Mallorca is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea, where tourists go for a beach vacation.
My girlfriend and I vacationed in Mallorca in August 2023. We stayed in the capital Palma for a week and did a lot of sightseeing.
I have mixed impressions after my vacation. On the one hand, Majorca offers comfortable conditions for tourists. There are very clean beaches there, which are marked with the Blue Flag award. Such flags are given to beaches with clean sea. On the other hand, the island has its disadvantages. For example, it was very dirty in Palma. I will tell you what you should consider when planning your vacation to make it comfortable.
1. Weather
Mallorca’s season lasts all summer, but locals advise visiting in September: it’s not so hot and there are fewer tourists on the beaches and in the establishments. The sea is warmest in August – about +25 °C. In summer, the probability of precipitation is close to zero.
The season starts in May, but it is still too early for swimming. The water does not have time to warm up and the temperature stays at +17 °C. But outside it’s around +22°C: it’s already comfortable to sunbathe on the beach and walk around the island. If you want to swim a lot, go to Mallorca at the end of June.
We vacationed in August, the average temperature was +30 °C. On the hottest day the air warmed up to +36 °C. It was cloudy only one day.
2. Resorts
Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the island, which looks like a ghetto: the whole center is covered in graffiti, there are many homeless people on the streets, and on the beaches immigrants sell goods from “Aliexpress”. The island itself looks very expensive.
We talked a lot with tourists and locals. Everyone is very critical of Palma and praises other cities. We have traveled around the island a bit and can agree: it is better to live not in the capital.
If we talk about the pros of Palma, there is a good infrastructure, and housing is cheaper than on the coastline. From the city center you can go to any part of the island. There are plenty of stores, including brand-name stores, and there are cafes and a supermarket on every corner.
Cala Mallor is the closest resort to Palma. It has many public beaches that alternate with rocky coves, restaurants and stores.
If you are traveling without a car, I suggest staying in Cala Mallora. From there you can reach the capital in 15 minutes, where most of the bus routes pass through.
El Arenal and Can Pastilla are two resorts that are very close to each other. Among the tourists there are most Germans, so German is spoken everywhere.
In El Arenal and Can Pastilla spacious beaches, clean sand, clear water, always plenty of space and good infrastructure for vacationers. To Palma drive 20-30 minutes. Nearby there is an oceanarium and water park.
Cala d’Or is a resort town with several coves with beaches. They are very small, so they are always crowded. There are boat trips, bars, tennis courts and a golf course.
Magaluf is considered a resort for young people. There are a lot of clubs, bars and there are always noisy parties. For beach recreation, too, all conditions are created: shower cabins, sun loungers and cozy cafes near the beach. For vacationers with children there is an aqua park, amusement park and golf.
Palma Nova is very close to Magaluf, but it is quieter and calmer. There are fewer young people and parties in the city, but more families and cozy establishments. The resort has several beaches where it is comfortable to swim.
Port de Soller is the most beautiful resort we have seen. It is located in a small bay. It has delicious food, expensive hotels and beautiful views.
3. Beaches
Mallorca is very different: there are wild beaches in the bays, which can be reached only by boat, kilometers of sandy beaches with bars and stores and cozy landscaped bays with access for cars.
The beaches on the island are free of charge. Additional services are available for a fee. Sunbeds and umbrellas are available on all city beaches. Renting two sunbeds and an umbrella costs an average of 18 € per day.
Playa de Palma is the main beach of the capital, 10 minutes from the city center. It is 6 kilometers long, with public showers about every 500 meters. There is always something going on at the beach: tourists play soccer or volleyball, and locals offer to ride water skis and motorcycles. I did not find out the prices.
Cala de Sa Calobra is a narrow pebble beach in the bay of the same name, surrounded by high picturesque cliffs. The water there is warmer than on the other beaches, but there were no sunbeds or showers in 2023.
Cala de Sa Calobra has far fewer tourists than the rest of the island, because you can only get there by boat or by car. If you go by car, you will have to overcome a beautiful but dangerous mountain serpentine.
The beach in Soller is my favorite, without the clubs and noisy vendors. It is located in the most beautiful town in Mallorca in my opinion. There were few tourists there.
Part of the beach is pebble, part is sandy. We chose pebble: after the rest we don’t need to clean clothes, towels and backpacks from sand. Minus – the beach is very small.
