Best time to visit Mallorca
If you want to enjoy the coves and beaches, the best time to travel to Mallorca is between May and September, when temperatures are a bit warmer. In May, June and September, the weather is good and there are not so many people on the island. However, the sea water in May and June is much cooler.
On the other hand, during the months of July and August, especially in August, there are many visitors in Mallorca, therefore, you will not be able to get to know the island with peace of mind. Even so, if you get up early and plan everything well, you will be able to enjoy all its attractions. Another drawback of visiting Mallorca during high season is that prices are a bit higher.
My last trip to Mallorca was at the end of May. Visiting the island at this time of year was an amazing decision since, despite having a couple of slightly cloudy days, we were able to enjoy the coves and avoid large crowds.
🏥 Remember it is very important to purchase travel insurance for Spain if you don’t have medical coverage in this country. I always use and recommend the company Heymondo, where I can offer you a 5% discount on your travel insurance.
How to get to Mallorca
Mallorca is part of the Balearic Islands. Therefore, you can travel to Mallorca by plane or ferry. The most common way to visit Mallorca is by taking a flight but it may be worthwhile going by ferry.
Affordable flights to Mallorca
Flights from the Spanish peninsula to Mallorca are usually very cheap. I recommend searching for flights to travel to Mallorca on Skyscanner. When you visit the website, you will be able to see the most affordable flights to Palma de Mallorca. When buying flights, I always recommend doing it through the airline’s website.
Palma de Mallorca Airport is located approximately 10 kilometers from the center of Palma. If you are not going to rent a car at the airport, you can go to the center of Palma by taxi (it costs around €20) or by bus. If you decide to take a bus, you will have to take line A1. In the summer, the buses depart every 15 minutes. In winter, the wait time may be longer. The ticket costs €5 and takes just over 10 minutes.
Travel to Mallorca by ferry
Another option is visiting Mallorca by ferry from Valencia, Barcelona or Dénia. If you are already in the Balearic Islands, you can also take a ferry to Mallorca from Ibiza, Menorca or Formentera.
If you want to find the best ferry deals, I recommend checking out Ferryhopper. There are several companies that offer these routes: Balearia, Trasmediterránea and GNV.
One advantage of traveling to Mallorca by ferry is that you can take your own vehicle from the mainland Spain. Sometimes car rental prices are sky high, so you can save some money.
🏨 You haven’t booked a hotel in Mallorca yet? We stayed at Apartamentos Cala d’Or Playa, a 3-star aparthotel located very close to some of the best beaches on the island. We had a very comfortable stay. Plus, there is free private parking.
How many days to spend in Mallorca
I recommend spending a minimum of 4 or 5 days in Mallorca. Obviously, the more days on the island, the better, but I understand that not everyone has the time to spend a while in Mallorca.
Mallorca hides endless places to visit: towns, beaches, lighthouses, viewpoints, etc. Therefore, it takes quite a bit of time to visit it well. If possible, my advice is to spend 7-10 days visiting Mallorca. However, if you do spend even more days in Mallorca, you will not get bored. If you don’t have that much time, an itinerary of 4 or 5 days is fine, as I have already indicated.
On the other hand, if you have less time, you can still enjoy the island in a 2 or 3 day getaway. You will have to focus on a small part of the island but you will surely enjoy your time in Mallorca nonetheless.
🚗 Do you need to rent a car for your trip to Mallorca? I recommend checking out Discover Cars, a highly-rated car rental search platform. I have used it several times and it has always been great!
What to do in Mallorca
One of the main steps when planning a trip to Mallorca is deciding which places you are going to include in your itinerary around the island. As I have already mentioned, Mallorca has many places to visit: charming villages, mountains, coves, lighthouses, viewpoints and, of course, the city of Palma.
In the following sections, I am going to name some of the places that you cannot miss during your visit to Mallorca.
Palma de Mallorca
If you are going to travel to Mallorca, one of the places you cannot miss is Palma, the main city and capital of the island. Palma is a city that is well worth visiting as it has many attractions. One of them is the incredible Cathedral of Palma. It is a true work of art! You will also love getting lost in the streets of the historic center and having a drink in the Santa Catalina neighborhood.
An amazing way to get to know the city is by booking this free tour of Palma de Mallorca. If you want a more in-depth article about what to do in Palma in 1 day, take a look at my blog post about Palma.
Beautiful towns in Mallorca
Something that I love about Mallorca is the number of charming towns that you can visit. Every town has a very beautiful architecture and vibe. Many of these towns are located in Sierra de Tramontana. Getting lost in the mountains while discovering these little towns is one of the best things to do in Mallorca. You will enjoy it a lot!
In Sierra de Tramontana, I recommend visiting the following towns: Valldemossa, Deià, Sóller, Bañalbufar, Fornalutx and Pollença. Other towns worth visiting in Mallorca are Alcúdia, Artà, Capdepera and Portocolom.
Best beaches and coves in Mallorca
Millions visit Mallorca every year seeking beaches and coves. Its crystal-clear and turquoise water really stand out. These beaches and coves are spread out throughout the entire Mallorca coastline.
Some of the best beaches and coves in Mallorca are Playa des Trenc, Cala Pi, Caló des Moro, Cala s’Almunia, Cala Llombards, Playa S’Amarador, Cala Mondragó, Cala Torta, Cala Estreta, Playa de Muro, Playa des Coll Baix, Cala Figuera (Formentor), Formentor Beach, Cala de Sa Calobra, Cala Tuent, Cala Deià, Cala d’Estellencs, Playa del Rei, etc. As you can see, there many beaches and coves!
