What is the best dolphin watching tour in Mallorca?

For most visitors, the semi-private sunrise cruise from Alcúdia is the best dedicated dolphin trip, rated 4.8 from over 2,700 reviews at €85, with a near-100% sighting record, a small group, and a swim stop. For the best value, the €35 glass-bottom cruise from Paguera is the cheapest and most-booked, though it is a daytime sightseeing sail rather than a dawn dolphin trip.

Are you guaranteed to see dolphins in Mallorca?

No tour can truly guarantee wild dolphins, but the early sunrise trips from the north coast around Alcúdia and Can Picafort have very high success rates, and several operators report near-100% sightings. A few offer a free return ticket if you do not see any, so check the sightings policy when you book.

When is the best time to see dolphins in Mallorca?

Early morning, at or just after sunrise, is by far the best time, when the sea is calmest and the dolphins are most active. The season runs from about April to October; June to August has the most reliable conditions, while May, September, and early October offer calm seas with fewer crowds.

Where do dolphin watching tours in Mallorca depart from?

The best dolphin tours leave from the north coast, around Alcúdia, Port d'Alcúdia, and Can Picafort, sailing the Bay of Alcúdia toward Cap Formentor. Cheaper glass-bottom cruises run from Paguera and Santa Ponsa in the southwest. Choose a departure port near where you are staying.

Are Mallorca dolphin tours suitable for children and families?

Yes. Most dolphin tours welcome families, and the small northern boats and the glass-bottom cruises both suit children, though the very early start is worth bearing in mind for young kids. Check each tour's minimum age and whether it includes a swim stop when booking.

Do Mallorca dolphin tours include swimming?

Many of the north-coast sunrise tours stop to swim and snorkel in a clear cove such as Es Coll Baix, with life jackets provided, weather permitting. The southwest glass-bottom cruises usually offer a swim stop too, plus underwater viewing through the hull. Bring a swimsuit and towel.

Dolphin Watching Mallorca 2026: 8 Best Dolphin Tours

Q: How much does dolphin watching in Mallorca cost?

A Mallorca dolphin watching tour costs about €35 for a glass-bottom sightseeing cruise, €59 to €70 for a standard sunrise boat tour, and €79 to €85 for a small-group, semi-private, or speedboat trip with hotel pickup. The price reflects the boat size, the timing, and extras like breakfast or a swim stop.

Q: What kind of dolphins do you see in Mallorca?

The most common are bottlenose dolphins and Risso's dolphins, which live in the waters around Mallorca year-round, with striped dolphins seen further offshore. You watch them from the boat as they swim and play, with the boats keeping a respectful distance from the animals.

Dolphin Tour	From	Online Rating	Duration	Departure Port	Highlights	Best For
Top Rated Alcúdia/Can Picafort: Sunrise Dolphin Watching (Semi-Private) Book Now	€85	⭐ 4.8 (2,732 reviews) Read Reviews	~3 hrs	Alcúdia / Can Picafort (north)	Sunrise, semi-private, ~100% sightings, swim at Es Coll Baix	A near-guaranteed, semi-private sunrise trip
Alcúdia: Sunrise Dolphin Watching, Small Group + Hotel Pickup Book Now	€79	⭐ 4.9 (814 reviews) Read Reviews	2 hrs	Alcúdia (north)	Sunrise, small group, free hotel pickup	A small-group sunrise with hotel pickup
Wild Dolphin Watching & Sea Cave Tour by Speedboat Book Now	€80	⭐ 4.9 (243 reviews) Read Reviews	2.5 hrs	Alcúdia (north)	Sunrise, fast speedboat, sea cave	A fast speedboat sunrise with a sea cave
Port d'Alcúdia: Sunrise at Sea & Dolphin Watching Book Now	€59	⭐ 4.6 (2,168 reviews) Read Reviews	3 hrs	Port d'Alcúdia (north)	Sunrise, breakfast on board, free return if no dolphins	The classic sunrise trip with breakfast
From Can Picafort: Dolphin Watching & Cave Boat Trip Book Now	€70	⭐ 4.8 (1,094 reviews) Read Reviews	3 hrs	Can Picafort (north)	Sunrise option, sea cave, swim; max 12	A small boat with a cave and swim
Can Picafort: Dolphin Watching Boat Tour, Swimming Stop Book Now	€70	⭐ 4.8 (778 reviews) Read Reviews	3 hrs	Can Picafort (north)	Sunrise option, cave, swim & snorkel; max 12	A small boat with a swim and snorkel
Most Booked From Paguera: Dolphin Watching Cruise, Glass-Bottom Boat Book Now	€35	⭐ 4.6 (2,830 reviews) Read Reviews	1.5–2.5 hrs	Paguera (southwest)	Glass-bottom boat, optional swim stop, daytime	The cheapest, most-booked glass-bottom cruise
Santa Ponsa: Dolphin Watching Cruise Book Now	€35	⭐ 4.4 (1,752 reviews) Read Reviews	1.5–2.5 hrs	Santa Ponsa (southwest)	Glass-bottom boat, bar & sun deck, swim; transfer option	A budget glass-bottom cruise from the southwest

