Magaluf Stag Do

A Magaluf stag do does exactly what it says on the tin. Hotels, beach, bars and clubs are all within stumbling distance of each other, the sun is pretty much guaranteed in summer, and nobody will raise an eyebrow at a stag dressed as a giant baby. If you want a quiet, understated weekend, this isn’t the place. If you want a holiday that happens to involve a wedding, it’s perfect.

It’s also had a bit of a tidy-up. The Balearic government brought in rules to cut down on boozy tourism in parts of the resort, so the Magaluf of the old documentaries isn’t quite the Magaluf of today. Read the rules below before you book. They’ll save you a fine and an awkward chat with the local police.

Punta Ballena, better known as the Strip, is where most of the nightlife lives. It’s a long run of bars, karaoke, Irish pubs and clubs, and it’s loud, cheerful and very British. Fancy dress is part of the furniture here, so this is the place to get your money’s worth out of stag do costumes. Some bouncers do turn away big groups or full costumes, so have a plan B.

My advice is to eat properly before you go out, start on a bar terrace rather than a shop’s carry-out, and let the night roll from there. Try a shot of hierbas, the local Mallorcan herbal liqueur. The stag will love it. Probably.

Days start late and end on a sunbed. Magaluf beach is right in front of you, and there’s a water park in the resort for when the lads want to race each other down slides like overgrown children. If you want to get the blood pumping, try go karting on the island or a quad biking trip into the hills.

A boat party is still a great way to spend an afternoon, but party boats are no longer allowed to pick up or sail close to the resort, so book a proper operator and expect a short transfer. Palma is close by too, with a gorgeous cathedral and an old town full of tapas bars, if the group fancies one civilised afternoon.

• No street drinking. In Magaluf’s restricted zones you can’t drink in the street, and the fines are seriously steep. Terraces and bars are fine.
• Shop booze stops early. Shops in those zones close in the evening, so don’t count on a late carry-out.
• Organised crawls and happy hours. These have been restricted, so check what your package actually includes.
• Dress in town. Keep the swimwear for the beach and pool.
• When to go. Late May to September is peak season. Early summer and September are slightly calmer and still hot.
• Getting there. Fly into Palma, which has direct flights from most UK airports, and the transfer to the resort is short.

Two or three nights is the sweet spot. Book the boat early in the weekend, keep Sunday for the pool and don’t schedule anything that requires a functioning brain before midday. If the group is more into big-name DJs than the Strip, look at an Ibiza stag do instead. The packages below include hotels, activities and nights out, and you can compare packages side by side to see who’s offering the best deal.

In Magaluf I’d keep it simple and stay in the resort itself. The whole point is that the hotels, the beach, the bars and the clubs are all within stumbling distance of each other, so pick somewhere close to Punta Ballena, better known as the Strip, and Magaluf beach right in front of the resort. You’ll walk to the night out and crawl back to the sunbed the next morning without ever needing a taxi.

I wouldn’t base the group in Palma. It’s close by, and the cathedral and old town tapas bars make a cracking civilised afternoon, but on a stag you want your bed near the Strip, not a transfer away.

My practical tip: if you’d rather the resort wasn’t rammed, aim for early summer or September, which are slightly calmer than peak season and still hot. And look at the packages below, which bundle the hotel in with the activities and nights out, so the beds are sorted in one go.

Friday Fly into Palma, take the short transfer to the resort and get the swimwear on for the pool, because that’s the only place it’s allowed. Eat properly before you go out, then start on a bar terrace rather than a shop carry-out. Ease on to the Strip for the bars and Irish pubs, and get the first round of hierbas in. The stag will love it. Probably.

Saturday Book the boat party for the afternoon with a proper licensed operator, and expect a short transfer, as party boats can’t pick up near the resort any more. Prefer dry land? Go karting on the island or paintball will sort out the competitive lads. Saturday night is the big one on Punta Ballena, with karaoke, clubs and the stag in his costume. Some bouncers turn away big groups or full costumes, so have a plan B and split up if needed. Remember there’s no drinking in the street in the restricted zones, and the fines are steep.

Sunday Nothing that needs a working brain before midday. Sunbeds on Magaluf beach, then the water park in the resort so the lads can race each other down the slides like overgrown children. If anyone fancies a civilised end to the weekend, Palma’s cathedral and old town tapas bars are close by.