The Balearic Islands account for nearly a quarter of Spain's private boat rental market.
Last year, the archipelago accumulated 664 registrations of recreational boats and consolidated its position as the territory with the most registrations at the state level.
PalmThe Balearic Islands maintained their leading position as the main market for recreational boat registrations in Spain in 2025, despite a year-on-year decrease in activity, according to a market report prepared by ANEN using data from the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine. Of the 1,418 boat rental registrations nationwide, the Balearic Islands accounted for 321 vessels for this activity. Thus, the Balearic Islands lead the national market and concentrate nearly a quarter of the total charter market, despite experiencing a 23.2% drop. Following the Balearic Islands are Barcelona, with 194 registered units, and Alicante, with 171.
On the other hand, the Balearic Islands accumulated 664 recreational boat registrations last year, consolidating its position as the region with the most registrations nationwide, ahead of Barcelona (564) and Murcia (491), which occupied second and third place respectively.
Although these figures confirm the strength of the Balearic nautical sector compared to other regions, the trend reflects a 19.9% drop compared to the same period in 2014, a trend that has been repeated across much of the Spanish market. Nationwide, registrations through September totaled 4,992 units, representing a 0.9% decrease compared to the previous year. This shows weaker performance up to May and a growing recovery in the last quarter, allowing the year to close with a stabilizing trend.
"2025 has been a year of adjustment"
ANEN's CEO, Jordi Carrasco, stated that "2025 has been a year of adjustment and consolidation for the nautical sector, following the strong growth experienced in previous years. The positive performance of the last quarter, especially in smaller vessels, confirms that recreational boating maintains a demanding land capacity." The performance of the nautical charter segment has also followed the general downward trend, with a significant reduction in cumulative registrations, although the Balearic Islands continue to lead this subsector within the Spanish market.