Best Dolphin Watching Tours and Dolphin Cruises in Mallorca

1

Alcúdia/Can Picafort: Semi-Private Sunrise Dolphin Watching

Our top pick and the best dedicated dolphin experience, at €85. This semi-private sunrise cruise from Alcúdia (with hotel pickup available from Can Picafort) sails the calm dawn sea toward the cliffs of Cap Formentor to find bottlenose and Risso's dolphins in their natural habitat, with a near-100% sighting record. On the way back it stops at the idyllic Es Coll Baix cove for a swim in clear water. The small, semi-private group and the high success rate are what set it apart, rated 4.8 across more than 2,700 reviews. For a serious morning of dolphin watching rather than a sightseeing cruise, this is the one we'd book first.

2

Alcúdia: Sunrise Dolphin Watching, Small Group + Hotel Pickup

The highest-rated small-group option at 4.9, a 2-hour sunrise trip from Alcúdia at €79 with free hotel pickup from Alcúdia or Can Picafort. You head out at first light in a small group to look for dolphins along the north coast, with the calm early sea giving the best conditions and the sunrise a highlight in itself. The small group and the included pickup make it an easy, personal choice, especially if you do not want to drive at dawn.

3

Wild Dolphin Watching & Sea Cave Tour by Speedboat

The fastest and most adventurous trip, a 2.5-hour sunrise speedboat tour from Alcúdia at €80, rated 4.9. The speedboat covers more water to reach the dolphins quickly and adds a sea cave to the route, so it is more of an active adventure than a gentle cruise. Best for those who want a bit of a thrill with their dolphin watching and do not mind a faster, bumpier ride.

4

Port d'Alcúdia: Sunrise at Sea & Dolphin Watching

The classic sunrise trip and a long-running favorite at €59, with more than 2,000 reviews. This 3-hour tour from Port d'Alcúdia heads out at dawn to the north coast's best dolphin waters, with breakfast served on board and the sunrise over the sea as the backdrop. If the dolphins do not show, which is rare, you get a free ticket to come back another day. A relaxed, good-value way to do the sunrise dolphin trip with food included.

5

From Can Picafort: Dolphin Watching & Cave Boat Trip

A 3-hour small-boat trip from Can Picafort at €70, capped at 12 guests, that pairs the dolphins with a sea cave and a swim. It takes about an hour to reach the dolphins along the north coast, then visits a cave and stops for around 15 minutes to swim at the Es Coll Baix cove before heading back. The morning option catches the sunrise. A good all-round choice if you want the dolphins plus a cave and a dip in one trip.

6

Can Picafort: Dolphin Watching Boat Tour, Swimming Stop

A 3-hour Can Picafort boat tour at €70, also capped at 12, built around the dolphins plus a swim and snorkel. It runs at 7am, 10am, and 1pm on set days, with the early slot catching the sunrise, and includes a visit to a cave and time to swim and snorkel in clear water (life jackets provided, weather permitting). Similar in shape to the Can Picafort cave trip; pick whichever time and date suit your stay.

