At anchor
Governing: Decreto 25/2018 art. 7 (BOIB 93, 28 Jul 2018); RD 191/2026 art. 5 (BOE-A-2026-5877); Ley 42/2007 art. 81. Builds on: L4.1, L4.2. For more depth, see Anchoring in the Balearics.
Posidonia in one paragraph
Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass found only in the Mediterranean. It forms dark meadows on the seabed, grows very slowly, keeps the water clear and holds the beaches in place. An anchor tears it out; a chain dragging round in the wind scythes an arc through it. That is why the Balearics protect it hard.
The rules
- Balearic Decreto 25/2018 (art. 7): anchoring on Posidonia is banned as a general rule. Over meadows you may only moor to authorised buoys. Chains and ground tackle must not touch nearby meadows.
- State RD 191/2026, in force since 2 April 2026: bans anchoring on Posidonia and Cymodocea meadows, and also on sand next to them if the chain lies on them or sweeps over them as the boat swings (borneo).
- Exceptions: genuine danger to life or the boat.
- Fines follow the state biodiversity law, Ley 42/2007: leve €100–3,000, grave €3,001–200,000. There is no published "standard" fine; it depends on the damage.
Your rental firm must brief you on the Posidonia ban (Decreto 44/2025 art. 13). They are not being fussy.
Anchoring a small boat, the Balearic way
- Look for pale turquoise water: that is sand. Dark patches are Posidonia or rock.
- Drop in the middle of the sand patch, not at its edge, so the swing circle stays on sand.
- Let out enough line: about three times the depth as a working minimum in calm conditions, more if a breeze is expected.
- Check it holds: gently reverse and watch a fixed point ashore.
- Leaving: motor slowly up to the anchor and lift it vertically; don't drag it out through the meadow.
Some calas have buoy fields (camps de boies) managed by the Govern, for example at Illa Dragonera–Sant Elm and in Ses Salines (Ibiza–Formentera), bookable through Ports IB. Where they exist, use the buoys.
WARNING — Cabrera is not a drop-in Navigating or mooring in the Cabrera National Park needs a free annual permit and a booked buoy. Anchoring is not how you visit Cabrera. It is also beyond a Licencia's reach from Mallorca.
Weather
The law makes the lessor tell you to check the weather every day. Do it yourself as well.
- AEMET (Spain's met office) publishes the official coastal forecast for the Balearic area at aemet.es. Look at wind force and direction, and sea state, for the afternoon, not just the morning.
- VHF: Salvamento Marítimo's coast stations announce weather bulletins on Channel 16 and then broadcast them on their working channel.
- Forecast wind of Force 4 and above is a sensible "no" for a first-timer in a small open boat.
CAUTION — Local patterns On summer afternoons a sea breeze often builds and turns a glassy morning into a short, choppy sea. North coasts of Mallorca and Menorca are exposed to the Tramontana, a strong northerly that can arrive quickly. Plan to be heading home before the breeze fills in.
TIP — Always know your way back Before anchoring, note the heading and distance back to harbour. If the wind gets up, you leave then, not after one more swim.