Holiday on the island of Mallorca

Would you like to go on a summer vacation combined with relaxation by the sea? Then go to the popular Mallorca, which belongs to Spain and is the largest island of this country. 

Mallorca in a nutshell

• Mallorca is the largest Spanish island falling into Balearic Islands with an area of ​​3 km².
• It lies in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea about 200 km from Barcelona (as the crow flies), by ferry it is approximately 7 hours of sailing (more in the How to get to Mallorca section).
• The official name in both Spanish and Catalan is Mallorca, but you can also come across the forms "Mallorca" or "Mallorca".
• Along with Menorca, Ibiza a Formentera make up part of the Balearic Archipelago, one of the 17 autonomous communities of Spain.
• Less than a million permanent residents live on the island, but during the summer their number practically doubles thanks to tourists.
• You can spend several beautiful days in Mallorca just resting on the beach or rent a car and for the same time her to travel criss-crossingly.
• the reason is a huge number of places worth visiting. And it doesn't matter if you prefer nature, monuments or even modern amusement parks (more in the section What to do and see in Mallorca).
• Tourism brought the island of Mallorca excellent infrastructure and quality of services. Although some localities are literally overwhelmed by the number of tourists in the summer, luckily you can visit here thanks to the stable weather for the rest of the year, and there are even places where you can simply avoid the ever-present crowds. 
• You can get to Mallorca easily from Barcelona by ferry (search for tickets).

What are you interested in? Things to do and see in Mallorca - Tips for beautiful and interesting cities - What to do with children? - Weather and when is the best time to go to Mallorca - How to get to Mallorca - Transport in Mallorca - Where to stay or my hotel tips

What to do and see during your holiday in Mallorca? These are the best sights and attractions you can't miss

Dragon Cave

To the Dragon Cave (Cuevas del Drach) at the resort of Porto Cristo, every tourist guide will warn you. In short, this place belongs to the biggest attractions of Mallorca. Therefore, prepare not only for a nice experience, but also for a lot of people.

Nature in the local caves conjured up a wonderful spectacle in the form of stalactites, spacious halls and the remarkable Lake Martel. It is considered among other things to be one of the largest underground water bodies in the world. In addition to a sightseeing circuit and a boat ride on the lake, people mainly added a breathtaking music and light show to it. More information >>>

Calobra Bay

If you want to experience really interesting swimming, go to the romantic Calobra bay on the northwest coast. It hides among the rocky escarpments of the Serra de Tramuntana, just a few kilometers as the crow flies from its highest mountain, Puig Major (1 m).

In reality, however, you can get to it either by boat from the port of Port de Sóller, by a difficult hiking trail (only for trained tourists!), or by car/bus from the Gorg Blau reservoir. The steep ascent and especially the descent along the narrow road full of switchbacks, including the 180-degree turn Nus de sa Corbata with an underpass, is worth it.

Calobra Bay has two parts. The road ends at the first one and you will find a parking lot, a boat mooring, a restaurant and a small beach. You walk along the sidewalk, partly led through an illuminated tunnel, to the other part – to a beautiful beach made of small stones, enclosed by a steep ravine and refreshed by a mountain stream in addition to the waves.

Cape Formentor

Formentor is a narrow and distinctive peninsula with sharp cliffs up to 200 m high. It stretches from the resort of Port de Pollença for about 13 km into the Mediterranean Sea. At its end, Cape Formentor is the northernmost point of mainland Mallorca. You can only get there by bus. There is a large lighthouse on it, refreshments with toilets and a viewpoint from which you can see Menorca, 50 km away.

In addition to the trip to the cape, try a walk to Boquer Bay at the beginning of the peninsula. It will take about an hour to walk along the paved road from the roundabout at Bocchoris Street on the outskirts of Port de Pollença, but you will be rewarded with a wonderful beach with clear water and wild nature all around.

