Light · 5 min read · Updated
When the light goes in Mallorca,month by month
A sunset table for 2027 and the rule that explains why the hour of the sun is not the hour of your light.
One question arrives late in almost every wedding on the island: at what time does the light leave your house, not Palma. The sunset time is a figure. What you experience in the garden at eight in the evening is something else.
The table gives the sunset in Palma on the 15th of each month of 2027, in local time, together with the azimuth: the direction on the horizon, measured in degrees from north, where the sun goes down.
| Date | Sunset in Palma | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|
| 15 March 2027 | 18:55 | 268° |
| 15 April 2027 | 20:25 | 283° |
| 15 May 2027 | 20:55 | 295° |
| 15 June 2027 | 21:17 | 302° |
| 15 July 2027 | 21:16 | 299° |
| 15 August 2027 | 20:47 | 289° |
| 15 September 2027 | 20:00 | 275° |
| 15 October 2027 | 19:11 | 260° |
Between June and October the sunset point moves 42 degrees: from 302°, towards the north-west, to 260°, towards the west-south-west. The same terrace faces a different evening depending on the month.
Local time and the clock change
Summer time begins on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. In 2027 that means 28 March and 31 October. The row for 15 March therefore still falls in winter time; all the others fall in summer time. If your wedding is in late March, check which side of the change it lands on.
The times in the table are an astronomical calculation for Palma at sea level; one year and the next differ by barely a minute or two. Our own calculation reproduces the table to within a minute or two.
The rule of six minutes per degree
The sun drops one degree roughly every six minutes. If a mountain rises 6 degrees above the horizon, the sun disappears about 35 minutes before the time in the table. A ridge of 1,000 metres at a distance of 10 km occupies roughly those 6 degrees.
The Serra de Tramuntana runs along the north-west coast of the island, between Sa Dragonera and Cap de Formentor. In summer, the sunset can fall over the range or beside it.
When golden light begins and how long twilight lasts
Sunset is not the most interesting moment. The light most sought for portraits comes earlier, when the sun is already low, and what remains after sunset lasts a few minutes more. To put times on it, we have calculated, for the same 15th of each month, when the sun rises, when it drops below 6 degrees above the horizon and when civil twilight ends: the stretch when the sun is up to 6 degrees below the horizon and there is still light to see by.
| Date | Sunrise | Golden light begins | Civil twilight ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 March 2027 | 07:01 | 18:20 | 19:23 |
| 15 April 2027 | 07:13 | 19:51 | 20:55 |
| 15 May 2027 | 06:36 | 20:18 | 21:27 |
| 15 June 2027 | 06:21 | 20:38 | 21:51 |
| 15 July 2027 | 06:34 | 20:37 | 21:48 |
| 15 August 2027 | 07:01 | 20:09 | 21:15 |
| 15 September 2027 | 07:30 | 19:23 | 20:26 |
| 15 October 2027 | 07:59 | 18:34 | 19:38 |
Reading the table from first line to last gives a useful regularity: from the start of golden light to the end of twilight a little over an hour passes, between 63 and 73 minutes depending on the month, and the sun sets 34 to 39 minutes after golden light begins. It is a short window and it does not repeat: keep that stretch free of other obligations.
Coast, valley and interior do not share the same evening
- The Tramuntana coast (Deià, Sóller, Banyalbufar): it lies on the far side of the range. The sun sets over the sea all summer, but the mountain blocks the morning. In Sóller or Fornalutx the light can go up to half an hour earlier.
- The southern interior (Montuïri, Porreres, Llucmajor): in autumn the sun usually sets clear of the range.
- An inland valley, such as Campanet: it loses the light sooner, because of the mountain in front of it.
Morning has its own light
The preparations, in a room with a large window, benefit from morning light. That light arrives late if there is a mountain to the east: in a house at the foot of the range, the sun rises above the ridge later than the table says. Ask the house at what time the sun enters the window of the room where you will get ready.
Two adjustments for the calendar
In August the table shows 20:47. With a mountain ahead, plan to leave the cocktail hour around 20:10, not 20:40. And on the west coast a westerly wind often rises late in the day: tall centrepieces fall and the veil moves. On the rain and wind plan B: what to settle in advance.
Ask the house, in writing, which way the cocktail space faces and what lies between that point and the horizon. With that answer and the table, you can calculate your own hour.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the sun set in Mallorca in June?
On 15 June 2027, at 21:17 in Palma. Civil twilight ends around 21:51.
How long does the evening light last?
From the start of golden light to the end of civil twilight takes between 63 and 73 minutes, depending on the month, and from sunset to the end of twilight, between 26 and 34 minutes.
Does the sunset time change from one year to the next?
Very little: for the same day, a minute or two. The difference that matters is the one the place introduces: the mountain in front of you.
Which month has the latest sunset?
June, with sunset at 21:17 on the 15th; July is almost identical, at 21:16. After that, sunset moves earlier by between half an hour and nearly fifty minutes each month.
What if my finca has a mountain in front?
Allow six minutes for each degree the mountain rises above your horizon and bring the cocktail hour forward accordingly. Ask the house to tell you, in writing, which way the space faces.
If you are planning a wedding in Mallorca, explore MAKERSWED's wedding photography and film collections, read the frequently asked questions or shape your story in three short questions.