Mallorcan villa garden with low path lighting under a deep blue night sky

Guide · Dark-sky friendly lighting

Garden lighting that respects Mallorca’s night sky

One of the joys of the island is a sky full of stars. Good garden lighting and dark skies are not in conflict: the best gardens use less light, better placed.

Plan a dark-sky friendly garden

The law

Ley 3/2005: protecting the Balearic night.

The Balearic Islands’ Ley 3/2005, de 20 de abril, de protección del medio nocturno de las Illes Balears covers new outdoor lighting, both public and private, including the grounds of private buildings. Its aims include reducing sky glow and avoiding light intrusion into homes.

The law divides territory into zones from E1 (protected natural areas and places of astronomical value, where only minimal lighting is allowed) to E4. Its preamble names the Serra de Tramuntana and the Costitx observatory as areas of special value.

Luminaires that send more than 25% of their light upwards are prohibited, except for lighting of special interest.
Projectors aimed above the horizontal are prohibited, except for elements of special historical interest.
At night, lighting should be limited to safety, paths and activities actually taking place.
Detailed zoning, hours and limits are left to island councils and municipalities, so local rules can vary.

Source: consolidated text on the Spanish Official State Gazette (BOE-A-2005-8460). This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Check with your municipality and installer for the rules that apply to your property.

Good practice

Seven ways to light a garden without lighting the sky.

Aim down where you can

Path lights that throw light downwards, step lights and moonlighting from within trees all keep light on the ground.

Shield every uplight

Where trees or walls are uplit, use narrow beams, shields and honeycomb louvres and aim precisely at the target.

Use less output

Gardens are seen against darkness, so low output reads as bright. We set levels on commissioning night, not at full power.

Choose warm light

Warm white around 2700K, or amber for paths, is kinder to the night sky and wildlife than cool white.

Light only what you use

Divide the garden into zones and light the terrace and paths you are using, not the whole plot.

Switch off later in the night

App schedules turn decorative zones off at a set time and keep only safety lighting on.

Keep light on your own plot

Avoid fittings that spill across boundaries or into neighbours’ windows, which the law specifically aims to prevent.

Boardwalk with low recessed lights under umbrella pines at dusk

In practice

Less light, better placed, looks better.

The gardens that look most magical at night are rarely the brightest. A few shielded spotlights on the best trees, soft light on the paths and a warm terrace create far more atmosphere than floodlights, and they let the stars back in.

Smart systems help: with in-lite’s app you can dim zones and set the garden to switch off decorative lighting at midnight while path lights stay on until morning.

Explore in-lite smart control

Dark-sky lighting FAQs

Does the Balearic light pollution law apply to private gardens?

Yes. Ley 3/2005 covers private as well as public outdoor lighting, including the grounds of private buildings. How it is applied in detail depends on regulations from the island council and municipal ordinances, so local rules can differ.

Is uplighting trees banned?

The law prohibits projectors aimed above the horizontal and luminaires sending more than 25% of their light upwards, with specific exceptions. Carefully shielded, low-output lighting aimed at a tree, or moonlighting from above, keeps light on the target. Check local rules for your property.

Is the Serra de Tramuntana a protected dark-sky area?

The law names the Serra de Tramuntana as an area of special value for the night environment. Properties in or near protected natural areas should expect stricter limits.

What colour temperature should I choose?

The law does not set a colour temperature for private gardens, but warm white around 2700K, or amber for paths, is widely recommended to reduce sky glow and disturbance to wildlife.

Garden Lighting Centre