I’ll be honest, I was skeptical about booking a holiday to Mallorca (or Majorca if you’re English). In fact, the first time I visited Mallorca the only reason I agreed to go was that my boyfriend at the time really wanted a beach holiday but was only able to get time off in May, and most of the other beach destinations in Europe would have still been too cold for swimming. Plus his mom’s partner used to live on Mallorca and promised us that there’s more to the island than big resorts.
I had only ever heard of Mallorca as a resort destination, and while resorts can be wonderful, I also always want to make sure I see more than a hotel on my vacation. I mean, if I was going to go to Spain, I wanted to feel like I was in Spain, you know?
But it turned out Tim was right about his old home, and by the end of my two weeks on the island, I realized that I might just be turning into one of those Norwegians who wants to holiday in Mallorca every year. And sure enough, I have since gone back to Mallorca several times! I’ve also written a guide for where to stay in Mallorca here.
I most recently visited Mallorca in October and the weather was again perfect – not too hot, but still warm enough to go swimming.
I hadn’t actually even planned to blog about my trip to Mallorca as it’s such a popular destination I assumed I wouldn’t have anything new to add to the Internet about it, but Mallorca surprised me so much that I thought maybe it could surprise some of you too. I now love this island so much and have lots of ideas and tips for what to do in Mallorca.
So if you’re interested in staying away from Mallorca’s resorts and experiencing the quieter (and more beautiful!) areas of the island, here are all of my favorite places and things to do in Mallorca:
Quick Mallorca Travel Guide
Mallorca Accommodation: Sant Francesc Hotel Singular and Nakar Hotel for luxury accommodation in Palma, and Mallorca Suites or Brondo Architect Hotel for mid-range hotels in Palma. Hotel Villa Sirena or Hostal Can Jordi in Cala Figuera. Hotel Solimar by Cala Mesquida Beach. Hotel La Vila or Gran Hotel Soller in Soller. I don’t recommend booking an Airbnb in Mallorca.
Top Mallorca Activities:
- Yacht cruise around Mallorca
- Hot air balloon flight over Mallorca
- Jet skiing in Mallorca
- Quad biking & cliff diving in Mallorca
- Coasteering in Mallorca
- Sea caving excursion in Mallorca
Mallorca car rental: compare Mallorca car rental rates here
Rent a car
It’s pretty easy to visit Mallorca without renting a car, as you can get buses and trains around the island and a lot of the big hotels will arrange a shuttle for you from the airport, but I’ve always chosen to rent a car in Mallorca so that I can explore off the beaten path a bit and easily access all the Mallorca’s beautiful beaches.
I rented from Auto Europe, which were the cheapest option when I looked. You can compare car rental prices in Mallorca here.
I think I spent about half my time on the island just driving around – not really intentionally, but every time I got in the car to go somewhere I ended up driving off route to explore narrow roads and small villages. And whenever I saw a sign for a beach I of course had to follow it, which led me to so many beautiful secluded beaches I wouldn’t otherwise have known about.
Car rental on Mallorca is quite cheap, but if it’s out of your budget or you don’t drive, I also picked up a few hitchhikers who told me that hitchhiking around Mallorca is incredibly easy. As in, you probably won’t have to wait longer than five minutes for a ride.
Spend a few days in Palma
My first stop on the island is always Mallorca’s capital city: Palma. I’ve only ever spent a few nights here, but I always regret not staying longer.
I love Spanish cities, and I really enjoy getting to experience a bit of Spanish city life while on a beach holiday.
I love that, aside from the very center, there aren’t too many tourists here (people generally aren’t visiting Mallorca for the cities), and walking through the neighborhoods makes me seriously consider replacing my Norwegian language books with Spanish ones.
In Palma I’ve stayed at the Mallorca Suites, which is really affordable and right in the city center. Another great option is the gorgeous Brondo Architect Hotel, also right in the center. And if you want to splurge, the Sant Francesc Hotel Singular looks absolutely incredible, as does the Nakar Hotel.
Also, for those that do want to see a little more of Palma, check out the many different tours around and near the city.
Hang out in Santa Catalina
Santa Catalina is my favorite neighborhood in Palma. This is where the fishermen used to live, and while the area is probably most popular for its huge indoor market, Mercat de Santa Catalina, Palma’s oldest food market, I just love wandering through the pretty streets and imagining what it would be like living in one of those apartments.
There are lots of lovely restaurants here too – I probably would come here for dinner every night if I were in Palma longer.
Take a hot air balloon ride over Mallorca
One of my favorite experiences I’ve ever had in Mallorca was taking this hot air balloon ride!
