In this activity we invite you to a journey on a 12 meters (40 feet) long Majorcan llaut, departuring from the port of Can Pastilla in the bay of Palma de Mallorca. This llaut, a modern and motorised version of the classic Mediterranean sail boat, remains one of the most popular products among lovers of sport fishing and pleasure coastal navigation.
Being a 300 horsepower boat, a number of options are available: fishing, diving, visit the coves of the southeast, even reaching to Cala Pi or Cabrera, or bathe in any of the beaches and coves of the southwest, up to Dragonera.
A feature that is maintained throughout its history, the hull of the llaut has the shapre of a teardrop, with the bow slightly wider than the stern. Thus, the lines of the bow are sufficiently sharp for the open sea, but with a volume not intended to penetrate in excess, and a narrower aft so that water outlet does not generate turbulence. While previously it had a thinner profile, with lower freeboard to minimize drag, with the introduction of engines volumes increased to support its weight.
The Bay of Palma de Mallorca, considered one of the finest in the world, is an ideal place for quiet navigation because it has many beaches and coves on any of their faces and the distances involved are not large (13.5 miles from the lighthouse at Cape White to the lighthouse in Cape of Cala Figuera).
Southwest area
In the southwest, from Cala Mayor to Cala Figuera, many beaches and coves can be found to swim, such as Illetas, Cala Contesa, Portals Nous, Palma Nova, Magaluf, Cala Viñas or Playa del Mago in Portals Vells. Upon reaching Cape of Cala Figuera, Cala Egos, Sant Elm or Dragonera are at a manageable distance if you want to enjoy a bathe in their crystal clear waters. If you want to enjoy a paella for lunch, it is common practice to stop in Portals Vells or in the Port of Andratx.
Illetas is the most popular anchorage in this zone, with a sandy seabed, clear waters and multiple locations to drop the anchor, but its east side can be dangerous, therefore it is recommended to go to its western side, which is also protected by the Illeta. We can also find Cales of Portals Vells, open to the south and southeast, which is a set of two coves, a beach and a small marina.
Southeast area
In the southeast, from Can Pastilla to Cabo Blanco, there is a very big and long beach that runs from Can Pastilla to S'Arenal and the beautiful Cala Blava, main anchorage in the area, with sandy bottom and open to the south, southwest and west, where buoys for boats up to 15 meters can be found in the summer.
In the area from Cape Enderrocat to Cape Blanco the coast rises smoothly to form cliffs a hundred meters high, offering a beautiful landscape in which a lot of small coves hide, many of them easy to find and access. If desired, one can go to Cala Pi, beyond Cape White, or even spend the day in Cabrera, which can be reached in less than an hour and a half.
Fishing
One of the traditional uses of the llaut is fishing. Common catches are pearly razorfishes (local name is raors, from September to March), young amberjacks (local name is verderols, from September, fished using floating objects as claims while trolling), the common dolphinfish (local name is llampuga, also from September, highly prized in Majorca, may be found jumping on the surface when hunting sardines and often fished trolling), the albacore (June to August), weevers (greater, starry and spotted) and the top quoted, the red scorpionfish (local name is cap roig), a fish that lives exclusively in rocky areas with steep slopes, prized for its exquisite meat and for the spectacular capture.
Scuba-diving
Being a roomy boat, it can also be used for scuba-diving in any of the locations mentioned above, to which we would like to add the Illa del El Sec (the dry island), right in front of Portals Vells. The waters surrounding the island have an average depth of 30 meters (minimum 6, maximum 50) and it is full of marine life. We recommend starting the dive on the west side, as it has a small platform of only 6 meters deep, ideal for anchoring. You can find octopus, moray eels, nudibranchs and yellow mouth barracudas. The visibility is usually good (between 10 and 20 meters) and it is recommended to start the dive at nine o'clock.