Why buying a yacht in Mallorca centers on Palma
Mallorca sits at the heart of the western Mediterranean, within easy reach of the French and Italian coasts, and Palma has become one of the Mediterranean's main bases for large yachts outside the summer. Crews live in the city through the winter, and the island has a deep network of engineers, joiners, painters and surveyors.
For a buyer, this means that between autumn and spring many yachts are lying in one place, with crew aboard and records on hand. Comparing several yachts in a single trip is often more practical here than on the Riviera.
The purchase itself follows the familiar sequence: a written offer, a purchase agreement with a deposit commonly around 10% held in escrow, survey, sea trial, acceptance and closing, all described in the general guide to buying a yacht. What Palma changes is the ease of each practical step, and the local tax questions that sit alongside them.
Marinas and where yachts lie
Palma's waterfront holds several marinas used by large yachts, including Club de Mar, the Real Club Náutico de Palma and Marina Moll Vell beside the old town and cathedral. To the west, Puerto Portals and Port Adriano also host sizeable yachts.
Berthing is a commercial arrangement, not a given. As elsewhere in the Mediterranean, a berth used by the current owner does not automatically pass with the yacht, and a buyer planning to keep the yacht in Palma should confirm availability and terms before closing.
Survey and refit in a working port
Palma is one of the Mediterranean's principal refit centers. The STP shipyard operates as an open yard where owners choose from hundreds of registered contractors, and after its most recent expansion it handles yachts up to about 110 meters; Astilleros de Mallorca offers haul-out for yachts up to about 120 meters. The traditional refit season runs roughly from October to May.
Surveys benefit from that infrastructure. A haul-out, an independent hull and machinery survey, specialist engine reports and a sea trial in the Bay of Palma can usually be arranged locally. In winter the yards are busy, so a haul-out slot should be booked as soon as the purchase agreement is signed, and quotes for any post-survey work obtained before acceptance.
A yacht that has just completed a refit in Palma deserves particular scrutiny of its paperwork. Invoices, contractor details, class records and any warranties show what was actually done, and they are worth as much to the next owner as the work itself. Their absence is a question to raise before, not after, the offer.
Spanish tax in general terms
What follows is general information, not tax or legal advice. Spanish yacht taxation turns on residence, flag and use, and a Spanish maritime lawyer or tax adviser should review any purchase.
Spain's special tax on certain means of transport, usually called the matriculation tax, is the one most often discussed. According to the Spanish Ministry of Transport, it applies to pleasure boats over 8 meters at 12% of value on first registration in Spain, with an exemption for yachts genuinely and exclusively dedicated to charter. The RYA notes that it may also apply to a yacht owned by a person or company established in Spain and used in Spanish waters, even under a foreign flag.
Beyond that, new yachts bear Spanish VAT at 21%, while a second-hand yacht already registered in Spain and sold between private parties is generally subject to a transfer tax whose rate depends on the region. Non-resident buyers of foreign-flagged yachts face different questions, set out in the Mediterranean buying guide.
Using the yacht in the Balearics
Since 2018 the Balearic government has prohibited anchoring on the protected Posidonia seagrass meadows that surround the islands, including in popular anchorages, and the rules apply to vessels of every size. Captains use official charts of the restricted zones and mooring buoys where provided.
Charter in Balearic waters carries its own licensing requirements. If a buyer plans to offset running costs through charter, those conditions, and their interaction with the matriculation tax exemption, belong in the conversation from the start.
Summer also brings demand for berths across the islands, and space in Palma and the popular harbors of Ibiza and Menorca is commonly booked well ahead. A realistic plan for where the yacht will be based in July and August is part of a sound purchase.
The spring boat show and a first conversation
The Palma International Boat Show is held each spring at Moll Vell, with the 2026 edition running from 29 April to 2 May, shortly before yachts disperse for summer. Daniel has no office in Mallorca; he works between Miami, New York and Europe. His page as a yacht broker in Mallorca explains how he works there, and a private conversation is the natural place to begin.