Sailing Mallorca with InAdventures: The Floating Retreat I Didn’t Know I Needed

One morning, I am staring upside down at the Mediterranean sea. This is sailing in Mallorca.

The calm voice of our yoga instructor tells us to step out of Downward Dog and into the next pose. As my body rights itself on the slowly rocking deck of the boat, I have to concentrate hard to ground myself in the practice.

It’s understandably difficult when you bear in mind where I am. Standing on the prow of a small yacht in the middle of the Med is undoubtedly one of the strangest places I’ve ever practiced yoga – and yet for the past few days, it’s been the way each of my mornings have begun.

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Pin this sailing Mallorca adventure for later!

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I’m not the most likely traveller to spend a week on a yacht.

Boats are not my forte. Growing up I was always scared of waves, and used to cry when my parents suggested going to the sea. Even after snorkelling with sharks in the Galapagos and going scuba diving in Australia, I still have a healthy respect for open water. Something about its hidden depths and the sudden sense of how comparatively small I am makes it hard to enjoy boat life.

Yet I still agreed to live onboard a boat owned by a Spaniard for five days on a sailing Mallorca adventure. Why? 

Well for starters, I’m helplessly in love with Spain, and every opportunity I have to travel there is a joy. But I also wanted to challenge both my sailing concerns and the preconceptions I have about all-inclusive boat trips like this one with InAdventures Travel.

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My major reservation with the trend for group sailing trips is, honestly, feeling trapped into situations I don’t want to be part of. There’s a reputation for sailing holidays to be wholly focused on getting drunk, and while I do enjoy a drink, feeling obliged to get drunk because it fits the stereotype is not really my idea of fun!

But as soon as I spoke to Pau, the founder and skipper of InAdventures, I got the impression that his Majorca sailing company was different. The concept for his trips is to combine sailing, yoga and organic food with outdoor adventuring around the Spanish island of Mallorca: perfect for modern, eco-conscious explorers who want to see a hidden side to the island from a local Mallorcan who loves his home.

I was sold. Both on the trip concept, and on its clearly passionate organiser.

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Stepping on board the InAdventures yacht

When going sailing with a bunch of strangers, one of the most important factors is a positive group dynamic. Luckily, the fifteen other writers and photographers were just as keen for a relaxing week as I was.

I’d never met any of them before, but it didn’t take long for the bonding to begin – particularly when a welcome platter served in a paella dish appeared from the galley before we’d even left the harbour.

That first afternoon set the precedent for a week of luxurious sailing. After a quick intro from Pau about what our plans for the next few days would entail, we set sail for open water, zipping through the waves with the engine off, the sails full, and the wind at our back.

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What is the InAdventures boat life really like?

As a pretty novice sailor I’d had a few concerns before arriving, but they all vanished once I saw the boat for myself. However, living in a floating home does warrant some crucial lifestyle adjustments:

• Cabin space is limited. This means learning to tidy up after yourself and packing away as much of your stuff as possible. Luckily, small boats are filled with hidden cupboards and storage spaces, so if you love organisation as much as I do it’s pretty much a dream scenario! It’s also worth bringing a soft bag – I used an Osprey Fairview 40 pack which was perfect.

• Sharing a bed with a stranger is way easier than you’d think! Most of the InAdventures cabins are for two people to share (although you can pay a bit extra for a private cabin) – and as a solo traveller it means immediate bonding times with your lucky cabinmate. I was suspicious about how small the mattress looked, but as soon as I clambered into bed each night, both Daisy (my bed partner) and I were asleep in minutes.

• Boats move. A lot. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but leaving valuable objects in perilous positions means they could fall into the ocean and vanish forever. Keeping track of where your belongings are and ensuring they’re stowed safely is paramount.

• None of the doors lock. A knock-and-wait system for the bathroom develops pretty immediately as a result, but the quicker you remember this, the better.

• Flushing a marine toilet takes practice. Also known as ‘heads’, these tiny toilets require the use of a hand pump in two different directions: one to flush away used dirty water, and the other to rinse off the bowl with clean water. There’s no flushing of anything that you haven’t eaten first, either – that includes toilet paper, which goes in the bin instead.

• Saving water is a priority. When the boats leave harbour they have a finite amount of fresh, clean water on board, which is destined for cooking, drinking and washing for the entire length of the voyage. We shut off the taps whenever possible and didn’t shower much (easy when the ocean is right next door for a quick cool-down!)