Historic train and tram ride from Palma de Mallorca to Soller

In a historic train from 1912, you will travel along the Carrer d'Eusebi Estada north of the city on a monorail. Near the village of Bunyola, the landscape begins to rise sharply and you will pass through a 3 km long tunnel under the peaks of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. After overcoming a significant descent through the serpentine, you will arrive in the town of Sóller, where you can transfer to the cute historic Tramvía de Sóller and continue to Port de Sóller.

Swimming and beaches

A lot of people go to Mallorca primarily for one purpose: they want to enjoy the sea, the local beaches and the great service of one of the local tourist resorts. If you are one of them, take a look at list of the 5 best beaches in Mallorca. 

More tips for interesting nature in Mallorca

Albufera Natural Park – a natural park full of wetlands, streams and islets starts right behind the resort of Platja de Muro in the north of the island. Thanks to the marked routes, you can see a large part of it and watch the nesting birds from the observatories.

Mondragó Natural Park – the core of the natural park between the resorts of Porto Petro and Calla Figuera in the south is the almost iconic Cala Mondragó beach. Due to the number of people, it is worth going here either as early as possible in the morning or outside the high season.

Mount Puig de San Salvador – perhaps Mallorca's most famous mountain, although at 510 m it is nowhere near the highest. It is a place of pilgrimage with the former Santuari de Sant Salvador monastery, an impressive stone cross on one side of the peak and a statue of Jesus Christ on the other. It offers incredible views of the sea and the entire island and you can find it near the town of Felanitx.

Cabrera National Park – South of Mallorca, about 5 km from the Salines lighthouse, the imaginary boundaries of the Archipiélago de Cabrera Marine National Park begin. This is the only national park of the Balearic Islands. Its basis is the uninhabited islet of Cabrera (or Goat Island) and the surrounding sea with an area of ​​100 km2. Rare birds live here on land, and dolphins, killer whales, whales and a whole host of cetaceans roam the water. Boats leave here from the port in Colónia de Sant Jordi.

Tips for cities to visit in Mallorca

Palma de Mallorca

The city of Palma de Mallorca, as one of the main gateways to Mallorca, is literally the pearl of the Mediterranean. I recommend spending at least a day here and exploring all the beauties that this metropolis has to offer. Here you will find the impressive La Seu Cathedral, the historic Almudaina Palace, the picturesque historic center, beaches headed by Playa de Palma and plenty of places to sample excellent Spanish cuisine. More about the city of Palma de Mallorca >>>

Deia

Deia is a somewhat bohemian village hidden near the town of Sóller in the south-western part of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, that is, within reasonable reach from Palma. The surrounding olive groves, views of the sea and the rocks in the opposite direction, plus cafes and numerous staircases make it one of the most picturesque places on the island.

Manacor

Manacor is the second largest city in Mallorca, it has almost 50 inhabitants and is famous for the production of artificial Majorica pearls. And perhaps even more so as the birthplace of the famous tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Pollença

Probably the most interesting reason to visit the town of Pollença in the north of Mallorca is located right next to it. This is the peak of the Puig de Maria. The short, steep climb is well worth it, the views of the Formentor peninsula and the Serra de Tramuntana are spectacular!

Where to go and what to do with children in Mallorca?

Mallorca is a tourist destination that focuses on families with children. Therefore, it offers a wide range of options to spend time with your children in a fun way.

Aqualand El Arenal

The largest water park in Mallorca is located in the resort of Arenal, southeast of Palma. Those who love all kinds of water slides and slides will really enjoy themselves here. The name of the Adrenaline Fun section, where the craziest and fastest slides (Kamikaze, King Cobra, Tornado, Tsunami) are concentrated, confirms that you are really going to have a blast. The base of the quieter Family Fun zone is a pool with artificial waves, and small children can play in Kidzworld. There is also a lazy river, whirlpools and other relaxation (Chill out & play).

