Most people who rent a car in Mallorca do it for one reason: the road to Cap de Formentor, or the one down to Sa Calobra, or both. They are among the finest driving roads in Europe and they are the reason the island rewards a car far more than a resort transfer. What almost nobody books around is that from 15 May to 15 October, private vehicles are banned from the Ma-2210 to Cap Formentor every single day between 10:00 and 22:00.
That single rule reshapes an entire day of a summer trip, and it is the first of several restrictions that have arrived on the island in the last two years. This guide covers what you need to know before you book: the access rules, the Palma low-emission zone and what it means for a hire car, what a rental actually costs and what the deposit will be, and which roads are worth the drive once you have the keys. Figures were checked in September 2026.
The Formentor rule, in detail
The restriction applies from 15 May to 15 October and runs daily from 10:00 to 22:00. The road splits into two sections and they are treated differently. Zone one, from Port de Pollença as far as Formentor beach, still allows limited private access — but only until the 300-space car park fills, at which point you are turned back. Zone two, from Formentor beach out to the lighthouse at the cape, is closed to private vehicles outright during those hours. Residents, permit holders and drivers with reduced mobility are the exceptions. Cyclists, walkers and the shuttle bus are unaffected throughout.
The practical consequence is simple: in high season you drive Formentor before ten in the morning or after ten at night, or you take the bus. Before ten is the better option by a wide margin — the light is better, the car park has space, and the road is not yet full of coaches. If your flight lands at midday and you were planning to drive straight out to the lighthouse, you cannot.
Palma’s low-emission zone, and why your hire car is probably fine
Palma introduced a ZBE — zona de bajas emisiones, a low-emission zone — on 1 January 2025, and the early reporting caused a good deal of alarm among visitors. The position as it stands in 2026 is calmer than the headlines suggested. In March 2026 the city council reversed its stance on foreign-plated vehicles, which are now permitted to enter under defined conditions. Vehicles with no environmental label are excluded from April 2026, with carve-outs for residents and delivery traffic.
For a tourist this almost never bites, because a car hired on the island carries Spanish plates and an environmental sticker as a matter of course, which means the zone is a non-issue. The people affected are those bringing a foreign-registered car over on the ferry, second-home owners and new residents — that group has to deal with registrations, emissions proof and permits that currently run up to six months. If you are collecting a car at Palma airport, you can effectively ignore the ZBE. Ask the desk to confirm the label anyway; it takes ten seconds.
Sóller is the other one to know about. The town has brought in its own low-emission zone covering roughly a dozen streets in the historic centre, with access reserved largely for residents. Visitors arriving by hire car are expected to park on the edge of town and walk in, which is a short and pleasant walk in any case.
What it costs, and what they will hold on your card
Palma de Mallorca airport (PMI) is one of the most competitive rental markets in Europe, and off-season rates can be genuinely low — under twenty euros a day for a small car is not unusual in November. July and August are a different market entirely, and booking two or three months out for peak summer makes a substantial difference to what you pay.
The details that catch people out are not the headline rate. Deposits are held on a credit card and scale with the vehicle: expect a minimum around 200 euros for mini, economy, compact, intermediate and standard cars, roughly 400 euros for full-size cars, large SUVs and passenger vans, and up to 500 euros for premium, luxury and convertible categories. A debit card will be refused for the hold by most desks.
- Minimum age — commonly 25 at Palma airport, though some suppliers rent from 21 or even 18 with a young-driver surcharge. Under-30s should expect a higher deposit and restricted categories.
- Fuel policy — full-to-full is the one you want. Full-to-empty and prepaid fuel are legitimate but you only break even if you return the tank genuinely empty.
- Excess and insurance — the basic rate almost always carries a large excess. Either take the supplier’s reduction or arrange standalone excess cover before you travel; buying it at the desk is the expensive option.
- Licence — an EU, UK or US licence is accepted directly. Licences not in the Latin alphabet need an International Driving Permit alongside.