The ride lasts one hour and you can do it either at sunrise or sunset. I’m actually kind of scared of heights, but the hot air balloon ride was so smooth and peaceful I actually felt totally safe and comfortable in the balloon. Plus Mallorca is so stunning from above.
I’ve written more about my experience taking a hot air balloon in Mallorca here.
Spend a few nights in Cala Figuera
While Palma was the place on Mallorca I’d most like to live, my favorite place to come on vacation was definitely Cala Figuera.
Cala Figuera is a working fishing port and doesn’t have a beach, so it really feels tucked away from the tourist side of the island. I can imagine the village feeling different during the high season, but it was so quiet when I was there in mid-May. And now, maybe not everyone would consider this a positive thing, but the town was a bit rundown with several abandoned buildings that reminded me a lot of the Albanian coast.
And comparing any place to the Balkans is basically the highest praise I have.
I spent three nights in Cala Figuera and I could have happily stayed much longer. I stayed at Hostal Can Jordi, which has the best view out of all the places I’ve stayed on Mallorca. I loved looking out onto the water from the balcony and being woken up early in the morning by the fishing boats coming in with their catch.
Breakfast wasn’t included with my stay, but instead, I would buy pastries and coffee at the local supermarket which had tables set up outside like a small cafe. Hostel Can Jordi is also such good value – it was the cheapest place I’ve stayed on Mallorca yet one of the nicest. Check current rates and availability here
If you’re looking to stay somewhere a bit more upscale, Hotel Villa Sirena also looked really nice. It’s right on the water (ask for a room with a sea view!) and has a restaurant and pool. Check current rates and availability here.
Eat at La Petite Iglesia
There are several restaurants along the water that were quite lively at night, but my favorite restaurant was a few streets back from the water in an old church. La Petite Iglesia is run by the sweetest french couple and the food there was so, so good.
Visit a Mallorcan winery
While not much Mallorcan wine is exported, you might be pleasantly surprised by the local wine offering here. You can visit many of the vineyards for a wine tasting, including Bodegas José L. Ferrer, Bodegues Macià Batle, and Mallorca’s oldest winery Bodega Ribas.
Or to avoid drinking and driving this private wine tour picks you up at your hotel and takes you to two wineries and includes wine tastings and lunch.
Go sea caving
If you want a really cool adventure, you can go on this sea caving excursion. During the 5 hour excursion you’ll explore Mallorca’s most beautiful caves and get to see a totally different side to the island.
Coasteering on Mallorca’s cliffs
I’m way too scared to climb cliffs, and certainly to dive off of them, but if you’re braver than me this coasteering excursion looks so fun! And the views are truly epic. In fact maybe I will do this on my next Mallorca trip.
Spend a day out on the water
Why just admire the sea from land when you can get out on it? Mallorca offers tons of different boat cruises leaving from different parts of the island, like this yacht cruise.
Or you could go jet skiing! You don’t need any previous experience with this jet ski trip.
Explore the beaches in Mondrago Natural Park
I had so many favorite beaches on Mallorca that I’ve written an entire blog post detailing my favorites, but I’m going to mention the beaches in Mondrago Natural Park here as well because they were my favorite favorites.
The beach is beautiful, and it also just had a really great vibe. It was busy, but mostly with Spanish people (again, this might be different during the high season), it has a little shack selling drinks and sandwiches, and since it’s in a park there are no hotels or resorts by it.
Hike down to Calo des Moro
I wrote more about Calo des Moro, the prettiest beach I visited on Mallorca, in my post on the beaches, but I also wanted to mention in here because the hike down to the beach was so beautiful. If you visit this beach, definitely work in some time to hike around the surrounding cliffs as well!
See Es Pontàs – Mallorca’s version of the Azure Window
Es Pontàs is a big natural arch in the water that looks kind of like the Azure Window that recently collapsed on Malta. It’s right by Cala Figuera and worth visiting if you’re in the area.
Eat lunch in Santanyi
Mallorca really does seem to have two completely different sides to it – the resort towns that are full of huge hotels, English pubs, and souvenir shops, and the lovely little Spanish towns and villages where you’ll struggle a bit if you don’t speak any Spanish (hello, that’s me).
While staying in Cala Figuera, I accidentally drove through Colonia Sant Jordi, a big resort town, and it was so grim. Or at least, it was so not somewhere I wanted to be. But then I drove through Santanyi and immediately fell back in love with Mallorca. Santanyi has a lovely square with little restaurants and cafes and is the perfect place for a quiet stop for lunch or coffee.
