Boats Without a Licence on the Costa Brava: Prices, Rules and Ports
License-free boat rental in Costa Brava starts from €95 for a 4.7-metre, 15 hp boat for five with fuel included, and full days run from €170 to €295. Below: the five legal limits that make a boat licence-free, how half-day and full-day prices compare per person, which ports the boats leave from, what two nautical miles let you reach and when a skipper or a jet ski makes more sense.
What counts as a licence-free boat under Spanish rules
In Spain you can drive a small motorboat without any boating qualification, but only inside a narrow set of limits written into national law. The Rent-Trip section on this page gathers market prices for licence-free boats; every boat in it sits inside those limits, and every rule the operator explains at the dock comes from them.
The five limits that define the boat and the trip
The rule for recreational motorboats without a title sets five conditions at once, and a boat or a trip that breaks any one of them falls outside it:
- Length: up to 5 metres.
- Engine: a maximum rated power of 15 hp.
- Distance: no further than 2 nautical miles, about 3.7 km, from the port, marina or beach you left from.
- Daylight: daytime navigation only.
- Age: the person at the helm must be at least 18.
The first two limits are about the boat, and the operator takes care of them by choosing the hull and the outboard. The last three are about you: how far you go, when you come back and who steers. That is why the briefing on any licence-free boat on the Costa Brava concentrates on range and return time rather than on handling.
Small sailing boats follow a separate limit
The same rule allows sailing boats up to 6 metres to be used without a title. That is a metre more than the motorboat limit, and it covers small sailing dinghies rather than cruising yachts. The boats in the price table below are all motorboats with a 15 hp outboard; a sailing yacht with cabins needs a licensed skipper and belongs in a different section of the site.
Jet skis are not part of the rule
Jet skis are expressly excluded from the licence-free regime. You cannot hire one and ride it alone on the strength of the no-title rule, however short the trip. On the Costa Brava, jet skis without a licence are offered as guided outings where an instructor rides with the group; riding solo needs a navigation licence, which in Spain covers jet skis and boats up to 6 metres.
What the boats actually look like
The five models priced on this page are a tight group. All are open boats of 4.7 to 5.3 metres with a 15 hp engine, and they take five or six people. The Astec Fiber 450 is the shortest at 4.7 metres and takes five. The Trimarchi 53S is 5.3 metres and takes six. The Remus 450, the Silver 495 and the Marinello 16 also take six. The Marinello 16 is 5 by 2.3 metres, and its operator recommends four or five people on board even though six are allowed. With 15 hp on a five-metre hull you are not going fast: this is a boat for cruising along the shore, stopping in a cove and swimming, not for long crossings.
Half-day and full-day prices
Prices for licence-free boats on the Costa Brava come in three forms: a starting figure for the smallest boat, a half-day rate and a full-day rate. The table collects the market prices for the boats on this page.
Market prices for licence-free boats
| What the price covers | Booking | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 4.7 m boat, 15 hp, 5 people, fuel included | Starting price | from €95 |
| Licence-free boat for the whole day, low season | Full day | from €229.50 |
| Five-metre boat for 6 people, fuel extra, early-season price | Half day | from €137 |
| Licence-free boats of 4.7–5.3 m, 15 hp | Full day | €170–€295 |
The lowest figure on the coast is €95, for the 4.7-metre Astec Fiber 450 with fuel included. The same class of boat costs from €229.50 for a whole day in the low season, which is 2.4 times the entry price. Read the €95 as the shortest booking, not as a day rate. For a full day, the market range for licence-free boats runs from €170 to €295: the Trimarchi 53S starts at €170, the Remus 450 at €200, the Astec Fiber 450 at €285 and the Silver 495 at €295. The top of that range is 1.74 times the bottom.
The price per person
| Boat and booking | Price | People | Per person, boat full |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astec Fiber 450, starting price | €95 | 5 | €19.00 |
| Marinello 16, half day in May | €137 | 6 | €22.83 |
| Trimarchi 53S, full day | €170 | 6 | €28.33 |
| Remus 450, full day | €200 | 6 | €33.33 |
| Silver 495, full day | €295 | 6 | €49.17 |
| Astec Fiber 450, full day | €285 | 5 | €57.00 |
Shared by a full boat, a day on the water costs between about €28 and €57 a head. The ranking changes once you divide by seats: the Astec Fiber 450 is the cheapest boat to start with, but over a full day it is the most expensive per person, because it carries five rather than six. If your group is six, a six-seat boat at €295 still works out cheaper per head than a five-seat boat at €285.