Marineland

Intelligent mammals with a ball in the pool are among the top attractions of any seaside destination, and Mallorca is no different. In Marineland, however, you can expect not only dolphin performances, but also trained sea lions and parrots. The second part of this water complex at the port of Portals west of Palma hides a smaller zoo - a bird aviary (flamingos), an exotic greenhouse (snakes and monkeys), a swimming pool (penguins) and aquariums (sea animals from all over the world). The area is complemented by a small water world for the little ones. More about Marineland Mallorca.

Aquarium palm

Palma Aquarium benefits from its location right next to the airport near the capital Palma de Mallorca, but even without that, it would not be short of visitors. Dozens of aquariums (especially Big Blue, the deepest aquarium in Europe), millions of liters of salt water and thousands of marine animals from all over the world are simply a great attraction. You will see the "classics" from penguins to jellyfish to fish of all shapes and colors, but you can also try specialties such as jungle with waterfalls, camping with sharks (once a month by order) or swimming with rays (from 8 years of age). More about Palma Aquarium.

Kathmandu Park

A building flipped on its roof, a snowman and a zombie attack? No problem at Katmandu Amusement Park in the renowned resort of Magaluf. You can easily spend the whole day playing and playing there. The water world kAtlantis Splash Park, an ice mirror maze, laser games, a 4D cinema, a children's playground with trampolines and slides, mini golf and much more await you (and especially your children).

6 more tips for families with children in Mallorca

1. Safari zoo – a zoo with a safari near the resort of Sa Coma in the southeast of the island invites you to drive among exotic animals by car or tourist train. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, monkeys, tigers and lions can be seen.
2. Artestrus - an ostrich farm between the town of Campos and the resorts of Rápita and Colónia de Sant Jordi specializes in the world's largest feathers. In addition to watching them, you can buy ostrich meat and eggs.
3. Hidroparc Alcúdia – rather smaller, but very nice water park on the outskirts of Alcúdia, which offers a pleasant alternative to spending free time while staying in the north of the island.
4. Nature Park – a smaller zoo was created as an animal shelter by the road from Palma to Sineu, about 16 km from the capital. Today he will surprise you with the number of animals he keeps. Among the 500 species, the animal pavilion attracts the most attention.
5. Western Park Magaluf – a short distance from the resort of Magaluf, you will find this great water park styled in stories from the wild west. Fifteen attractions, including Mallorca's highest toboggan, are divided into 3 parts: El Paso, Indian Town and Western Land.
6. dinosaur land – the name already tells you what this will be about. Yes, you guessed it right, it is a park that will offer a view of more than 100 life-size dinosaurs! More information. 

Weather in Mallorca - when to go?

• You can go to Mallorca at any time of the year. 
• This is due to the typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.
• Average temperatures in summer are around 30 °C, in winter the temperature rarely drops below 10 °C. 
• If you go to Mallorca in the off-season, the biggest advantage is of course the significantly smaller number of tourists and more favorable prices. 

More about Mallorca weather you can find in a separate article, which details what temperatures you can expect during the year by individual months. 

How to get around Mallorca? 

Mallorca is located some 200 km from the Spanish mainland, so you only have two ways to get there: by plane or ferry.

By air

Palma de Mallorca Airport is located a short distance from the coast, approximately 7 km southeast of the capital near the resort of Can Pastilla. It is the third busiest in Spain and dozens of airlines fly here from all over Europe, including Prague. As part of Spanish domestic air transport, the most flights to the island are from Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Valencia and the neighboring Balearic Islands (Ibiza and Menorca).

Getting from the airport to Palma de Mallorca: thanks to the Ma-19 highway, it is quick and easy. It takes a few minutes by car or taxi. There are several bus lines:

• A1, airport–Palma,
• A2, airport–S'Arenal,
• A11, Airport–Camp de Mar (via Palmanova, Magaluf, Santa Ponca, Peguera),
• A32, Airport–Can Picafort (via Alcúdia, Playa de Muro),
• A42, airport–Cala Bona (via Cala Millor),
• A51, Airport–Campos (via S'Arenal, Llucmajor),
• 34, airport–Hospital Son Espases.