Other places worth including in this Mallorca travel guide
Mallorca doesn’t just have towns and coves. The island is home to many other places worth visiting during your trip. Do not miss the following places: Torre del Verger, Mirador de Sa Foradada (viewpoint), Faro de Formentor (lighthouse), Mirador Es Colomer, Talaia d’Albercutx, Mirador de Na Clara and Mirador des Pontàs.
Another very popular place to visit are the Drach Caves. Although they are beautiful, I did not particularly like the visit because there were too many people and I could not enjoy it. The Caves of Artà were better recommended by a staff member at Drach Caves, since they are less crowded.
How to get around in Mallorca
The best way to visit Mallorca is by car. Unless you have brought your own by ferry, you will have to rent a car in Mallorca. It is the best option because it gives you complete freedom to move around the island and allows you to visit practically every all place. In addition, you will save waiting time.
I recommend the company Discover Cars, which allows you to compare several companies and see which one is cheaper. Plus, you can add a very complete insurance for a good price.
Although Mallorca has public transportation, I do not recommend visiting the island using it because, you will not be able to reach many of the best places to visit in Mallorca. In addition, you will have to put up with waiting times and it will be more difficult for you to plan your itineraries.
If, for whatever reason, renting a car is not an option for you, you will have to get to know the island through public transportation. In this case, I recommend staying in Palma. It’s the main city, which means it has better bus connections with the rest of Mallorca. I recommend consulting the Transports de les Illes Balears‘ website for more information.
This is a map of all the transportation connections available in Mallorca. Use this if you are planning a Mallorca travel itinerary using public transportation.
Best tours in Mallorca
If you are not going to rent a car during your trip to Mallorca, I recommend booking some tours. It will be more expensive than getting around the island by bus, but it is also more comfortable and convenient for you, since you will not have to worry about transportation. You can also visit places in Mallorca that cannot visit using public transportation.
You can also book boat trips, which is convenient even if you are going to have a car, since there are places, such as Sa Calobra, that can be easily accessed by boat.
These are some of the best tours in Mallorca:
- Caves of Drach Day Trip.
- 24-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour in Palma.
- Porto Cristo: Caves of Hams Entry Ticket.
- Palma Bay Boat Tour and Snorkeling.
- Cala del Moro, Cala S’Almunia and Cala Llombards Excursion.
- Boat to Sa Calobra from Sóller.
Where to stay in Mallorca
There is a large selection of hotels to choose from in Mallorca. You can find options for different tastes and budgets. Choosing the bests areas to stay in Mallorca is the hard part. For this reason, one of the best tips that you will find in this Mallorca travel guide will be about this specific topic.
An area that I highly recommend if you visit Mallorca in search of the best coves and beaches is the municipality of Santanyi. You will be close to places like Caló des Moro and Cala Llombards. Take a look at the following hotels: Boutique Hostal Mistral, Hotel Nou Can Guillem and Boutique Hotel Petit Sant Miquel.
Staying in Palma and its surroundings is also a great idea in my opinion, since it takes fairly little time to get to the rest of the island from Palma. It is very well connected. Something important when reserving an accommodation in Palma, if you are going to visit Mallorca by car, is that it has parking for its guests since parking in the city can be somewhat complicated.
If you decide to stay in Palma, take a look at these hotels with parking: BQ Augusta Hotel, Nou Baleares and Ars Magna Bleisure Hotel.
Last but not least, I recommend Alcúdia, located in the northern part of Mallorca. This whole area is beautiful and also has good beaches, therefore, it is worth considering this option. It’s one of the best places to stay in Mallorca for families. Take a look at Cas Ferrer Nou Hotelet in the area.
If you are planning a romantic gateway, don’t forget to check the best hoteles in Majorca for couples. All of them are only adults!
Mallorca travel guide itineraries
Once you know how many days you are going to spend in Mallorca, I recommend planning an itinerary in which you are very clear about what you are going to visit each day. In this way, you won’t waste any time improvising while you’re in Mallorca.
- 3-day Mallorca itinerary (coming soon).
- 4-day Mallorca itinerary.
- 5-day Mallorca itinerary (coming soon).
- 7-day Mallorca itinerary (coming soon).
💳 To get cash in the local currency of your destination or pay by card, I recommend getting the N26 card. With the free version you can withdraw cash from ATMs with a very low commission and pay in another currency with the best exchange rate and no commissions.
Traditional food you should taste in Mallorca
A trip to Mallorca is not complete without tasting some of the local delicacies, such as ensaimada and sobrasada. There is a very famous place in Palma de Mallorca where you can try, and even order, ensaimadas. It is called Ca’n Joan de s’Aigo. There are three locations in the city.
During your visit to Valldemossa, one of the most beautiful towns in Mallorca, I recommend tasting coca de patata, a very traditional sweet from the area. While you walk through town, you will see different bakeries and cafes where they sale coca de patata.
If you get the chance, do not forget to taste Majorcan empanadas, coca de trampó, arròs brut, tumbet and Majorcan-style snails.
Best restaurants – Mallorca travel guide
Below, you can find list of some of the best restaurants in Mallorca:
- Ca’s Patro March (Cala Deià).
- Restaurante El Olivo (Deià).
- Es Racó d’es Teix (Deià).
- Cassai Gran Café & Restaurant (Ses Salines).
- Noir Mallorca (Cala D’or).
- Restaurant 19 Livingdreams (Santa Maria del Camí).
- Sumailla Restaurant (Port d’Andratx).
- Es Fanals (Port de Sóller).
Map of Mallorca
In the following map of Mallorca you can see all the places that I have mentioned in this Mallorca travel guide: beaches, towns, restaurants, visits and recommended hotels.
Check my Spain travel guide if you are planning to visit other areas of this country.
I hope that this Mallorca travel guide has been very useful for you in planning your trip to this beautiful island of the Balearic Islands. If you want to tell me about your experience or have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment or email me. Until next time travelers!