Spend a few nights in Colonia de Sant Pere
Colonia de Sant Pere was the most “holiday-y” place I’ve stayed on the island – my hotel even had a pool!
Colonia de Sant Pere has lovely views and a good beach holiday feel without being crowded or bland. I’m actually surprised this town isn’t more popular – the mountain backdrop made the beach all the more lovely, and there were lots of seaside restaurants to choose from at night.
I loved the hotel I stayed at here, Hotel Solimar. It has a beautiful garden and pool and the woman running it was really, really nice. She only speaks Spanish and German (maybe a little English too) so I communicated in German, and she was very eager to help my friends and me enjoy our time in Mallorca.
I also loved the breakfast here, probably because it was just like a German breakfast and the Germans really do know how to breakfast. We ate outside in the garden every morning and if I had just wanted a quiet beach/pool holiday I could have happily stayed here the entire time. Check current rates and availability for Hotel Solimar here
Or at least watch the sunset from Colonia de Sant Pere
Mallorca has some amazing sunsets, and the nicest I saw were from Colonia de Sant Pere. I only managed to get a picture of it on my phone, but it still looks so pretty:
And eat at Restaurant Es Mollet
Colonia de Sant Pere has a lot of quite fancy restaurants that while not too expensive still felt a little too upscale for my tastes, but then my friends and I stumbled on a lovely local restaurant right across from the port, Restaurant Es Mollet.
No one spoke English there and my Spanish is just French with a Spanish accent, so they ended up just choosing dishes for us and they were so good. But aside from the food, I really just loved people watching here, as it seemed to be a bit of a hang out for locals. Everyone seemed to know each other and kept switching tables – eating here sort of felt like being at a wedding.
Have an ice [cream] coffee in Petra
I think just about all of the tourists I saw on Mallorca were German. I don’t know if I just happen always to hang out in the German areas or if all the Germans in the world holiday on Mallorca while I’m there, but it was pretty crazy!
But one of the things I loved about there being so many German tourists around was that a lot of the cafés serve “ice coffee,” which in most of the world means coffee served over ice, but in Germany means coffee served with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream in it. At least, I think this was because of the Germans – or is it a Spanish thing too?
Regardless, I loved it. I’m not the biggest coffee connoisseur (I like my cup about half coffee, half milk) so adding ice cream to it makes me really happy. So yum.
I had this a few times, but the best was in Petra, probably because it’s just a totally random village in the middle of the island whose lack of anything special made it really special.
Take a quad biking excursion
If you’re up for an adventure, take a quad biking trip around the island. At the end you can even go cliff diving!
Drive up to the Cap de Pera Lighthouse
One of my favorite drives on Mallorca was the drive up to the Cap de Pera Lighthouse, even though all the twists and turns made me really carsick. The views were well worth the nausea! (At least, I decided they were once the nausea subsided.) There are a lot of hikes near here, as well as small beaches, and it’s a popular place to watch the sunset.
Stop in Montuiri – or any other random villages you pass by
I loved all the tiny villages on Mallorca, with their steep hills, narrow streets, and quiet squares. One of my favorites was Montuiri, I think just because there was nothing to do here besides admire the pretty views.
Have an evening drink or meal in the Arta town square
Gemma and I had dinner in Arta after our hot air balloon ride was rescheduled due to bad weather, and we agreed that we were so happy the hot air balloon ride was rescheduled, because it meant we got to see the lovely town. Arta has lots of pretty winding lanes and it feels a bit upscale, with many lovely boutiques and restaurants.
Spend a few nights in the mountains in Sóller
I spent four nights at the incredible Hotel La Vila in Sóller, a town near Mallorca’s west coast.
Sóller is up in the mountains and we had actually intended this to be the mountain portion of our trip, with lots of hiking, but I guess Dan and I have become more Norwegian than we realized – all we wanted to do was lie in the sun on the beach! It’s so weird – I don’t really tan and have always gotten bored quickly when lying on the beach, but this holiday in the sun felt so good. I guess I really am deprived of it here in Norway!
So while Dan did manage to wake up for a sunrise hike in the surrounding mountains, I didn’t go on any hikes at all, and while staying here we just kept driving across the island to sandy beaches. Whoops. I’m still really glad we spent some time in Sóller though because the mountains really are beautiful, and the town center is lovely.
Sóller probably has the prettiest town square I saw on Mallorca, complete with an old wooden tram that runs through the town and down to the port.
We also drove down to check out Port de Sóller, but I really didn’t like it – it just seemed like it was full of fancy holiday homes. So I’d definitely recommend staying in Sóller over Port de Sóller if you have the option.