7

From Paguera: Dolphin Watching Cruise, Glass-Bottom Boat

The cheapest and most-booked dolphin trip on the island at €35, with more than 2,800 reviews. This is a glass-bottom boat cruise from Paguera in the southwest, with a semi-submerged lower deck and panoramic windows for watching the underwater world. You can pick a 1.5-hour dolphin-focused sail or a 2 to 2.5-hour version with a swim stop in a cove. It is a daytime sightseeing cruise that looks for dolphins rather than a dedicated dawn trip, but at this price and with its strong sighting record, it is the easiest and best-value way to try.

8

Santa Ponsa: Dolphin Watching Cruise

A glass-bottom boat cruise from Santa Ponsa (or Paguera) at €35, the southwest alternative to the Paguera cruise. The boat has underwater viewing windows, a bar, and a sun deck, and the trip looks for dolphins along the coast with a swim stop in clear water, with longer afternoon options too. Its 4.4 rating is the lowest here and reflects a busy, high-volume sightseeing cruise rather than a dedicated dolphin trip, but it is a cheap, easy option if you are based in the southwest.

Where and When You See Dolphins in Mallorca

Dolphins live all around Mallorca, but where and when you go makes a big difference to what you see. The single most important factor is timing: the early morning, at or just after sunrise, is when the sea is calmest and the dolphins are most active and easiest to spot, which is why nearly every dedicated dolphin tour leaves at dawn.

The north coast (Bay of Alcúdia and Cap Formentor): The best area for dolphins, and where the serious sunrise trips run, from Alcúdia, Port d'Alcúdia, and Can Picafort. The boats head out across the Bay of Alcúdia toward the cliffs of Cap Formentor, the most reliable dolphin waters on the island.
The southwest (Paguera and Santa Ponsa): The cheaper glass-bottom cruises sail this coast looking for dolphins on a daytime sightseeing trip. Sightings happen, but it is a more casual cruise than a dedicated dawn tour.

The dolphins you are most likely to meet are bottlenose dolphins and Risso's dolphins, which live here year-round, with striped dolphins seen further offshore. Remember that these are wild animals: sightings on the early north-coast trips are very likely and many operators report near-100% success, but no tour can truly guarantee them, and a few offer a free return ticket if the dolphins do not appear. For the best chance, book an early sunrise departure from the north coast on a calm day.

Best Dolphin Tours by Area: Where to Set Off

Dolphin tours in Mallorca leave from a handful of towns, mostly on the north coast, so the most practical way to choose is by the area nearest your base. Here are the best dolphin tours from each departure point.

Dolphin tours from Alcúdia and Port d'Alcúdia

Alcúdia and neighbouring Port d'Alcúdia have the widest choice and the most serious dolphin trips. From here you can book the semi-private, near-guaranteed sunrise cruise (our top pick at €85), the small-group sunrise tour with free hotel pickup (€79), the fast speedboat dolphin and sea-cave tour (€80), and the classic Port d'Alcúdia sunrise cruise with breakfast (€59). All sail the Bay of Alcúdia toward Cap Formentor, the island's most reliable dolphin waters, so if you are staying in the north, a dolphin tour from Alcúdia is the strongest option.

Dolphin tours from Can Picafort

Just along the bay, Can Picafort runs two small-boat dolphin trips capped at 12 guests, both around €70: one pairing the dolphins with a sea cave and a swim at Es Coll Baix, the other adding a cave plus a swim and snorkel stop. Both have a sunrise option. A dolphin trip from Can Picafort is the pick if you want the dolphins plus a cave and a dip in a small, personal boat, and you are based around the bay of Alcúdia.

Dolphin tours from Santa Ponsa

On the southwest coast, Santa Ponsa offers a glass-bottom boat dolphin cruise (€35) with underwater viewing windows, a bar, and a sun deck, with a swim stop and transfer options. It is a daytime sightseeing cruise that looks for dolphins along the coast rather than a dedicated dawn trip, but it is a cheap, easy dolphin excursion if you are staying in the southwest.

