Abstract. A numerical study of the development and structure of the sea breeze in Mallorca is presented using a meso-<beta> numerical model. The model includes a detailed representation of the soil and vegetation processes. The study covers a diurnal cycle. The results show that the model reproduces the main known features of the circulation and new ones appear, which seem to have an appreciable effect on the circulation during the decay of the sea breeze. The orography and soil dryness have been identified as the main factors determining the structure of the breeze. Three more experiments have been performed in order to isolate the effect of each factor.