Take the train from Palma to Sóller
If you aren’t renting a car, you could instead take the old wooden train that connects Palma to Sóller. It was originally used to transport citrus fruit from the Sóller valley to the capital, and leaves from its own train station (right by the main train and bus station in Palma) and the journey is supposed to be really scenic. Apparently sometimes there’s even a photo stop included.
Drive down to Sa Calobra – the most beautiful drive in Mallorca
Oh my goodness guys, this road.
I drove down to Sa Calobra for the beach, but the road down there was the true highlight. I don’t know how many hairpin turns it has, but it’s like Trollstigen on steroids. Like, Norway is pretty famous for its hairpin roads but I’ve never seen anything like the road to Sa Calobra here.
It was really hard to capture in photos (partly because I was too scared to get close to the edge) so you will just have to go to Mallorca and drive this road for yourself.
And if the views from the drive aren’t amazing enough for you, the beach at the bottom is incredible. So many reasons to go there. So go!
Drive from Sóller along the west coast – but stop before you hit Magaluf!
After leaving Sóller we drove down the west coast, and wow was it beautiful. The beaches here are mostly rocky so a lot of the coastline was pretty deserted – at least until you get a little too close to Magaluf, England’s favorite resort destination.
Visit the public health clinic in Pollença
Lol okay, you don’t really need to do this while on Mallorca.
But when I visited Mallorca with Dan he had a large graze on his leg that had become infected and so we had to make two trips to the public health clinic in Pollença, and I was so impressed! I think our total wait time was under 2 minutes each visit, and he left with an armful of creams, bandages, and a prescription for antibiotics. He only had to pay for the prescription, which cost 2 euros.
The whole experience made me 1. super grateful for my European health card (thank you, Norway) and 2. even more exasperated with the US health system. Like, why??
Also, Pollença is really beautiful and we had a lovely lunch in the town square, so maybe consider visiting even if you don’t need to see a doctor. And the mountain road from Pollença to Sóller is spectacular!
Go for a coffee and a walk in Deia
Deia is so lovely. Deia might actually be too lovely. It also happens to be a favorite haunt of a bunch of rich and famous artist types, largely thanks to Robert Graves making it his home in the 1930s.
It’s funny, because when I read about Deia it was described as the perfect escape from the resort side of Mallorca. Deia is part of “the other Mallorca,” Google told me. And I definitely did get the feeling that there are two totally different Mallorcas – at least until I got to Deia, when I decided that there might actually be three Mallorcas.
There’s the tourist resort side, and then there are the quiet Spanish towns and villages. But then there are also places like Deia, away from the tour bus routes, but also filled with foreigners. A lot of the villages we drove through along the west coast were like this – beautiful, with no signs of chain hotels, but also very fancy.
What I’m saying is, I wasn’t too surprised to hear that some of these villages were favorite hideaways of millionaires. I appreciated visiting, but they felt a tiny bit artificial and weren’t my favorite places to hang out.
Tour the Son Marroig Mansion
Speaking of wealth in Deia, you can even take a tour of the Son Marroig medieval mansion built on top of a steep hillside with epic views out over the water. In the 19th century it was acquired and remodelled by Archduke Ludwig Salvatore of Austria and now houses a museum where you can learn more about the Archduke and the property.
See the terraces in Banyalbufar
Banyalbufar is another town popular with foreign artists. It’s worth stopping here to see the terraces going into the water. Apparently the Moors built these terraces for their vineyards, but now they’re mostly just growing vegetables. There’s also a beach at the bottom of them that seriously tempted me to get covered in saltwater before my flight to London.
Stop for photos at Torre del Verger
The tower itself isn’t so spectacular, but the views from Torre del Verger sure were!
Visit the Santuari de Lluc
Dating back to the 13th century, the Santuari de Lluc is Mallorca’s most important holy site and a pilgrimage meeting point. You can tour the beautiful Basilica, as well as a small museum and the surrounding botanical gardens. The Santuari de Lluc is also set in northern Mallorca’s Tramuntana Mountains, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offer many hiking opportunities.
And if you want you can even spend the night here right in the Santuari. Check current rates and availability here.
Have you been to Mallorca? Do you have anything to add?
Annika says
The ice cream coffee thing is actually Italian 🙂 we call it “affogato”, which means “drowned” (because you “drown” the ice cream in coffee). It’s popular in Germany though, possibly because a lot of Germans holiday in Italy? (especially in my area – Northern Italy)
Silvia says
Ooh I have had affogato before but I always thought of it as a dessert – I think the one I had was just an espresso poured over ice cream, not a cup of coffee with ice cream in it. That makes sense though! In fact I went to northern Italy on holiday with my host family while living in Germany.
