Cap de Formentor by boat or bus: which tour is better?
Updated October 9, 2026 · 7 min read
For most visitors in the north, the boat-only tour from Alcúdia is the best choice: it takes 4 hours, costs €39 and shows the lighthouse and coast from the water. If you want to step out at Es Colomer and on Formentor beach, take the combined bus-and-boat tour for €45 instead. The small boat group for €80 is mainly worth it if a more personal format matters more than the price. So the decisive difference is not “boat or bus” but this: do you want to see Formentor, or get off at several places?
Four Formentor tours compared
| Tour | Duration | Price | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcudia: Boat Trip to Cap de Formentor and Formentor | 4 hours | €39 | 4.0 stars (841 reviews) | coast and lighthouse from the water |
| Mallorca: Scenic Formentor Tour by Bus & Boat | 5 hours | €45 | 4.3 stars (172 reviews) | Es Colomer, beach and boat without driving yourself |
| Formentor: Xperience Bus and Boat Tour from the North | 3.5 hours | €47 | 4.4 stars (176 reviews) | compact combination from the north |
| Alcudia: Formentor Beach, Lighthouse Cruise, and Small Group | 4 hours | €80 | 4.8 stars (1,348 reviews) | small boat group |
The cheap answer: the boat from Alcúdia
The boat trip to Cap de Formentor and Formentor devotes its 4 hours to the coast. The lighthouse and Formentor beach appear from a perspective a bus cannot offer; at the same time you skip the road section across the peninsula. At €39 it is the cheapest of the four tours compared. It is not a good choice, however, if Es Colomer is on your list or you want to experience Formentor mostly on land.
See availability and prices for the boat trip from Alcúdia
Bus and boat: more places, less doing it yourself
The scenic Formentor tour by bus and boat combines the Es Colomer viewpoint, the beach and a boat ride in 5 hours. That combination is its advantage: you organise neither the journey there nor the parking. In return, part of the tour is spent on the bus, following a fixed schedule. The Xperience bus and boat tour from the north squeezes a similar programme into 3.5 hours and also stops at Es Colomer, the beach and the port of Pollença. It suits half a holiday day better, but naturally leaves less time in reserve.
Check dates for the scenic bus-and-boat tour
See prices for the compact Xperience tour
When the small group pays off
The Formentor beach and lighthouse cruise in a small group stays on the water for 4 hours and costs €80. With 4.8 stars from 1,348 reviews it has the strongest rating of this selection. The extra cost is worth it if you are deliberately looking for a small group. For travellers who mainly care about the view of the cape and lighthouse, the much cheaper boat trip already delivers the core of the experience.
See availability for the small Formentor boat group
Clear recommendation
For an uncomplicated view of Formentor from the sea, book the boat trip from Alcúdia. If you want to get out at the viewpoint and the beach, the 5-hour bus-and-boat tour is the more complete answer. The €80 cruise in a small group is the choice if 4 hours on the water and the group size are worth more to you than saving €41.