Dolphin tours from Paguera

Neighbouring Paguera runs the cheapest and most-booked dolphin cruise on the island (€35), also a glass-bottom boat with a semi-submerged lower deck and panoramic underwater windows, with a 1.5-hour dolphin sail or a longer version with a swim stop. For a budget dolphin cruise from the southwest with a strong sighting record, this is the easiest one to book.

Dolphin Watching vs Other Mallorca Boat Trips

If you are weighing up how to spend a morning on the water, here is how a dolphin watching trip compares with the other options, and who it suits.

Dolphin watching vs whale watching: Mallorca is dolphin country, not whale country. Bottlenose and Risso's dolphins are resident and reliably seen on the early north-coast trips, while whales are rare visitors far offshore with no dedicated tours, so a dolphin watching trip is the realistic wildlife boat trip here.
Dolphin watching vs a catamaran cruise: A dolphin trip is an early, wildlife-focused outing built around finding the dolphins at dawn, usually back by mid-morning. A Mallorca catamaran cruise is a longer, more leisurely day with food, an open bar, and a swim, where dolphins are a bonus rather than the point. Pick the dolphin tour for the animals and the sunrise, the catamaran for a relaxed day on deck.
Dolphin watching for families: Dolphin trips are a hit with children, and the small northern boats and the glass-bottom cruises both suit families. The catch is the very early start; for young kids, the slightly later daytime glass-bottom cruises from the southwest can be the easier choice, even if the north-coast sunrise tours have the higher success rate.

For most visitors who specifically want to see dolphins, an early sunrise trip from the north coast is the one to book; the catamaran and glass-bottom options are better when a relaxed cruise or an easier start matters more than the wildlife.

Best Time for Dolphin Watching in Mallorca

Dolphin watching tours in Mallorca run mainly from spring to autumn, roughly April to October, and the dolphins are resident year-round, so the timing is about the sea conditions, the daylight, and the crowds rather than the dolphins themselves.

PeakJun–Aug

The most reliable warm, calm mornings and the best conditions for spotting and for the swim stops, but also the busiest. The sunrise sailings are early, the sun is up by around 6:30 in midsummer, so you need an early alarm, and popular trips sell out.

ShoulderMay, Sep–Oct

Our pick: calm seas, comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds, and a slightly later sunrise that makes the early start easier. The water is still warm enough for the swim stops into early October.

Off-seasonNov–Apr

Many tours pause or run a reduced schedule, the sea is rougher and colder, and the swim stops drop away. Dolphins are still around, but the conditions for finding them are less reliable.

Whatever the month, we'd book the earliest sunrise departure on a calm-forecast day: the flat dawn sea is far easier for spotting dolphins, and the sunrise over the water is a highlight in its own right.

How Much Does Dolphin Watching in Mallorca Cost?

Dolphin watching in Mallorca costs about €35 for a glass-bottom sightseeing cruise, €59 to €70 for a standard sunrise boat tour, and €79 to €85 for a small-group, semi-private, or speedboat trip with hotel pickup. The price mostly reflects the boat size, the timing, and the extras like breakfast, a swim stop, or a near-guaranteed sighting policy. Most people don't realize the dolphin sightings are strong on nearly all of these trips, including the cheap glass-bottom cruises, so the extra you pay mostly buys a smaller, calmer, less-crowded boat and a dawn departure rather than a better chance of dolphins.

Budget€35

A daytime glass-bottom cruise. The Paguera and Santa Ponsa trips are both €35 for a 1.5 to 2.5-hour sightseeing sail with underwater viewing and a swim stop, the cheapest way to look for dolphins.

Mid-range€59–70

The classic sunrise tours. The Port d'Alcúdia trip with breakfast is €59, and the Can Picafort cave-and-swim trips are €70, all early-morning sailings on the north coast.

Premium€79–85

A small or semi-private boat. The small-group sunrise tour with hotel pickup is €79, the speedboat with a sea cave €80, and the semi-private near-guaranteed cruise €85.

For most travelers the €59 to €85 sunrise tours from the north coast give the best dolphin watching, with the smaller and semi-private boats worth the step up for the calmer experience and higher success. The €35 glass-bottom cruises are the budget option if you are based in the southwest or just want a casual look.