Rosie says
It looks so beautiful! Like you, I have never considered Mallorca as somewhere I’d want to go because I just think of the resorts and it’s reputation as a “brits on holiday” mess, but wow is it beautiful. If you liked Mallorca, you might like it’s neighbour Menorca too. My Dad has been there a few times and loves it, it’s supposed to be a bit quieter than Mallorca too, not that it seems to matter too much because it looks like you had a peaceful time anyway.
Silvia says
Yeah I was so surprised not to see any Brits at all, though maybe they were just all at the resorts, haha. I would love to see Menorca as well someday!
Aleesha says
I was actually kind of surprised when I saw on Instagram that you were in Mallorca because I thought it was just for resort vacations. But now I understand why you went and why you loved it! I might need to visit too now!
Silvia says
Ha yeah I was actually almost embarrassed to tell people I was going to Mallorca, but I was so wrong about it!
Nynke says
This post is so long that I haven’t even managed to read half of it during short work breaks, but I can tell that my bucket list is about to get longer yet again! (also, oooh that azure+turquoise sea water… I have looked at all the pictures!). Typo alert: only one fisherman in Santa Catalina?
Silvia says
Haha I know, I couldn’t believe how long this post became, especially considering that I hadn’t even planned on blogging about Mallorca! And thanks for the typo alert – I think there were certainly more than one fisherman…
Pat Weir says
Please don’t tell people about Colonia Sant Pierre, we like it quiet. Es Mollett is a great restaurant though and their pizzas are highly recommended.
The locals also love El Pescador, just up the street, no views but a warm welcome all year round.
Silvia says
Haha hopefully I didn’t accidentally send floods of tourists to you guys. I will have to check out El Pescador next time I visit!
Lauren says
Thanks for all the useful info! I will be visiting for the first time this weekend.
Since moving to Switzerland it seemed like an easy beach getaway. I also appreciate your referenced to Robert Graves as the pinnacle of hip. 😉
Silvia says
Hope you have an amazing time!
Bob Collins says
My wife a I going to visit Mallorca the 1st week of Oct. We are from the US, and love to travel, but being typical of Americans we don’t speak a foreign language I’m sorry to say. Do you think we’ll have much trouble? We are staying at a beautiful hotel on a cliff over looking the Portos Soller. Called Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa. I know it may not be a place you my have wanted go go, but it looks fantastic and we appreciate your blog. We rented a car and are anxious to see your recommendations. Thanks Bob & Judy
Silvia says
You will definitely be fine with just English. I don’t speak any Spanish and my boyfriend only speaks the tiniest bit, so we were pretty much getting around with just English as well. Your hotel sounds beautiful – I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time in Mallorca!
Craig says
Really enjoyed reading this blog Silvia, it looks like you had a great time in Mallorca and managed to do so much! One of the things i love about Mallorca is that there are always new surprising things to discover – you have now given me a few new ones to add to the list! Thank you! Hope you do manage to return soon to find more. 🙂
Silvia says
So true – I imagine there’s so much more to discover on Mallorca!
Torres says
Hi Silvia, We are travelling to Mallorca at the end of December around Christmas time. I was wondering if you had to get an international driving license there. By the way, your pictures are awesome.
Silvia says
I believe you do need an international driving license for Spain. I doubt anyone will check it, but it’s probably better to be on the safe side!
Pedro says
Hello Silvia, congratulations for your blog, it’s beautiful. I was born in Mallorca and I love seeing people like you who talk about our island. In reference to the driving license, if you have your license the European Union shield, you will not have any problem. The month of December is for me the ideal month to visit the Island of Mallorca. Because there are not many people and because everything is green. It is not very cold, but there is enough humidity. I have passed my information in case you can send me a personal email. Thank you very much and congratulations on your blog
Saana | Live now – dream later says
Look at that, I was exploring the almighty internet for my soon-to-be-published post about Palma de Mallorca and ended up on your blog! 🙂 So I thought I should say hi. It was great to see you and chat at the Matka Travel Fair last weekend. I hope you had a great time in Finland. P.S. The drive to Sa Calobra was indeed stunning, especially with snow on the roads and summer tires. I had a little road trip in Mallorca at the start of December, and now I’m dying to get back there in the summertime to hike Torrent de Pareis.
