Can Picafort Dolphin Tours

Can Picafort sits at the southern end of Alcúdia Bay, ten minutes down the coast from the marina everyone else sails out of. Its boats reach the same pods. What they do differently is the journey home.

Three hours, three separate things

The sea-cave trip is the clearest illustration. It runs out towards Cap de Formentor, the UNESCO-listed headland at the island’s northern tip, with the Serra de Tramuntana standing behind it. The dolphins are the first hour’s business. Then the boat turns for Cap de Pinar and puts into a sea cave where the light comes off the water onto the rock, and finishes at Es Coll Baix.

That last stop is the one worth booking for. Es Coll Baix is a pale shingle cove under grey cliffs on the Victòria peninsula with no road down to it — reaching it on foot means a steep forty-minute descent from the car park above, which is why it is usually close to empty when the boats arrive. A mask and a life vest come with the trip.

The honest part about the ride out

Guests from this marina are unusually consistent on one point: it takes about an hour of fast running to reach the dolphins, and on a breezy morning it is bumpy. Several reviews that rate the trip five stars say so in the same breath, and more than one recommends taking something for motion sickness beforehand. That hour is also the reason the sightings here are as reliable as they are. The pods feed well offshore and the boats that reach them are the ones willing to cover the ground.

If that does not appeal, the sunrise catamaran from Alcúdia crosses the same bay on a 150-seat hull that barely moves, and serves breakfast on the way back.

Which of the three

The sea-cave trip is the fullest morning: a guide on board rather than a skipper alone, snorkel gear provided, cave, cliffs and the Coll Baix swim, at 4.8 from 1,411 guests. It sets a minimum age of five.

The fast boat spends more of its three hours getting to the animals and less on the coast, stopping at a cave and a cove on the way back when the weather allows. Guests name their guides in the reviews, which is usually a sign the commentary is doing some work. Minimum age six.

The small-group RIB carries the highest rating on this site — 5.0 from 101 guests — and the reviews keep returning to the same two things: how few people were aboard, and how carefully the skipper approached the animals. A rigid inflatable sits low and moves fast, so it is the closest to the water and the one most affected by sea state. It has 101 reviews against thousands for the large boats, so read that score as a smaller sample rather than a settled verdict.

Before you book

Bring swimwear, a towel and sunscreen whichever you choose, and a jacket for the run out — a fast boat before the sun is properly up is cold even in August. The sea itself is warm from June to November, running about 25°C in July and peaking near 26°C in August.

If you are staying at the other end of the bay, the Alcúdia fleet leaves from Alcudiamar and includes the island’s two guaranteed departures. If you are not sure which sort of boat suits your group, our guide to choosing puts all ten side by side.

Otherwise, check availability and take the early one.