The best beach for your day in Mallorca depends on more than its photographs. Wind direction, waves and the shape of the coastline can turn a favourite swimming spot into a very different experience.
To improve your chances of finding calm, clear water, check both the wind and the sea forecast, compare beaches on different parts of the island, and choose a spot with shelter from the conditions expected during your visit. A sunny weather forecast alone does not tell you whether the sea will be calm.
This guide explains how to make that choice, with examples from our guide to the best beaches in Mallorca and a practical introduction to AEMET’s marine forecast.
Important: This article should be combined with a proper reading of any weather forecast. If it is going to rain across the whole island, it will be very difficult to find a paradisiacal beach but, if it is a good day, what we are going to explain to you now will make the difference.
How to choose a beach in Mallorca: a quick guide
Before setting off, follow these four steps:
- Check the wind direction and strength. Look at the forecast for the coast you plan to visit and the hours you will be there.
- Check the waves as well as the wind. Swell can arrive from elsewhere even when the local breeze is light.
- Compare the orientation of possible beaches. Look for a coast or cove less exposed to the forecast wind and incoming waves.
- Check the conditions when you arrive. Follow beach flags and lifeguard instructions. A forecast helps you plan, but conditions at the beach determine whether to enter the water.
Keep a second option in mind. If your first choice looks rough, you can change your plans rather than forcing the beach day you imagined.
Best beaches in Mallorca for different wind directions
There is no single beach in Mallorca that stays calm in every wind. A useful starting point is to compare the exposed coast with beaches on the other side of the island, then check the wave forecast and the shape of each cove.
The table below suggests areas to investigate, rather than promising calm water. Wind direction means the direction the wind comes from: a north wind blows from north to south.
| Wind coming from | Coast to investigate first | Examples to compare | Main point to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| North or northwest | South and southeast | Cala Llombards and S’Amarador | Swell reaching the cove and wind around its entrance |
| East or northeast | West and southwest | Sant Elm and the Illetes area | Any separate west or southwest swell, plus local wind |
| South or southeast | North and northwest | Playa de Alcúdia, Playa de Muro and Cala Tuent | The different orientation of each beach and any northern swell |
| West or southwest | East and southeast | Cala Llombards and S’Amarador | Waves entering from the east or southeast and local gusts |
Where to go when the wind blows from the north
Start by comparing south and southeast Mallorca with the northern coastline. Cala Llombards and S’Amarador are examples worth checking against the forecast.
Avoid assuming that a beach is protected simply because it sits inside a bay. The bay’s entrance and the direction of incoming waves still matter. Cala Sant Vicenç, Cala Mesquida and the northwest coast deserve particular attention when northern conditions are rough.
Where to go when the wind blows from the east
An easterly wind is a reason to compare western and southwestern options before committing to an east-coast cove. Sant Elm and Illetes provide two different settings to investigate.
Check the sea forecast for those areas too. A beach less exposed to the local wind may still receive swell from another direction.
Where to go when the wind blows from the south
Compare northern options, including Playa de Alcúdia and Playa de Muro, with the forecast for the south coast. For a different type of beach day, you could also investigate Cala Tuent on the northwest coast.
These beaches are not interchangeable: a long bay and a mountain-backed cove have different exposure and access. Choose the exact beach before planning the drive, and check for any swell affecting it.
Where to go when the wind blows from the west
Eastern and southeastern coves are worth investigating when western beaches are exposed. Cala Llombards and S’Amarador are useful examples to compare.
Treat this as a starting point for checking conditions. A favourable position relative to the wind does not cancel waves arriving from the open sea.
Offugo tip: Compare two or three beaches before choosing your destination. A shorter drive to a beach with favourable conditions can be more rewarding than a long drive to a famous cove on the wrong day.
Understanding wave types before choosing a beach in Mallorca
Blue skies and warm temperatures describe the weather above you. They do not tell the whole story about the water in front of you.
Let's go with the wind: the wind can be a wonderful ally if you want to sail and travel the world. But if what you want is to relax on a paradise beach in Mallorca, it can trick you and prepare for you a beach with waves that, even if it is a wonderful day, will spoil the party a bit.
At offUgo we want you to be very happy and help you visit the beaches you want (preferably with our cars, but you can also walk if you feel like it), so we are going to teach you how to read the wind reports so that you can learn to choose a beach in a jiffy.
For beach planning, it helps to understand two types of waves:
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Groundswell or Swell: this sea generates long waves that come from far away.
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Wind sea: the wind generates short waves that are generated on the surface of the sea because it is windy at that precise moment.
Swell: waves travelling from another area
Swell is wave energy that has travelled beyond the area where it was generated. It can reach Mallorca even when the wind at your chosen beach is light.
Their frequency (how many waves arrive per minute) is not very high, but it can generate very large waves. Normally they have been generated with a storm quite far from Mallorca and we have not heard anything, but its effects reach us two or three days after that storm broke out many kilometers away from us. These are waves that move the seabed and make the beaches turbid, not crystalline as we want. So we don't like the swell for wonderful photos. We do like it if we are surfers.
That is why checking only a wind app can lead to disappointment. Look at both the local wind and the wave forecast before deciding where to go.
Wind waves: generated by the wind over the sea
Wind transfers energy to the water and creates waves. The resulting sea depends on factors including wind strength, how long it blows and the distance over water across which it acts.
Their frequency is higher and they are not, by any means, as big as the waves of the groundswell, but they are also a bit of a nuisance if what we want is to rest. Mallorca does not usually have such an unpleasant wind as the "Levante" of southern Spain, but we assure you that it can be annoying enough for you to learn to read a wind map. These waves do not move the seabed so much, but they do shake the surface and they do not interest us much if we want to be comfortable.