Izzy says
Oh my gosh these all look simply amazing – most do allll of these, I think I may be in love with Mallorca! And I think I’ve just become even MORE excited about my holiday (I literally didn’t know this was possible). So me and my husband are going to Mallorca (at least we think it’ll end up being Mallorca) for a romantic getaway – it’s long overdue and we’re so excited for it. We haven’t figured out where we’re staying though yet so this is so so helpful! I’m a sucker for anything luxurious and as it’s a special treat my husband has said the sky’s the limit for choosing where we stay (the phrase every woman wants to hear). I was actually looking at earlier at going here which looks BEAutiful: http://www.berkeleytravel.co.uk/resorts/st-regis-mardavall/. Do people know if this is this meant to be a good place to stay? I liked the look of it but thought I’d do a bit of research before booking anything first? Any other recommendations people have at all though would be massively appreciated too! Anywhere in Spain is great though – whether it’s Mallorca or Madrid or anywhere literally! Myself and my husband love exploring so we’re open to absolutely any suggestions! Thank you everyone!
Andrew Lark says
Hi Silvia,
Wonderful blog! Thank you for sharing your experiences. Karen and I are going to Mallorica in September 2018 for a former exchange students wedding, and we like to at least be able to speak the language at even a rudimentary level. I understand that native Malloricans speak in Catalan as opposed to Spanish, but then another person told me, “not true.” Do you have any insight on this? I don’t want to do a full immersion in Spanish only to learn that I should have learned Catalan!
destinie mellgren says
Ahh I am going in September for my 1-year anniversary and you have me so excited! Thank you for this post. Looking forward to exploring those windy roads, and thanks for confirming to rent a car. Did you find parking difficult?
Silvia says
We didn’t have any problems finding parking!
Sarah says
I’m so glad I found this post! We’re headed to Mallorca in about 2 weeks and it was really helpful to figure out some cool things to do and check out. Hopefully we can get by with English and some German 😉 Thanks for the info!
KB says
Really helpful and lovely article. Thanks for writing it! I’m going here and have the same hatred of resort towns as you!
Silvia says
So happy you found it helpful! There’s definitely loads to do there beyond the resorts, don’t worry 🙂
Helen says
Hey,
Just wanted to say a big thank you for this blog post. I went to Mallorca with my partner a couple of weeks ago, and we did a few of the things you suggest, super glad we did! We were staying on the East of the island, didn’t see much of the west – perhaps another trip needed! But it was so nice to have some recommendations of places to go to – I’m with you on the whole resort holiday, and the thought of sitting my a pool for a whole week is so boring!
The view from the lighthouse.. stunning!!
Sunset and Colonia de Sant Pere, amazing, we sat in the Gaudi bar for the late afternoon with a cocktail or two and waiting for the sun to set.
We ate at La Petite Iglesia – such a lovely find. The setting in a church, the family run business, complete with the cutest little girl helping as waitress. I was a little disappointed they didn’t have the ribs you mentioned, but still, what I had was lovely. And we were joined by a couple of geckos running up and down the walls of the building, so cool to watch.
I also feel the cathedral in Palma is worth a mention, its pretty impressive from the outside, but inside is stunning, the stained glass windows are incredible.
Thanks,
Helen 🙂
Silvia says
Oh I’m so happy it proved helpful for you!
Jennifer Grey says
The ethereal beauty of Majorca Island is truly amazing, from historic towns and traditional towns to glorious beaches, the destination is truly fantastic. I really enjoyed reading the article. This really helps me when I plan a vacation to Majorca with family next year.
Helen says
Such great information, thank you! Silvia, I will be there Aug 4-8 and will be staying in Binisalem. What would you recommend as absolute musts for those of us who don’t have the two week luxury 😉 Thank you!
Jayne Tolan says
A lovely read. We go to Mallorca A LOT, and never tire of it. I used to turn my nose up if someone suggested it, but we have been going for years now.
Your blog has given me fresh ideas, along with nostalgic memories. We go again next week and as a family are looking forward to the beautiful food, countryside, beaches, vibes etc.
a shame us Brits give such a bad impression to our neighbouring friends, we are not all the same.
Julie says
Absolutely lovely! As a passionate Mallorca-lover I definitely enjoyed your blog and your fresh ideas. The quality and composition of your photos are really astonishing by the way!! What kind of camera did you use for these beautiful pictures? I’m looking for a new one and I find it hard to determine which one I should (or shouldn’t) pick, could you perhaps give me some tips? 🙂 Curious to read more about your travels! Kind regards and keep up the good work!
Maggie says
I absolutely love Mallorca! My home away from home in west Chester Pennsylvania USA! My grandfather came to America when he was 16 and retired as a well known chef in Philadelphia. He returned to Mallorca with my grandmother, my mom and aunt in 1960. He is buried there. I will be leaving on 8/22 with my mom to see our family and friends. I have been to Mallorca many many times and love it with all my heart. Your blog report is so on point. I took notes of some places you mentioned that I will visit this trip! Americans are definitely visiting more and the Germans love Mallorca along with many European people that vacation there. Thanks for your info!
