Mallorca has always lived with its eyes on the Mediterranean. Long before its beaches began attracting travellers from around the world, the sea was already shaping the working days, food and traditions of generations of islanders.
Fishing is an important part of that story. Harbours, traditional boats, recipes built around the day’s catch and knowledge passed from one generation to the next remind us that Mallorca’s relationship with the Mediterranean goes far beyond a day at the beach.
Our Local Stories series is about precisely that: looking beyond the Mallorca we all know and discovering the traditions, people and stories that have shaped the island. Today, we’re heading out to sea.
An island shaped by fishing
For centuries, fishing played an important role in many of the Balearic Islands’ coastal communities. Fishermen would head out to sea in small boats, their days dictated by the weather, the seasons and the species available at different times of the year.
Knowing where to fish, when to leave the harbour and how to read changes in the wind and sea was knowledge acquired over a lifetime and passed down through generations.
Today, the industry has naturally changed, but fishing remains part of Mallorca’s maritime identity. There are even pescatourism experiences that allow visitors to join professional fishermen and discover what a working day at sea is really like.
The llaüt, a Mediterranean icon
It’s almost impossible to talk about Mallorca’s fishing heritage without mentioning the llaüt.
For generations, this traditional Balearic boat was closely connected to working life at sea. Its distinctive shape can still be spotted in harbours across Mallorca and has become one of the symbols of the islands’ maritime heritage.
Today, many llaüts are used for leisure sailing, but seeing them alongside working fishing boats is a reminder that they were once, first and foremost, practical vessels designed for life on the Mediterranean.
Sailing aboard one remains one of our favourite ways to experience the Mallorcan coastline. The pace is different, the perspective changes and somehow the connection between the island and the sea becomes much easier to understand.
Colònia de Sant Jordi and the sea
Close to Ca’n Bonico, Colònia de Sant Jordi is one of the places where this maritime history remains particularly visible.
Its harbour has a long history of maritime activity dating back to ancient times. Today, fishing and recreational sailing coexist, and the port still has a fishing quay and fishermen’s association. It is also the departure point for boats travelling to Cabrera, around ten nautical miles from Mallorca’s southern coast.
Walking around the harbour reveals a different side of Colònia de Sant Jordi. Boats, fishing equipment and the daily activity around the port remind us that there is much more to this seaside town than its beautiful beaches.
From the sea to the table
Fishing has also left its mark on Majorcan cuisine. For generations, cooking meant working with whatever the sea provided and making the most of every ingredient. Rock fish, squid, cuttlefish and other Mediterranean species became part of simple recipes where the quality of the produce did most of the talking.
That connection can still be found in restaurants and coastal communities across Mallorca. Choosing local fish, asking about the day’s catch and discovering seasonal species is another way of connecting food with the place it comes from.
A tradition that continues to evolve
Fishing in Mallorca has changed, just as the island itself has changed. Boats and techniques have evolved, regulations are different and protecting the Mediterranean is increasingly central to conversations about the future of fishing.
Yet there are still boats, skills, words and ways of understanding the sea that connect today’s Mallorca with previous generations.
And that’s exactly what we want to explore through Local Stories: a Mallorca that doesn’t always appear on postcards but remains very much alive.
Discover authentic Mallorca from Ca’n Bonico
From our hotel in Ses Salines, the Mediterranean is never far away.
Head to Colònia de Sant Jordi to explore its harbour, discover the coastline aboard a traditional llaüt or simply sit by the sea and enjoy freshly prepared local fish.
Then return to Ca’n Bonico, housed in the oldest building in Ses Salines, and discover another chapter of the island’s history.
Because getting to know Mallorca also means understanding the traditions that have shaped the way people live here.