As I quickly discovered, we barely spent any time below decks. Instead our days were entirely spent outside, either clambering from one boat to the other or adventuring on land.

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Want to join the next sailing retreat? Use my code ‘FLORATHEEXPLORER’ for a 5% discount!

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Sailing Mallorca’s coastline

Pau didn’t call his company ‘In Adventures’ by accident. In fact, I get the feeling that he perceives being ‘in adventures’ in the same context as being ‘in love’, as every day he had a new Mallorca-based activity on the agenda for us to throw ourselves into.

One morning we hiked along the Mallorcan cliffs next to crystal clear waters, before wriggling into wetsuits and helmets and abseiling our way down towards the sea. I’d been certain that I was too nervous to tackle the abseil, but strangely I found an unexpected surge of confidence – so before I had a chance to back out, I was roped up and shimmying down the side of a cliff.

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Once we reached the water, our guides surprised us with the exploration of an underground cave. Clinging onto guide ropes suspended in the water, we swam towards a tiny opening in the rocks then inched our way through waterlogged sand until we found ourselves inside a series of huge cathedral-like spaces, carved out naturally over thousands of years and filled to the brim with stalactites.

Whether it was kayaking at sunset, hiking across tiny islands to local lighthouses or simply diving into the ocean from the side of the boats, Pau ensured there was more than enough activity to build up our appetites.

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Luxury dining at sea with our private chefs

After our land-and-water-based adventuring, we boarded the boats again for lunch. The amazing food throughout the week was rustled up by Javi and Cara, two chefs who achieved unbelievable culinary feats in the boat’s minuscule kitchen.

With each new meal I had a new appreciation for cooking at sea. We feasted on avocado toast and fresh fruit platters; tapas of pan con tomate, prosciutto, fresh anchovies, and dill-sprinkled smoked salmon; and my personal favourite was a huge seafood paella, accompanied by ice-cold jugs of freshly made gazpacho, which went down a treat.

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Finding our balance on the waves (and off)

By the time each afternoon arrived we naturally gravitated to the prow of the boat, chatting and laughing as our boat moved effortlessly through the glass-like sea on its way to our next location for the night.

It was wonderful to realise that a group of people who’d usually revert to their laptops and editing software in their daily lives were actually choosing to relinquish their technological attachments and simply relax together!

But there’s a different energy when you’re on board a boat.

It’s too hot for make up or fancy outfits and there’s no space for pretentious attitudes: instead, you have bare skin and honest conversations with people you’ve only just met.

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I suddenly found myself seeing my own body in a different light, too. I’ve gained a fair bit of grief-weight in the last year, and it was a bit startling to realise I didn’t look how I used to (especially in a bikini).

But bodies can surprise you. On a boat you’re suddenly behaving with pure instinct, reacting to the swells of unexpected waves and the slope of the deck. With no place to hide from my body’s true self on board, I was able to find gratitude for its incredible abilities which I too often take for granted, instead of raging against the things I can’t easily change.

Noticing the sensation of my tensed toes standing firm, grounding themselves against a bone-white boat hull, for instance. Or how I instinctively grasped a sail rope and curled my fingers around it without thinking.

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I know next to nothing about boats, so accepting that I had no control while sailing through the sea was actually a well-timed lesson in humility.

I spend too much of my life trying to stay on top of things – but it’s something of a relief to occasionally relinquish all control, and pass that responsibility to someone else. For a while, it leaves you free to simply exist.

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Why I loved sailing Mallorca’s seas with a group of strangers

After a week at sea with InAdventures, I feel cleansed. Reinvigorated. Ready for the next challenge. Moreover, I think I have a new-found love of sailing – who’d have thought it?!

But I guess my current search for honesty and vulnerability made this trip the perfect place for me to be this summer: being out at sea, at one with nature, and enjoying the experience alongside a group of passionate travellers, too.

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I’ve been back on dry land for over a week, but the ocean is still echoing in my ears. I can still feel my inner compass rocking, making my steps a little shaky on solid ground.

Perhaps I belong back on the boat?

Have you ever rekindled your love of the sea on a trip like this one? Would you like to experience sailing Mallorca with Pau?

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The InAdventures crew still have a few spaces left for their September sailing trips. You can use the code ‘FLORATHEEXPLORER’ for a 5% discount – and tell Pau I sent you!