At an exposed beach, this can mean choppy water and a less comfortable day for swimming or relaxing on the sand.
How to check Mallorca’s wind and sea forecast with AEMET
That said, the answer seems easy, doesn't it? We have to find beaches in areas that are not exposed to the wind and that, in addition, are not going to suffer the consequences of a storm that occurred in Corsica or Sicily two or three days ago.
Perfect, and how do we do this? Here is where the AEMET, or the State Meteorological Agency of Spain, comes to our aid: they have a wonderful website with maps that they continually update so that we, the beach lovers, can read the state of the sea on some fairly simple maps (if you know how to read them) and know what will happen in the next few hours.
Open the AEMET marine forecast for the Balearic Islands coast. Interface labels may vary with the selected language.
Let's explain this map:
- At the right of the map there is a map legend that gives us the height of the waves in meters and that indicates that the swell is seen in grey arrows and the wind sea in blue ones.
- Below the map you have buttons to explore the state of the sea in the future. In 3h windows, the AEMET gives us predictions of how the sea will evolve in the next hours and days. They tend to nail it, so we tell you that it is very reliable.
Follow these steps:
1. Select combined sea
The first and most important thing is that in "Parameter" you choose "Combined sea" or “Mar Combinada” in Spanish, because this will show you the sea groundswell and the wind waves combined. If you forget this, you may be disappointed once you arrive at that "wonderful beach".
This shows the total sea resulting from wind waves and swell.
The map colours indicate significant wave height: the average height of the highest third of waves. Read the numerical colour scale rather than relying on a colour alone.
2. Read the wave arrows
On the combined-sea map, blue arrows represent wind waves and grey arrows represent swell. Their direction shows where the waves are travelling. Their length shows the relative contribution of each component to the total sea. Do not confuse this with the naming of wind direction: a north wind comes from the north, while a wave arrow shows the direction of propagation.
Well, we got it. Now: how do you read this? Well, there are 2 levels to read this: the basic and the pro.
Basic: you have to go to beaches that are in the light blue zone (without waves or with very few waves) and that will continue to be during the hours that you will be there.
Pro: you learn to read arrows. The longer an arrow is, the stronger that type waves will be. Also, the arrows give us the direction of the waves. If we know the orography of the beach you are going to (Google Maps or Google Earth are very good for that), you can go to a beach that, although it is in a "bad" area, it is protected from the wind and the swell because there is an arm of land to protect it, for example. This, if you control it, allows you to "gamble" a little more and open up the range of possibilities on what to visit that day.
We leave you another trick for pro’s: you will see that, in the zones where it is very windy today, tomorrow or the day after there will be a lot of groundswell, so this helps you to plan in advance two or three days visits to the beaches :)
3. Check the hours of your visit
Move through the forecast times and compare the conditions expected when you arrive, while you are there and before you leave. A beach that looks suitable early in the day may have a different forecast for the afternoon.
Check the date and displayed time reference, particularly if you are planning several days ahead.
4. Read the coastal forecast and warnings
Use the written forecast and any relevant warnings alongside the map. You can find more detail in AEMET’s explanation of its marine forecasts.
These forecasts provide context for the coast. They are not a live assessment of swimming conditions inside every small cove.
Summarising: if you combine wind maps with a good weather report, your chances of finding that wonderful beach will increase a lot.
Plan your beach visits around the sea conditions
If you have several beaches on your Mallorca wishlist, use the sea forecast to decide which one to visit each day. Keep your plans flexible: if one coast looks rough, check another part of the island rather than heading straight to your first choice.
Save your favourite beach for a day when the forecast looks more favourable. If you are hoping for clear, turquoise water, remember that it may still be cloudy after rough seas, even once the wind has dropped.
Before setting off, choose a second beach nearby as a backup and check access and parking for both. You will find practical details in our guide to the best beaches in Mallorca.
Before you swim: check the conditions at the beach
When you arrive, look at the flags, read local signs and follow any lifeguard instructions. A red flag means you should not enter the water.
Remember that shelter from wind on the sand does not prove that the water is suitable for swimming. Wind blowing away from shore can also push inflatable toys and paddleboards out to sea.
If there are no lifeguards, do not treat the absence of a flag as confirmation that swimming is safe. If conditions look unsuitable, enjoy the view or choose another activity.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of Mallorca is less windy?
It depends on the day’s wind direction and local terrain. Compare different coasts using the current forecast, then examine the orientation of the individual beaches you are considering.
Are sheltered coves always calm?
No. A cove can be sheltered from one wind direction but open to another, and swell can enter even when the beach feels relatively wind-free.
Can there be waves when there is hardly any wind?
Yes. Swell can arrive from an area where waves were generated earlier. Check the combined-sea forecast as well as the wind forecast.
Is the sea always calmer in the morning?
No. Conditions vary with the weather pattern and incoming swell. Compare the forecast for the actual hours of your visit instead of relying on a fixed rule.
Reach out if you need help choosing a beach
We know that reading wind and sea forecasts like a pro takes a little practice, so feel free to get in touch and we’ll be happy to give you a hand. If you’re planning a beach visit that same day, we may not be able to reply within 30 minutes, but we promise we’ll do our best!
Explore Mallorca’s beaches with Offugo
A car gives you flexibility to compare different parts of Mallorca and adjust your plans when conditions change. Choose your beach before setting off, check access and parking, and keep an alternative in mind.
For ideas on scenery, facilities and access, explore our 12 beaches worth visiting in Mallorca. When you are ready to plan your trip, discover car rental in Mallorca with Offugo.
