" in the harbour of the village of Colonia de Sant Jordi. Behind it is a small slipway through which you can enter the water. But be careful: it can be slippery here.
4 Porto Colom
In the sheltered bay of Porto Colom, strong winds from the north to south-west are perfect for surfers who don't want to surf and want to practise planing manoeuvres instead. Many yacht owners also anchor in the bay due to the low swell. Houses and mountains to the west of the spot are responsible for the relatively gusty conditions, which can be compared to those on a quarry pond - only the scenery is more beautiful here. If you drive into Porto Colom via the Ma-4010, turn left at the large roundabout and follow the Ma-4060 to the eastern side of the bay. You can park at the SUP centre at "Playa Arenal" and go into the water on the small sandy beach.
5 Badia d'Alcudia
There are two bays in the north of the island that are suitable for surfing. The more southerly and larger one is Badia d'Alcudia. Depending on the strength of the wind, a good chop builds up here in northerly directions, and if the wind stays strong for a long time, there is also surf. In our experience, the wind in this bay is also a little stronger than in Badia de Pollença, which is further north. We got in on a rocky beach near S'Estanyol because the conditions there looked the best. To get there, you have to follow the Ma-3331 northwards until it turns left towards "Urbanització s' Estanyol". At the end of the road, turn left again and drive around the small village until you see the water on your left. There you can park in front of a small meadow and walk down a steep staircase to the water.
Caution: There may still be a few stones on the first fifty metres from the shore. It is best not to get on the board here until it is about chest deep. Not far to the west, in front of the El Sol Sunshine Bar, you can reach the water in a more relaxed manner over sand and also find fun bump & jump conditions with a (diagonal) onshore wind. A few hundred metres further east, according to the locals, a point break on the eastern rocky outcrop of the bay comes to life in strong north-easterly winds - cracks will be whooping with wind from the right and clean frontside turns.
6 Badia de Pollença
In the smaller Badia de Pollença, the conditions are similar to those in Alcudia, but the water is a little smoother and the beach sandy. Here you can park at the Pura Vida kite centre directly on the road (Ma-2220) that runs along the shore. The water is shallow in the shore area and even intermediates can surf safely here. If it does get wavy, shallow water fans will find smooth water at the northern end of the bay, around the Centre Sail & Surf Pollensa. In summer, there is also a moderate onshore thermal here - we'll tell you more about this in our guide to Mallorca's summer spots.
Area information Mallorca
Journey
The airport in Palma is very easy to reach from all over Europe by direct flight. The flight time from Germany is between two and three hours, and airlines such as Ryanair and Eurowings offer cheap flights all year round. With Eurowings, you can book 32 kilos of surfing baggage directly online for 50 euros each way. With Ryanair, special baggage is limited to 23 kilos - instead of stuffing your bag, it is better to check in a second sports bag. From the airport, you can reach all places on the island by car in a maximum of 1.5 hours. If you want to go windsurfing on Mallorca, you will need to hire a car - but car hire prices in Spain are comparatively cheap.
Living & Camping
We rented a cottage on the south coast of Mallorca close to the beach in S'Estanyol de Migjorn via Airbnb. The village is virtually deserted in winter, but we really liked it, especially because of the relatively central location between the spots. One of the best wave spots can be reached from there in just 15 minutes by car. Wild camping is not tolerated on Mallorca and the island is generally not the favourite destination for camping enthusiasts. There are only two official campsites, one at the Lluc monastery in the Tramontana mountains and another at the Es Pixarells picnic area. For motorhomes, there is a well-equipped pitch in Inca and, according to experience reports, also a few beautiful "wild" corners where there are usually no problems with overnight stays outside the main season.
Wind, weather & neoprene recommendations
In summer, the Balearic Islands can boast reliable but very moderate thermals. In the winter months, the Mistral blowing from the north-west to north-east and especially the Poniente from the south-west to west can provide really good windsurfing conditions. Poniente is linked to the passage of low-pressure systems that make their way across the Mediterranean between October and April. In general, you need a high over the Atlantic and a low over the Mediterranean coast to get strong westerly or south-westerly winds on Mallorca. And that's exactly what we experienced for a few days: a mix of clouds, sun and rain with wind directions from south-west to north-west gave us good days in a row. For windsurfing travellers, this means that you can also be prepared for really strong winds and small sail sizes.
Even between December and February, the average air and water temperatures are around 15 degrees, and in October and April even significantly higher. When the sun comes out, it feels like a beautiful spring day on the North Sea. If you want to be on the safe side, you should still pack a five-millimetre-thick wetsuit and thin shoes in winter. Poniente in particular can create beautiful surf waves on the south coast of Mallorca. If it blows for several days, the waves can reach heights of over three metres.
Surfing stations
The "Bonaona" surf school (www.surfschoolmallorca.com). This centre mainly rents out SUP boards and surfboards, but also offers windsurfing courses for beginners. The El Niño Surf Centre (www.paddlesurfmallorca.com) is mainly about SUP & surf - but you can also get freeride windsurfing equipment here. Further north, in Porto Pollensa, you'll find Sail & Surf Pollença (www.sailsurf.de). As the centres are usually closed in winter, it is still advisable to bring your own equipment.
Shops
At the Pipeline Surf Shop in Can Pastilla (www.mallorcapipeline.com) if you need spare equipment or accessories, or if you want to pick up some local tips on the spots in the area.
Alternative programme
The possible alternative programme for Mallorca fills entire travel guides. The mountainous north-west in particular, the Serra de Tramuntana, with its rugged mountains, lush green valleys and the 1445 metre high Puig Major, is extremely scenic and comparatively quiet even in the holiday season. There are numerous paths for hiking or biking - some with breathtaking sea views. Numerous monasteries, rock castles and monuments bear witness to the island's eventful history and a visit to the caves, e.g. the Coves del Drac with their underground lake, are real highlights. The aforementioned surf centres also hire out SUP boards, which allow you to explore the coast in a different way.
Shady sides
Anyone travelling to Mallorca in the winter months should expect changeable weather, as there is no constant wind system that reliably supplies the spots with a gliding wind - this is comparable to the weather situation when low pressure systems pass through the North and Baltic Seas in autumn. Large parts of the island are characterised by mass tourism - almost a quarter of the island's surface area is sealed. In summer, a lack of water and partially polluted sea are symptoms of the island's almost 300,000 guest beds. Fortunately, a rethink has been underway on Mallorca for almost ten years - away from the Ballermann image and towards more quality and sustainability.
This article first appeared in surf 8/2019