By ferry

Shipping from Barcelona goes to the ports of Palma de Mallorca and Alcúdia. There are several cruise operators (Balearia, GNV, Trasmediterranea), they sail practically every day (depending on the season) and the cruise lasts around 7 hours. More information about the Barcelona - Mallorca ferry >

How to get around Mallorca?

Apart from the fact that there is no discount / multi-day (let alone transfer) ticket available in Mallorca, traveling around the island is easy, fast and comfortable. All metro and train lines, most intercity buses and many public transport lines they start at Plaça d'Espanya in Palma (stop Estació Intermodal de Palma).

Palma de Mallorca public transport

The basis of transport in Palma is two metro lines. The first leads to Marratxí (red) and the second to the UIB university district (yellow). However, you probably won't use it, because the vast majority of the nearly twenty stations avoid tourist destinations.

In addition, the city and adjacent recreation centers are crossed by approximately 30 daytime and 4 overnight EMT bus lines (blue-green-white color). The most important lines are in operation from 5 a.m. to 23.30:15 p.m. with an interval of no more than XNUMX minutes. You get on through the front door, because you have to buy a ticket from the driver.

By train

Apart from the historic train from Palma to Sóller, they are in operation on the island three train routes (to the cities of Inca, Sa Pobla and Manacor). They all go inland only, so you can't get to the coastal resorts with them.

By borrowed car

A popular place to rent a car is Palma de Mallorca airport, where car rental offices are located opposite the terminal. Less than 200 km of highways can be used free of charge when traveling.

By bus

Mallorca's towns and major holiday centers are connected by TIB lines served by yellow-red buses. You can buy tickets again directly on the buses, the price is determined according to the number of zones passed and I recommend paying by card.

By bike

In Mallorca, it is not a problem to borrow a bicycle and a helmet (it is mandatory!) and go on a trip, there are a number of cycling routes. Spring and autumn are ideal seasons for rides.

Where to stay on holiday in Mallorca?

In Mallorca, you can stay in a cheap hostel or guest house, in a pleasant hotel or in a luxurious or large hotel complex. Of course, it depends on the date (the busiest is the summer season) and on your taste, requirements and budget:

• pro families with smaller children are ideal calas in the southeast with well-equipped hotels, children's playgrounds and lifeguard-supervised beaches,
• families with older children will appreciate the resorts around Palma and Alcúdia with lots of shops and entertainment (aquaparks, zoos, nature reserves),
• famous party resort are Magaluf and El Arenal, there is also a lot of nightlife with Cala d'Or, Cala Ratjada, Port d'Andratx and Port d'Alcúdia,
• who is looking for at least a little solitude and romance, he should go to the small resorts in the south (Cala Pi, Sa Ràpita, Colónia de Sant Jordi).

A few tips for large and well-known hotel resorts:

• Alua Calas de Mallorca Resort (Calas de Mallorca) – a vast complex above the sea cliff,
• AluaSoul Carolina (Font de sa Cala) – a well-equipped hotel by a beautiful beach, for adults only,
• Fergus Club Europa (Peguera) – hotel complex for active families with sports fields and slides,
• Globales Bougainvillea (Sa Coma) – a family resort with pools and a small water park,
• Iberostar (Cala Millor) – a medium-sized boutique hotel right on the beach, for adults only,
• Mariant Park (Sa Coma) – nice garden with swimming pool, 500 m from the beach, for families,
• THB (Sa Coma) – a comfortable hotel right on the beach for the whole family,
• Elba Sunset Mallorca Thalasso Spa (Magaluf) – a pleasant resort overlooking the bay of Bahía de Palma,
• zafiro (Palmanova, Alcúdia, Playa Muro) – a network of modern hotels with a wide range of services.