JDC says
I am planning a Trip to Mallorca Next month an’s this articles was Really useful.
Pedro Bellido says
Thank you for sharing this, it has given me a lot of inspiration!
What a beautiful place!
Monica says
Yesterday we were in Pollenca. We were really impressed by the beauty of this city. All these beautiful little shops invite to stay longer and enjoy the dolce vita.
Zoe Morkowski says
great article apart from your snotty attitude regarding brits
Silvia says
Sorry you got that impression – I was traveling with my British boyfriend so maybe you misunderstood my loving sarcasm?
Simone says
Hi Silvia, not sure if you would still answer in this post, since it’s old, but I found your guide very helpful in choosing what will be our baby moon (irk, that’s a thing now apparently). My husband and I are used to travel like you guys and like to move around, but I don’t think that will be a smart move being so pregnant at the time, so my question is if we stay in Palma, will it still be possible to drive to a lot of the sites and beaches on the east and west coast and go back every day or is the drives too long??
Thank you in regards, Simone
Barcos says
Yes you can get pretty much anywhere in Mallorca within an hour, its a small Island and the traffic isn’t bad. There are some nice places outside Palma though, so don’t feel you need to stay there
Mort says
Ya, I guess you could drive everywhere all the time! That sounds more like the lifestyle to take a vacation from, not to! Returning to Palma every night sound more like a nightmare than a vacation! And, one hour to anywhere on the island … maybe if you’re a race car driver!
Ibiza Barco Alquiler says
Palma is an excellent choice for a relaxed base, especially during pregnancy. The island is relatively small, and most sites and beaches on the east and west coasts are within a 1–1.5-hour drive from Palma. Day trips are absolutely doable and give you plenty of flexibility to return to your accommodation without feeling rushed. On the west coast, stunning spots like Valldemossa, Deià, and Sóller are less than an hour away, offering picturesque views and charming villages. For the east coast, beaches like Cala Millor, Cala Ratjada, and Cala Mondragó can be reached within 1–1.5 hours and are perfect for a peaceful getaway. If you’re feeling adventurous, the southeast coast, including Cala d’Or or Cala Figuera, is slightly further but still manageable as a day trip.
Shanky says
Hi Silvia,
Great post! I planned trip with my best friend from school who will fly in from Canada and due to work we will only do a 3 day trip. Could you suggest the top places to visit for your taste because I feel I concur with all your choices 🙂
Also, one question, you mentioned you are thankful for your European Health Card. Do you mean the insurance because I didn’t know one could get it for entire EU (or something like that) I stay in Germany and have a health insurance but when I travel I should separately always buy a travel insurance.
Bohemiana says
We will be in Spain for a few months this summer but only have one week not booked up. Would one week be enough to stay in Palma and one other place? If you only had one week, how would you split it up?
George says
Excellent what I’ve been looking for! Needed some motivation before booking a trip to Mallorca and your article helped me a lot. I plan to spend actually a few days in (and around) Palma. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Pauline Travels says
I love this information!! What a great blog post!! will pin it! I just booked my tickets for a four-day trip. What would you recommend to do in this short time? My plan was to stay in Palma, and then move around in day time. I will be traveling solo. Any recommendations?
Pete says
Well worth renting a car to get around the island, however, opt for the smallest vehicle you can manage with – parking can be a nightmare in the height of summer!
Marcel says
Hello Pete,
A good idea to avoid the inconvenience of getting parking is to rent a private transport service, I did it through this website: http://www.mytourstransfer.com and it was a good solution. Besides the driver was very kind and took us to places that we had not planned.
Oleg says
Greetings,
I was in Mallorca last December and did some of the suggestions in this article.
Wonderful advices.. and a great article.
Regards,
Oleg
Ramon says
As a native of the island I can say that you have visited absolutely the best of my island. I really liked your post. I don’t know very well how I got here, but I hope to find you again in the future.
Keep it up!
Corinne Brewer says
I am so glad I came across your blog. Perfect timing as we are heading to Majorca, next week for my husband’s 60th birthday and you have given us a lot of ideas. We were also a bit skeptical about going to Majorca with all the drunken British, but like you we were looking for somewhere warm and nice beaches. You have reassured us and are now really looking forward to discovering this beautiful slice of paradise. Thank you
Bielle says
I visited Mallorca 2 years ago and I absolutely fell in love with Valdemossa. Mallorca was by far my fave stop on my trip to Europe.
