The biggest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, five million visitors descend upon Majorca every summer. This island boasts a temperate climate, year-long sunshine and soft sandy beaches that slope gently into the clear, turquoise Mediterranean Sea.
Situated in the Mediterranean Sea, east of mainland Spain, Majorca is connected by ferries to Barcelona and Valencia, and flights to all major European cities.
Palma de Majorca
Majorca has about 20 towns, villages and resorts, each unique in its charm and character. Palma de Majorca, located on the south west of the island, is the capital and largest city. Its 400,000 inhabitants swell to 2-3 million during the summer months.
You can find almost everything here: from budget hotels to five-star hotels, local eateries to fine dining, banks, shops and all kinds of amenities. Among the high-rise apartment blocks are an imposing gothic cathedral and a gothic castle with a spectacular view.
If you want to get away from the concrete and the crowd, take the wooden train from Palma to Soller. The journey takes about an hour and it goes across Majorca’s plain, mountains and through 13 tunnels. The ride offers sweeping views of the countryside and a chance to appreciate the real beauty of the island.
Soller, in the north west of the island, is a picturesque town set in a valley surrounded by Majorca’s highest mountains looking towards the sea. It is one of the best places for hiking and Mountain biking.
Connected to Soller by a series of pathways is the beautiful village of Fornalutx. Its cobblestone houses, winding streets, narrow stone steps and leafy plazas, has made it the most stunning and enchanting village on the island.
The Beaches
Most people go to Majorca for its beaches. With more than 200 fringing this beautiful Mediterranean island’s coastline, they really should not be missed. Whatever type of holiday you like, Majorca has a beach for you: family fun, relaxed tanning, even if you want to take off all your clothes!
Resort beaches such as Paguera, Magaluf and Palma Nova, boast fine sand, crystal clear water and good tourist infrastructures. They are popular for family, retirees and young hip Europeans who are looking to party.
Among them, Magaluf seems to be very popular with the young British crowd for their stag night parties. So it’s not hard to find cheap Magaluf holidays offer from British tour operators.
By contrast, the famous Es Trenc Beach in the south-east of the island has been protected from development. It is a 2km long beach with fine white sand and crystal clear water. It is popular among families with kids as well as nudists due to its vastness and remoteness.
Cala Varques, a secluded but stunningly beautiful beach, has absolutely no facilities but offers a relaxing location to enjoy total solitude, peace and quiet. Its wildness is such that you may find yourself sunbathing next to cows. Unless you have a boat, it’s a 15 minute hike, but it’s well worth it!
If you really want to get away from it all, head to Coll Baix, a quiet beach with big waves ideal for sunbathing. The only way to get there is by 4×4 vehicles and there are no facilities here. It’s one of the best beaches to get away from the crowd in summer.
Another attraction on the island is the Serra de Tramuntana, a mountain chain that runs along the northwest coast of the island. You can take a scenic drive along the R710 with some wonderful views of the rough mountain scenery and the coast.
There are many hikes and walks you can do on the Serra de Tramuntana. For example, the eight-stage Dry Stone route (or GR221), passes through the mountains crossing from west to east, comes highly recommended.
Local Cuisine
After all day in the beach or hiking, nothing rewards you better than some local cuisine. Majorcan cuisine is quite similar to mainland Spain, in that it consists of a lot of meat, tomatoes and generous splashes of olive oil. Local specialties are Frit Mallorqui (fried leftovers of vegetables and potatoes) and Sopes Mallorquines (simple vegetable soup with meat and wild mushrooms).
Looking for food should be the least of your worries as all menus in this hot spot for summer vacation are in English and German rather than its two official languages, Spanish and Catalan.
