Palma Guide – The best chiringuitos in Mallorca
Summer in Mallorca comes with a few non-negotiables.
Swimming in ridiculously clear water. Staying at the beach much longer than planned. Ordering something cold because it’s definitely too hot for coffee. And, of course, finding a good chiringuito for lunch, drinks or that magical moment when afternoon slowly turns into sunset.
If you’ve never heard the word before, here’s your crash course: a chiringuito is basically a beach bar. Except that in Mallorca, it can mean anything from a tiny barefoot spot serving cold beers and grilled fish to a seriously cool seaside restaurant where lunch somehow turns into cocktails and you suddenly realise it’s 8pm.
Sounds good? We thought so.
We’ve been sharing our favourite chiringuitos in Mallorca for years, but the island never stops changing. New places open, old favourites evolve and, naturally, we keep doing the very difficult job of testing them out.
So here’s our updated selection of some of the best chiringuitos in Mallorca for long lunches, beach days and summer evenings by the Mediterranean.
The best beach bars and chiringuitos in Mallorca
Ponderosa Beach – barefoot lunching in Playa de Muro
Some places don’t need much of an introduction.
Ponderosa Beach has been sitting right on the sand at Playa de Muro since 1967 and remains one of our favourite choices when we’re heading north for the day. Think feet in the sand, Mediterranean views and absolutely no reason to rush back to Palma.
Food is a big part of the experience here. Rice dishes and paellas are among the stars of the menu, alongside fresh fish, seafood, salads and plenty of Mediterranean flavours. It’s the kind of place where you come for lunch and quickly decide that whatever you had planned for the afternoon can wait.
And then there’s Playa de Muro itself: kilometres of fine sand and shallow, clear water, making this an especially good choice if you’re spending the day with children.
Our recommendation? Book your table, arrive early enough for a swim and make a proper day of it.
El Chaval – Magaluf, but not as you know it
Forget whatever image popped into your head when you read “Magaluf”. El Chaval Beach Club is a relaxed seaside spot where Mediterranean food, cocktails, Balinese beds and sea views come together in a setting that feels a million miles away from Magaluf’s more famous party scene.
Come for a lazy lunch, stay for a cocktail and find yourself a spot overlooking the Mediterranean. It’s polished without becoming too serious and lively without going completely over the top.
Basically, exactly what we want from a summer afternoon.
La Calita de Portals – our little Portals secret
Now, this is exactly the kind of place we love telling you about.
La Calita De Portals is tucked down by the sea in Portals Nous and has a wonderfully relaxed, slightly hidden-away feel. It’s not the kind of place where you arrive to find a huge, packed beach club waiting for you. The vibe is much more chilled: Mediterranean food, something cold to drink, sea views and absolutely no pressure to leave anytime soon. Its own philosophy is pretty much based around the long, unhurried seaside lunches we love so much.
There’s a small cove just below the chiringuito for a quick dip and a larger beach right next door, which makes La Calita a particularly good option when you’re visiting Mallorca with children.
And here’s a Nakar tip from actual experience: there’s also a waterslide right next to it. If you’re having lunch or dinner at La Calita, they’ll give you several passes so the kids can use it; otherwise, you can buy passes there separately.
Kids on the slide. Adults finishing their drinks. Everybody wins.
Nanai Beach – a hidden-ish spot in Illetas
Illetes is hardly a secret. But there are still corners around here that feel surprisingly removed from the summer madness. One of them is Nanai Beach.
You’ll find it at Cala Xinxell, in the area many Majorcans know as Illetas Militar, just a short drive from Palma. It’s right by the Mediterranean, with direct access to the water and that sweet spot between a proper restaurant and a relaxed beach hangout.
This is the place for a swim followed by lunch, a bottle of something cold and absolutely no rush. Stay later and the mood shifts towards sunset, cocktails and music.
It’s close enough to Palma to make it an easy half-day plan, although we’d strongly suggest clearing the afternoon too.
You probably won’t be going anywhere.
Chiringuito Es Dolç – the south of Mallorca, stripped back
Sometimes what you want from a chiringuito is… a chiringuito.
No big production. No need to dress up. Just the sea, something to eat and that very particular feeling of being on holiday. Chiringuito Es Dolç sits by Platja d’Es Dolç, at Colònia de Sant Jordi, in one of our favourite stretches of Mallorca’s southern coastline.
The real star here is the location. Es Dolç has that unmistakable southern-Mallorca combination of clear turquoise water, pale sand and an easy-going atmosphere that makes you want to stay all afternoon.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, this is also a great area for exploring on foot. From Colònia de Sant Jordi you can continue along the coast towards some of the area’s more natural beaches, turning lunch into a full-on south-Mallorca beach day.
Sometimes simple really is better.
So, what makes a great chiringuito?
For us, it isn’t about white tablecloths, a twenty-page menu or whether somebody calls it a beach club instead of a chiringuito. The formula is actually pretty simple.
The Mediterranean should be close enough to jump into. The food should be something you genuinely want to eat. Your drink should be very cold. And the atmosphere should make you completely forget whatever plans you had for afterwards.
Bonus points for sandy feet. And absolutely no points for rushing. That’s what summer in Mallorca is supposed to feel like.
Discover Mallorca’s best beach spots from Palma
One of our favourite things about staying in Palma is that you don’t actually have to choose between city life and island life.
From Nakar Hotel, you can wake up in the heart of the city, grab breakfast and be swimming in Illetes or Portals shortly afterwards. Or jump in the car and make a day of it in Playa de Muro or Colònia de Sant Jordi.
Spend the afternoon swimming, eating and discovering a new favourite chiringuito and then head back to Palma when you’re ready.
Shower. Change. Rooftop. You know the drill.
And if all that sea air has somehow made you hungry again, head over to our blog. Our Palma Guides are packed with our favourite restaurants, new openings and places to eat around the city.
Beach by day. Palma by night. That’s a Mallorca summer done properly.