C. Aben says
We came back yesterday and we followed a few of your instructions and they were beautiful!
We rented a car at ‘rentalcars’ but that site sended us thrue to ‘Goldcar’
NEVER, I say NEVER go in business with that criminal organization! (check Google) We had to pay € 220,- extra for things as insurance wich we already payed online.
The two most beautiful days were the ride ( and swim) from Valldemossa, Deiá, Sollér to Sa Calobra, what a ride!
❤️
The second was our expedition 🙂 to Caló Des Moro, a piece of heaven on earth!
So we would like to thank you for your advises, it made our holiday great!
Cyril & Ivanka
Nick Jonas says
Fascinating blog with gorgeous clicks! Mallorca has amazing places to visit, from the vibrant capital city of Palma to neighborhood Santa Catalina. Watching the beautiful sunset from Colonia de Sant is indeed a unique experience and inspires me to go and enjoy that moment. Thanks a lot for the plentiful information.
Manolo says
Great blog with excellent quality photos. Overall very helpful. We are going there this coming May and were not sure where to stay as we are travelling with a 2yr old and don’t want to be confined to a costal resort or a super touristic place. We opted for Binissalem as a base to explore the north/Palma and then finish our stay with a few days in Cala Figuera.
Holly says
love, love , love Mallorca. Superb beaches and cleanest diving water in my opinion. Even the resorts seem very family friendly. Thanks for your experiences…you have rekindled a desire to return to the ‘sunshine island’.
arena travel says
“And comparing any place to the Balkans is basically the highest praise I have.” – totally agree!
But I’m curiuos – why do you like the Balkans so much?
Where in the Balkans have you been?
Catalina says
I hope, This summer l am lucky to travel to Mallorca and other Spanish cities. Now l need to fins some time and to put into my list your ideas) thank you a lot!
Travel tips and hacks says
Thank you for this informative article. I have shared it on my Twitter account.
Hopefully, some of my friends and family will pay you a visit ….
not personally 🙂
Suzie says
Silva,
Do you have a similar article for Ibiza?
Thank you.
Suzie
Claire says
Hi Silva, I know you said rental cars.com, but which company did you use? We’re really put off by all the horror stories so looking for a positive recommendation!
Thanks.
Anik says
Hi! Thank you so much for this post!!! I’m going to Mallorca this September, and I took so many notes from this 🙂 I was wondering, I’m torn between staying in Cala Figuera (simply based off your wonderful recommendation of your accommodation), or Port de Soller (or Soller). I am planning on having a rental car, and am concerned with the difficulty in parking at either location. Do you have any insights? Thank you!
Silvia says
I really loved staying in Soller and don’t remember having difficulty parking there! I liked Soller more than Port de Soller.
Jen Deitsch says
We’re planning our honeymoon and so glad I came across your blog this morning! I’ve been eyeing Mallorca for awhile, but like you, am also concerned about it filled with wild brits and feeling too commercialized. We’re getting married in August (we’re in the US) which is probably the worst time to go for all of those reasons, but after reading your post, I’m feeling like we can find somewhere off the beaten path to stay and then drive/bike around the island! Thanks so much for your post!
Jim Fatka says
HI Silvia,
Thanks for your detail-filled and personal descriptions of Mallorca.
My wife and I have 2-3 weeks in late September and early October to
spend on the island. Would you suggest 5/6 places to find lodging to
use for 3 or 4 days of exploration in each area? Would it be better
to stay longer in some areas than others? All that you describe is
wonderful; we slightly prefer out-of-the-way places with beaches, mountains, and
scenery to cities. Thanks for your help. And again, thanks for your excellent article.
scenery
Doug says
Thank you for the great tips! Why do you not recommend Airbnb’s in Mallorca?
Silvia says
Most Airbnbs are owned by foreign operators, so staying at an Airbnb doesn’t support the local economy, and often harms it. A friend of mine also ended up having to pay 2,000 euro in fake damages because the host claimed they had damaged the furniture (they hadn’t) and Airbnb almost always sides with the host in these cases. Apparently Airbnb scams like that are quite common here.
Matt says
This guide to Mallorca offers a refreshing look at the island beyond the typical resort experience. The suggestions for exploring local villages, enjoying scenic drives, and engaging in outdoor activities provide a well-rounded perspective of what Mallorca has to offer. It’s helpful to see recommendations that cater to different interests, from nature enthusiasts to those seeking cultural experiences. The emphasis on discovering the island’s authentic charm is appreciated. This has certainly given me some ideas for planning a more immersive trip to Mallorca.