The fuel line changes the comparison
Two prices that look close can hide a different total because of fuel. The €95 starting price includes petrol. The €137 half-day rate for the Marinello 16 does not, so the fuel used is added when you return. A 15 hp outboard is economical, but over a full day of shore cruising the fuel is still a real line on the bill. Before comparing two offers, ask whether fuel is inside the price or charged by consumption afterwards.
Why the same boat has several prices
The Astec Fiber 450 is offered from €95 as a starting price and at €285 for a full day. That is the same hull with a different booking length and a different date. The €137 half-day price for the Marinello 16 is labelled as the price for the shortest season, in May. In July or August the same half day costs more. A rate quoted without dates is a floor, not a promise for your week.
Who can take the helm and what to bring
Because there is no exam, the rules about who can drive are short. They are also strict: the operator checks them at the dock, and the boat does not leave if they are not met.
Age of the driver
The person at the helm must be at least 18. No licence or previous experience is needed. Younger passengers can come on board, but they cannot take the controls. If two adults want to share the driving, both should be over 18 and both should be present when the operator explains the boat.
Documents and the deposit
Operators ask for two things: an identity document and a credit card for the deposit. Without a credit card in the name of the person renting, the boat usually stays at the pontoon, so check this before you travel. A licence is asked for only on boats that need one; for licence-free boats there is nothing to show beyond your ID.
How many people fit
Seat numbers are fixed per boat: five on the Astec Fiber 450, six on the Trimarchi 53S, Remus 450, Silver 495 and Marinello 16. Children count as passengers. Six is a maximum, not a comfort level; with a cool box, bags and swimming gear, four or five adults on a five-metre boat is often the more pleasant number. The operator of the Marinello 16 says exactly that, recommending four or five.
Before you leave the dock
Since the driver has no training, the explanation at the pontoon matters. Ask the operator to show you the start and stop procedure, the engine kill cord, the anchor, the safety equipment and the boundary of the 2-mile zone on a chart or a phone map. Agree on the return time and on what happens if the wind picks up. These five minutes decide how relaxed the rest of the day will be.
Ports and the coastline within two miles
The Costa Brava is a long, broken coast, and a licence-free boat lets you see only the stretch around your departure point. Choosing the port is therefore choosing the coves you will reach.
Roses and its bay
Boats leave from the Port Esportiu de Roses. The coves operators there point to for short trips include Cala Jóncols, Cala Rostella, Cala Montjoi and the area around Cap Norfeu, on the rocky shore east of the town. What you cannot reach from Roses without a licence are the protected coves of the Cap de Creus Natural Park, such as Cala Guillola and Cala Culip: they lie beyond 2 miles from the port, and operators in Roses say plainly that licence-free boats do not get there.
L'Estartit, Begur and Calella de Palafrugell
Further south, licence-free boats start from L'Estartit, from the Begur coves of Aiguablava and Aiguafreda, and from Calella de Palafrugell. This is the part of the coast with small coves and pine-backed cliffs close together, so even within 2 miles there are several places to stop. The five-metre Marinello 16 for six is one of the boats based at L'Estartit.
Palamós and Empuriabrava
Palamós has a marina, Port Esportiu Marina Palamós, where the Trimarchi 53S and the Remus 450 are based. Empuriabrava, in the bay of Roses, has its own marina and a network of residential canals, and the Silver 495 starts from there. Demand for licence-free boats runs along the whole coast: Lloret de Mar, Blanes, Tossa de Mar, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, L'Escala and Cadaqués all have their own searches for them.
What two miles means on the water
Two nautical miles is about 3.7 km. The distance is measured from where you left, so the zone moves with your departure point: a boat from Roses explores the bay and the nearby capes, and a boat from L'Estartit or Begur explores its own stretch. If a particular cove matters to you, check its distance from the port before booking, and pick the departure point to match. A boat with a licensed skipper is the way to reach the places outside the zone.
What the price covers and what to ask
The rate for a licence-free boat is not always the full cost of the day. What is inside the price differs from one operator to the next, so compare inclusions, not just figures.
Items operators include
In Roses, operators list the following inside the price of their boats:
- a sunshade over the seats;
- port fees and VAT;
- insurance;
- the safety equipment on board;
- a cool box filled with ice.