From Our Experience

We've found the two things that matter most are timing and the boat: an early sunrise departure on a calm day from the north coast gives by far the best chance of seeing dolphins, and a smaller boat means a clearer view and a calmer trip than the big glass-bottom cruisers.

Tips for Your Mallorca Dolphin Watching Tour

Book the sunrise slot from the north coast: The early-morning trips from Alcúdia and Can Picafort have the calmest seas and the highest sighting rates. The southwest glass-bottom cruises are cheaper but more casual.
Remember sightings are not guaranteed: These are wild dolphins. Success is high on the dawn tours but never certain, so if it matters, pick an operator that offers a free return ticket if you do not see any.
Set an early alarm: Sunrise tours leave close to first light, around 6 to 7 am in summer. Some include hotel pickup; check whether yours does or whether you need to get to the harbor yourself.
Dress warm and bring a towel to sit on: It is genuinely cold and breezy on the water before sunrise, even in summer, so bring a proper warm jacket or sweatshirt rather than just a light layer, and pack a towel to sit on, since the seats are often damp with dawn dew. The sun gets strong quickly afterward, so add sun cream and sunglasses for later. On the bigger boats there is usually sheltered or lower-deck seating if you feel the cold.
Bring a swimsuit for the swim stop: Most northern trips stop to swim and snorkel in a cove like Es Coll Baix, so pack a swimsuit and towel. The glass-bottom cruises offer underwater viewing instead.
On the big glass-bottom cruises, arrive early: The southwest cruise boats are large and the boarding queues can be long, so getting there ahead of the crowd lets you skip the wait and pick a good spot, ideally by the rail or on the lower deck with the underwater windows.
Take something for seasickness if you are prone: The dawn sea is usually calm, but the open-water stretch can have some swell, so take any motion-sickness remedy before boarding rather than during.
Pick a small boat for the best view: The northern boats capped around 12 give everyone a clear view and a calmer trip than the larger glass-bottom cruisers.
Bring a camera, not just a phone: Dolphins surface quickly and the boat keeps a respectful distance, so a camera with a bit of zoom captures them better than a phone, though the moment matters more than the photo.

Why You Can Trust This Guide

We compared every bookable dolphin watching tour in Mallorca across GetYourGuide, Viator, and operator websites to build this guide, weighing review volume, ratings, the departure port and timing, the boat size, what is included, and the sightings policy rather than marketing claims. We focus on what actually shapes a dolphin trip: where and when it sails, how reliable the sightings are, the size of the boat, and whether there is a swim stop or breakfast. We are also careful to be honest that wild dolphins can never be guaranteed, however high an operator's success rate. Where details were thin, we checked across multiple platforms and recent reviews to confirm the real picture. Our recommendations are independent. We are not paid to feature any operator, and the comparison reflects the pricing, ratings, and traveler feedback as we found them, so you can book the trip that fits your base and your morning with confidence.

How We Selected These Tours

The Spain Travel Insider team built this list around what matters most on a Mallorca dolphin watching tour: an early departure when the dolphins are active, a reliable stretch of coast, a boat small enough for a clear view, and honest information on the sightings policy. Every tour here is a verified, bookable trip with a solid rating and a real volume of recent reviews. We left out tours with thin feedback, vague departure points, or overblown guarantee claims, since no one can truly promise wild dolphins. We also spread the picks across the island and the formats, from the most-booked glass-bottom cruise and a budget southwest sail to north-coast sunrise tours, a fast speedboat, and small-group and semi-private boats, so there is a fit whatever your base, budget, and how serious you are about the dolphins.

Dolphin Watching Mallorca: The 8 Best Dolphin Tours Compared 2026

What You Should Know

Dolphin Watching in Mallorca

Alcúdia: Semi-Private Sunrise Dolphin Watching

Best Mallorca Dolphin Watching Tours: Side-by-Side Comparison

Compare the Most Popular Dolphin Tours in Mallorca

Book the Most Popular Option Directly

What to Expect on a Mallorca Dolphin Tour

Early start or pickup

Boarding at dawn

Heading out across the bay

Finding the dolphins

Sea cave and swim

Return to port