Cala Santanyi is a beach in a small bay with all amenities: sunbeds, showers, cafes, volleyball court and jet ski rentals. About this beach is often written on tourist sites, so there are a lot of people there. In general, it is beautiful, but crowded.
Cala Gran is another beach with azure water in a small bay. It is very crowded but picturesque: steep cliffs, white sand and green pine trees on the shore.
On the beach you can rent a sun lounger and umbrella, there is a lifeguard tower and showers, near the playground.
Es Trenk is the largest wild beach on the island with a sandy shore and clear water. It is located on the territory of a nature reserve. This beach was highly recommended by locals, but our German neighbor complained about crowdedness, murky water and dry seaweed. We didn’t go there because of the mixed reviews.
Playa de Muro is a comfortable beach with fine white sand, shallow sea and a long pier. There is almost no wildlife and clear water. The beach is equipped with sun beds and shower cabins, there are places for snacks and entertainment.
4. Attractions and entertainment
Palma Cathedral is a huge Gothic church built in the 13th century. Inside there are beautiful stained glass windows and an organ, and concerts are held periodically. Entrance to the cathedral and religious museum costs 9 €, tickets can be bought online. We wanted to go there several times, but the cathedral was already closed. The schedule for tourists can be found on the cathedral’s website.
Almudaina Palace is another old building in Mallorca’s capital. The palace was built in the 14th century. Now it is the residence of the King of Spain in Mallorca. It also houses the national museum and the military commandant’s office of the archipelago. Entrance costs 7 €, tickets can be bought on the website.
Many churches in Mallorca are free to visit. We went to this one because it was named after my namesake, St. Nicholas
Dragon Caves (Cuevas del Drac) is a cave complex with underground lakes, a huge number of stalactites and helictites. In my opinion, the caves are overrated: due to the large number of people and the ban on flash, it is impossible to enjoy a walk there and take good photos. But it’s still worth stopping by there for the live orchestra concert on the water. The cave has good acoustics, and the lighting on the boats adds to the romance.
Vintage train and streetcar to Soller. Soller is a beautiful town. It is most easily reached by the vintage wooden trains that run every day from Palma. Round trip tickets per person are 32 €.
Waterparks. There are several water parks in Mallorca: Western Water Park, Hidropark and Aqualand El Arenal. We decided not to waste time and money on water entertainment in a confined space. Prices are 30-34 €. The water parks are open from April-May to October.
Diving is an expensive but impressive activity. In Mallorca, ships were deliberately sunk for a beautiful view underwater. A trial lesson in 2023 costs from 69 €.
Windsurfing is a water activity for lovers of extreme sports, where you have to control a board with a sail. The most favorable season for gliding on the waves is from July 15 to August 15.
There are several schools for beginners in Mallorca: Wind & Friends, Water Sport Mallorca and Sail & Surf. Classes cost from 15 € per hour.
Amusement Park. Katmandu Park is recommended by locals for vacationers with children. It is not as crowded as similar places around the world and has a wide range of entertainment: a mini water park, illusion house and virtual reality rides.
5. Housing
The most expensive hotels are located right by the sea. Large companies of tourists often rent villas. In 2023, the cost starts from 520 € per week.
We booked a room 10 minutes from the center of Palma. The owners and roommate were hardly ever home, so we often had the apartment all to ourselves. A week for two people cost 490 €. There was no air conditioning in the room, but we had a gorgeous terrace. It had a great view.
6. Food
National foods. Almost all establishments serve tapas and paella. Tapas are small appetizers: nuggets, chips, olives, carpaccio, tartare or small sandwiches. One waiter told us that there are over a thousand types of tapas in Spain. Prices start from 3 € per portion.
Paella is about the same everywhere and costs about 14 €. Many people are delighted, but we didn’t like the dish in two places at once, so we didn’t try it again.
Mallorca also has unique products, such as the ensaimada pie. It resembles a school bun with jam, but it’s 10 times the size. I liked the flavor, plus you can fill up on it all day long. My girlfriend didn’t like the ensaimada.
Locals say that Mallorca used to be the main supplier of citrus fruits in Europe. They really do grow here on every corner. I advise you to try freshly squeezed juices from oranges and lemons. It’s also worth ordering a sangria with fresh fruit and soda. Even if it’s made from the cheapest wine, it’s still delicious. We paid 10 € for a half-liter.