On the starting-price boat there, petrol is included as well. That makes the €95 figure close to a complete price for a short booking.
What may be charged on top
Elsewhere the picture is different. The Marinello 16 at L'Estartit is offered with fuel not included and with comprehensive insurance that has an excess. That means two possible extras: the fuel you burn, and your share of any damage up to the excess. The deposit on your credit card is a third line: it is blocked for the day and released after the boat comes back undamaged. The amount of the deposit and the size of the excess differ by operator and boat, so ask for both figures in writing.
Five questions to ask before you pay
- Is fuel included, or charged by consumption on return?
- Is insurance included, and what is the excess?
- How much is the deposit, and when is it released?
- Are port fees and VAT inside the quoted price?
- What happens to the booking if the weather closes the sea?
An offer that answers all five is one you can compare with another. An offer that leaves two of them open is a starting figure, whatever it says.
No licence, a skipper, a licensed boat or a jet ski
A licence-free boat is the cheapest way to have a boat to yourself, but it is not the only one. Three other formats compete with it, and each one fixes a limit of the licence-free boat at an extra cost.
Four formats side by side
| Format | Who drives | Typical price | Range and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence-free boat, up to 5 m and 15 hp | You, 18+ | €170–€295 a full day; half day from €137 | 2 nautical miles, daylight only |
| Licence-free boat with a skipper | A professional skipper | Skipper €80 for half a day (4 h), €140 for a full day (8 h), on top of the boat | The skipper decides the route |
| Licensed boat, 6 m, 115 hp | You with a licence, or a skipper | from €195 and from €215 a day | Depends on the licence held |
| Jet ski | Instructor-led group without a licence; solo with a licence | Not priced on this page | Guided routes |
When a skipper is worth it
In Roses, a skipper costs €80 for a half day of 4 hours and €140 for a full day of 8 hours, and a skipper for a day in Roses typically comes to about €205. Adding a €140 skipper to a €229.50 licence-free day gives €369.50. For the same money you can have a larger licensed boat with a skipper, which goes beyond the 2-mile zone, for example to the Cap de Creus coves. If nobody in the group wants to drive, or if the coves you care about are out of range, that combination makes more sense than a licence-free boat.
What a licence adds
A navigation licence covers boats up to 6 metres, jet skis included. The next level, the PNB, covers boats up to 8 metres and up to 5 miles from the coast. The 6-metre boats with 115 hp start from €195 and €215 a day, so the step up from a licence-free boat at €170–€295 is not large in price. The difference is power and range: 115 hp against 15 hp, and more water to explore.
Jet ski or boat for a group
A jet ski without a licence on the Costa Brava means a guided outing with an instructor, on a route chosen for the group. It is a short, fast activity. A licence-free boat is the opposite: slow, for up to six people, with time to stop and swim. For a family or a group of friends who want a day in the coves, the boat is the format that fits.
Season, time slots and the points to remember
When you go affects both the price and whether you find a boat at all. The season on this coast is short and concentrated.
When boats are booked
About half of all boat bookings on the Costa Brava fall in July and August, at 52%. June accounts for 16%, April and May together for 14%, September for 12% and October for 6%. From November to March practically no boats are rented. That is why the cheapest rates in the table are low-season and May prices: early and late in the season the same boat costs less and is easier to get, while in July and August a date has to be fixed well in advance.
Time slots
Half days are sold as fixed slots. In Roses the morning slot runs from 9:30 to 13:30 and the afternoon slot from 15:00 to 19:00, four hours each. A full day covers both. Because licence-free boats may sail only in daylight, there is no evening extension past the light; plan the return so the boat is back at the pontoon on time.
What to put in a request
A request that gets a comparable answer names the date, the half-day slot or full day, the number of people including children, the departure port and whether you want fuel included. Add whether anyone in the group holds a licence: it opens up larger boats and a wider range at a similar price.
Five figures to keep in mind
- Entry price: from €95 for a 4.7 m, 15 hp boat for five, fuel included.
- Full day: €170–€295 on the market, from €229.50 in the low season.
- Per person: about €28–€57 a head for a full day with the boat full.
- Limits: 5 m, 15 hp, 2 nautical miles, daylight only, driver 18+.
- Season: 52% of bookings fall in July and August.