Driving in Mallorca: the rules visitors get wrong
The rules visitors most often get wrong in Mallorca are the lower speed limit on conventional roads, the tiered urban limits introduced in recent years, the requirement to give way to traffic already in a roundabout, and the etiquette of narrow mountain roads.
gelisted editorial team · Updated 15 August 2026
The short version
- The general limit is 120 km/h on motorways and 90 km/h on conventional roads.
- Urban streets with a single lane each way are limited to 30 km/h.
- Overtaking a cyclist requires a full 1,5 metres of clearance.
- The island measures roughly 100 kilometres at its longest.
Distances here are short and the roads are good, which lulls visitors into treating the island like a motorway network. The mountain roads punish that assumption first.
Speed limits
One hundred and twenty kilometres per hour on motorways and dual carriageways, 90 on conventional roads outside built up areas, and in towns a tiered system: 30 km/h on streets with a single lane in each direction, 20 km/h where the carriageway and pavement share a level, and 50 km/h on streets with 2 or more lanes each way. Goods vehicles are limited to 90 and 80 respectively.
| Situation | Limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Motorway | 120 km/h | cars |
| Conventional road | 90 km/h | cars |
| Urban, one lane each way | 30 km/h | |
| Urban, shared surface | 20 km/h | |
| Urban, two or more lanes each way | 50 km/h | |
| Goods vehicles, motorway | 90 km/h | |
| Goods vehicles, conventional road | 80 km/h | |
| Clearance when overtaking a cyclist | 1,5 m | may cross the centre line |
| Mobile phone in hand | prohibited | 6 points |
Roundabouts
Traffic already circulating has priority. The outside lane is used for exits that come soon; inner lanes are for continuing round, and a driver leaving from an inner lane must give way to those in the outer one. Signalling on exit is required. This differs enough from practice in some countries to be the most common cause of low speed collisions involving visitors.
The mountain roads
The Serra de Tramuntana roads are narrow, sinuous and shared with cyclists in large numbers, particularly between February and May. Overtake a cyclist only with a full 1,5 metres of clearance, crossing the centre line where necessary and safe. Use the horn briefly before blind bends on single track sections. And expect coaches and delivery vehicles that require you to reverse to a passing place.
Journey times in the mountains bear no relation to distance: 30 kilometres can take 60 minutes, and planning on 40 km/h average is realistic.
Other points visitors miss
Dipped headlights must be used in tunnels regardless of daylight. A reflective jacket must be worn if you leave the vehicle on a road outside a built up area. Warning devices are required, and the standard is changing towards a connected beacon. Child restraints are governed by height rather than age. And seasonal access restrictions apply on some roads to northern coves during the summer months.
Frequently asked
+What is the speed limit on ordinary roads?
Ninety kilometres per hour outside built up areas, and 120 on motorways and dual carriageways.
+What is the urban limit?
Thirty kilometres per hour on streets with a single lane each way, and 50 where there are two or more each way.
+What are the limits for goods vehicles?
Ninety kilometres per hour on motorways and 80 on conventional roads.
+Who has priority in a roundabout?
Traffic already circulating, and a driver leaving from an inner lane must give way to the outer lane.
+How much clearance for a cyclist?
A full 1,5 metres, crossing the centre line where necessary and safe to do so.
Sources
- 1Dirección General de Tráfico, Ministerio del Interior (August 2026)
- 2Govern de les Illes Balears, Govern de les Illes Balears (August 2026)