Cafes and restaurants. Our experience shows that the average check in a beach cafe was 40 € for two people, and in a good restaurant – 55 €. At the same time in the restaurant is much tastier and more comfortable. In my opinion, it is better to pay a little extra and eat in a good place with air conditioning than to sit in a cafe with plastic chairs.
The cheapest food is at Burger King, McDonald’s and KFC. When we got bored of seafood and jamon, we had dinner at Taco Bell, a fast food restaurant with Mexican cuisine. It serves tacos – minced meat, vegetables and sauce in a tortilla. In 2023 it cost 1€.
Stores. There are two types of supermarkets in Mallorca: classic ones with a large selection of products and private mini-markets with a small assortment and above-average prices.
Our favorite supermarket is Mercadona. It has a machine that makes freshly squeezed orange juice and a special person who slices fresh jamon. The cheapest supermarket in Mallorca is Lidl. Most products can be bought in bulk.
Eroski is an ordinary supermarket with a range of essential products and average prices. It has a large selection of cheeses and meat products in bulk.
Buying everything in the supermarket and cooking dinner at home is much cheaper, and sometimes even tastier. Half a kilo of fresh mussels, cream and spices cost €4 in 2023. A mix of frozen seafood and rice for paella – 5 €. 400 g of large peeled shrimp, garlic and cream – 6 €.
My favorite item in all the supermarkets is a prepared salad. There are many options: classic caesar, salad with jamon and parmesan, salad with barbecue chicken and cheddar, poke with salmon
7. Transportation
The most convenient way to get around the island is by car. From one part of Mallorca to another by car is only an hour. We spent the same time to get from our house in the center of Palma to the nearest normal beach in Can Pastilla by public transport.
You can rent a car from Avis, Hertz, Hiper or Centauro. Car rental costs from 20 € per day for economy class.
You can rent a car on a rental aggregator. In Palma, the bus fleet is operated by EMT. All current routes are available on the website.
Tickets are sold by bus drivers and you have to pay at the entrance.
In the center of the city there is a train station, from where buses to other cities depart. Intercity buses in Mallorca are operated by TIB, the routes are available on the website. You can buy a ticket from the driver or online.
In general, the public transportation system is well developed, but it is difficult to travel only by buses. Sometimes they arrive ahead of schedule, sometimes later. Most likely, the routes were created for local residents, so it can be difficult to get to the main tourist sites.
Also, public transport can be crowded and air conditioning does not always work, so if you are traveling in a group, it is more convenient to travel by cab. Locals said that private cab drivers like to make a profit on tourists, so use gettransfer.com.
On one of the first days we rented scooters to explore Palma. They are convenient to get around the city: it’s small and there are bike lanes everywhere. In 2023, rentals will cost 15€ per hour. We used Urban Ape: the founders personally work at the rental point and help with the choice.
We had two hours to drive around Palma’s entire waterfront and make several stops at major attractions.
8. People
People in Spain are very sociable and kind. They will help you in any situation, even if they don’t understand English at all. This happens quite often, so by the end of the vacation we had learned a minimum set of Spanish words.
There are also interesting tourists in Spain. During the week we met a political technologist who worked with Angela Merkel and a Netflix scriptwriter.
9. What to bring back from Mallorca
Spain has delicious alcohol, and it’s also cheap in duty free. We brought whisky, wine and local tinctures. We also took a kilogram of jamon and several heads of cheese.
Mallorca has the Orquidea pearl factory, where pearls are grown under unnatural conditions. Rings, earrings and other items are sold here. You can also buy pearls in local stores, but they do not offer a 10-year guarantee on each piece, unlike the factory.
10. Safety rules
Spaniards have been scaring that it is very dangerous on the beaches and in some areas of Palma, but we didn’t encounter any problems. I will retell the safety rules from the locals:
- Do not leave valuables unattended on the beach.
- Do not swim where a “No Swimming” sign is posted, even if there are many people in the water.
- Do not carry your purse on one shoulder. There are scooter thieves around town who can snatch your purse off your shoulder and make a quick getaway.
- Wear a hat to avoid sunstroke. Mallorca has almost no clouds during the summer months, so it is easy to get sunburned.
- Always take a bottle of water with you because stores may be closed even on a weekday.
- Do not walk in bike lanes.
