Mallorca pulled in roughly 13.5 million of the Balearic Islands' 19 million tourists in 2025, yet just 10 nautical miles off its southern coast sits a protected archipelago where daily numbers are capped in the low hundreds. The Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park is Spain's largest national park, and most visitors have never heard of it.
The park was created in 1991 to protect 19 islands, with Cabrera the biggest. In 2019 Spain extended protection to the surrounding sea, expanding the park from about 25,000 acres to nearly 225,000 acres and pushing it past Sierra Nevada in Andalusia to become the country's largest. Because it is a marine reserve, visitor numbers are strictly limited to 200-300 per day — the main reason it stays peaceful while nearby beaches heave.
Getting there is straightforward. Boats leave from Colònia de Sant Jordi at Mallorca's southern tip, a 30-40 minute crossing and under an hour's drive from Palma's airport. Once there, the water is the attraction. The clarity is thanks to vast seagrass meadows on the seabed, and the swimming is superb: three beaches (Sa Platgeta, Platga d'es Pagès, S'Empalmador) plus the famous Blue Cave, Sa Cova Blava, where sunlight turns the water an electric blue at the right angle.
Snorkelling is included in most boat tours, and the marine life rewards it — turtles, dolphins, sea bass, bream, starfish, octopus and dense underwater seagrass 'forests'. The islands were a military outpost for centuries, including a grim stint as a Napoleonic-era prison, and have been largely uninhabited for over 100 years, so the underwater world remains essentially untouched. Scuba diving is possible but requires a government permit in advance. Private boats need an anchoring permit for the designated moorings.
There is no village on the islands. The only accommodation is the Cabrera Shelter, which must be booked ahead. Most people base themselves in Colònia de Sant Jordi, which pairs nicely with Caló des Moro — regularly ranked among the world's best beaches and a 20-minute drive away.
Who is this for? Travellers who love Mallorca's beaches but dread the August crush. Cabrera delivers the same turquoise Balearic water with a fraction of the people, plus wildlife you will not see off the main island. Book boat tickets early in high season since the daily cap means tours sell out, and consider an overnight to experience the islands after the day-trippers leave.