- Toll roads — there are none on Mallorca. The Sóller tunnel used to charge and has been free since 2017, and the courts have since confirmed it stays that way.
Collecting the car at Palma airport
Most of the large suppliers operate from a consolidated rental facility reached by shuttle from the terminal rather than desks in arrivals, and the transfer adds fifteen to thirty minutes on a busy afternoon. Budget an hour from baggage reclaim to driving away in August. Photograph the car from all four corners plus the wheels and the windscreen before you leave the bay, and again on return — alloy scuffs on narrow mountain roads are the single most common charge on the island.
If you are arriving late, staying in Palma for the first night, or only want a car for two days of a week-long trip, a straightforward airport transfer to the hotel and a later pickup in town often works out cheaper than paying for parking at a Palma hotel for six nights.
The roads worth renting for
Ma-2210 to Cap de Formentor. Seventeen kilometres of cliff-edge switchbacks ending at a lighthouse over the sea. Subject to the summer restriction above; outside 15 May to 15 October there is no time limit at all, which makes late October and early May unusually good times to drive it.
Ma-2141 to Sa Calobra. Fourteen kilometres that drop roughly 800 metres to a cove, including the Nus de sa Corbata — a road that loops under itself in a full 270-degree spiral. It is a dead end, so you drive it twice. Go early: the coach traffic starts around ten and the road is too narrow to enjoy sharing.
Ma-10, the Serra de Tramuntana spine. The road that links the lot, running the length of the northwest coast from Andratx to Pollença through Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller. If you only have one driving day, this is it. The island now runs digital information panels showing live parking availability at Sóller, Sa Calobra and Cala Tuent, which are worth watching — they exist precisely because those car parks fill and the roads to them are too narrow to turn around on.
Driving rules, fines and parking
- Speed limits: 120 km/h on motorways, 90 on main roads outside built-up areas, 50 in towns and 30 on single-lane urban streets. The Ma-13 and Ma-19 motorways out of Palma are well policed.
- Blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l for experienced drivers and 0.3 g/l for those with under two years of licence.
- Blue-lined bays are ORA paid parking — buy a ticket from the meter and display it. White lines are free, yellow lines mean no parking at all.
- Mobile phone use requires a fully hands-free set-up; holding a phone at all, even at a red light, is an offence.
- Fines are frequently discounted by half for prompt payment. Your rental company will pass on an administration fee on top of any penalty and will charge it to the card on file.
One habit worth adopting on the mountain roads: the uphill vehicle has priority when two cars meet on a single-track section, and the passing places are marked. Reversing 200 metres uphill around a blind bend is an experience best avoided by paying attention to which of you is closer to one.
Where to base yourself
Palma suits a first visit — you get the cathedral, the old town and the best restaurants on the island, and the airport is twenty minutes away. It is the wrong base if the mountains are your priority, because you will spend an hour each way getting to them. Port de Sóller and Port de Pollença put you inside the Tramuntana with Sa Calobra and Formentor respectively on your doorstep. Alcúdia is the family choice on the north coast, and the southeast around Santanyí is the quiet one.
When to go, and when to skip the car
May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot: the roads are open without restriction for part of that window, the weather holds, and rental rates are a fraction of the August peak. July and August are hot, crowded and the season when every restriction above is in force at once. Winter is quiet and cheap, and the Tramuntana is at its most dramatic, but some coastal restaurants and hotels close from November to February.
If your trip is a week in one resort with a couple of day trips, you do not need a car for seven days. Rent for two or three, take a transfer for the airport legs, and use the buses or the Sóller train in between. If your trip is the mountain roads, rent for the whole stay and stay in the mountains.
Further reading
For getting around Spain without a car, our guide to booking trains in Spain covers the mainland network, and if you are pairing Mallorca with another island, scooter rental in Ibiza covers the two-wheeled alternative. Staying connected is worth sorting before you fly — see our roundup of the best eSIM options for Spain. For a comparable coastal drive on the mainland, the Algarve car rental guide covers similar ground in Portugal.
