Balearic Islands strengthen their leadership in boat registrations and yacht charter through July

The Balearic Islands recorded 621 recreational boat registrations between January and July, with growth well above the national average.

The Balearic Islands continue to hold their position as Spain’s leading nautical market. Between January and July 2026, 621 recreational boats were registered in the archipelago, 16.5% more than during the same period of the previous year. This made the Islands the Spanish province with the highest number of registrations. The figures come from the Recreational Boat Market Report: January–July 2026, prepared by the Spanish National Association of Nautical Companies (ANEN) using data from the Directorate-General for Merchant Shipping.

The Balearic market significantly outperformed Spain as a whole. Nationwide, 3,934 boats were registered between January and July, representing cumulative growth of 6.8% compared with the same period in 2025.

However, the sector’s growth slowed in July, when 829 boats were registered, 7% fewer than in July of the previous year. According to ANEN, this trend means that market performance should be closely monitored during the second half of the year.

After the Balearic Islands, the provinces with the highest level of activity in the overall market were Barcelona, with 481 registrations, 7.8% more than a year earlier, and Madrid, with 306 registrations, representing an increase of 15%. Girona, Murcia and Alicante completed the top six, confirming the strong influence of the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands on Spain’s nautical market.

The market for boats intended for nautical charter also continued to perform positively. Between January and July, 1,288 boats were registered for this purpose in Spain, 9.6% more than during the same period in 2025. However, July also saw a temporary decline of 8.5%, in line with the slowdown observed in the overall market.

The Balearic Islands once again ranked first in this segment, with 320 boats registered for charter use. They were followed by Girona, with 168, and Barcelona, with 115. These figures reinforce the archipelago’s leadership in both the overall market and the charter segment. The ranking also highlights the continued importance of boat rentals in the Mediterranean’s leading tourist destinations.