VICTOR PELAEZ TORRES

Mallorca

The ever-popular star of the Mediterranean, Mallorca has a sunny personality thanks to its ravishing beaches, azure views, remote mountains and soulful hill towns.

Lyrical Landscapes

For Miró it was the pure Mediterranean light. For hikers and cyclists it is the Serra de Tramuntana's formidable limestone spires and bluffs. For others it is as fleeting as the almond blossom snowing on meadows in spring, or the interior's vineyards in their autumn mantle of gold. Wherever your journey takes you, Mallorca never fails to seduce. Cars conga along the coast in single file for views so enticing the resort postcards resemble cheap imitations. Even among the tourist swarms of mid-August you can find pockets of silence – trek to hilltop monasteries, pedal through honey-stone villages, sit under a night sky and engrave Mallorca's lyrical landscapes onto memory.

Return to Tradition

Mallorca's culture took a back seat to its beaches for decades, but the tides are changing. Up and down the island, locals are embracing their roots and revamping the island’s old manor houses, country estates and long-abandoned fincas (farmhouses, estates) into refined rural retreats. Spend silent moments among the olive, carob and almond groves and you'll soon fall for the quiet charm of Mallorca's hinterland. Summer is one long party and village festes (festivals) offer an appetising slice of island life.

Coastal Living

Mallorca tops Europe's summer holiday charts for many reasons, but one ranks above all others: the island's stunning coast. Beyond the built-up resorts, coves braid the island like a string of beads – each one a reminder of why the island's beaches have never lost their appeal. Go west for cliff-sculpted drama and sapphire seas, or head north for hikes to pine-flecked bays. Scope out deserted coves in the east, or dive off bone-white beaches in the south. With a room overlooking the bright-blue sea, sundown beach strolls to the backbeat of cicadas and restaurants open to the stars, you'll soon click into the laid-back groove of coastal living.

Mediterranean Flavours

Eating out in Palma has never been more exciting, with chefs – inspired as much by their Mallorcan grandmothers as Mediterranean nouvelle cuisine – adding a pinch of creativity and spice to the city's food scene. Inland, restaurants play up hale-and-hearty dishes, such as suckling pig spit-roast, to perfection, pairing them with locally grown wines. On the coast, bistros keep flavours clean, bright and simple, serving the catch of the day with big sea views.

Explore Mallorca

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Mallorca.

  • Palace

    Palau de l'Almudaina

    Originally an Islamic fort, this mighty construction opposite the cathedral was converted into a residence for the Mallorcan monarchs at the end of the…

  • Monastery

    Monestir de Lluc

    Entered via a cloistered garden, the monastery is a huge complex, dating mostly from the 17th to 18th centuries. Off the imposing central courtyard rises…

  • Cathedral

    Catedral de Mallorca

    Palma’s vast cathedral ('La Seu' in Catalan) is the city's major architectural landmark. Aside from its sheer scale, treasures and undoubted beauty, its…

  • Historic Building

    Casa Robert Graves

    Casa Robert Graves is a fascinating tribute to the British writer and poet who moved to Deià in 1929 and had his house built here three years later. It's…

  • Archaeological Site

    Pol·lèntia

    Ranging over a sizeable (but walkable) area, the fascinating ruins of the Roman town of Pol·lèntia lie just outside Alcúdia's walls. Founded around 70 BCE…

  • Park

    Parc Natural de S’Albufera

    The 688-hectare Parc Natural de S’Albufera, west of the Ma12 between Port d’Alcúdia and Ca’n Picafort, is prime birdwatching territory, with 303 recorded…

  • Monastery

    Santuari de la Mare de Déu des Puig

    South of Pollença, off the Ma2200, one of Mallorca's most tortuous roads bucks and weaves up 1.5km of gasp-out-loud hairpin bends to this 14th-century…

  • Museum

    Palau March

    This house, palatial by any definition, was one of several residences of the phenomenally wealthy March family. Sculptures by 20th-century greats,…

  • Castle

    Castell d'Alaró

    Perched at an improbable, almost comical angle on a gigantic fist of rock, Castell d'Alaró is one of the most rewarding castle climbs on the island. The…

  • Museum

    Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró

    The Catalan artist Joan Miró lived and worked at this beautiful hilltop compound, now a major museum celebrating his life and work. Miró's friend, the…

  • Gallery

    Es Baluard

    Built with flair and innovation into the shell of the Renaissance-era seaward walls, this contemporary art gallery is one of the finest on the island. Its…

  • Monastery

    Real Cartuja de Valldemossa

    This grand old monastery and former royal residence has a chequered history. It was once home to kings, monks and a pair of 19th-century celebrities:…

  • Gallery

    Museu Fundación Juan March

    The 17th-century Can Gallard del Canya, a 17th-century mansion overlaid with minor Modernist touches, now houses a small but significant collection of…

  • Gallery

    Ca'n Prunera – Museu Modernista

    One of Mallorca's standout galleries, Ca'n Prunera occupies a landmark modernist mansion along Carrer de Sa Lluna. The list of luminaries here is…

  • Cave

    Coves del Drac

    Over-visited, probably overpriced, the Coves del Drac are by no means overrated. Of all Mallorca's accessible cave complexes, this is the least…

  • Beach

    Platja des Coll Baix

    It's a fantastic ramble to Platja des Coll Baix – and what a bay! Snug below sheer, wooded cliffs, this shimmering crescent of pale pebbles and…

  • Castle

    Castell de Capdepera

    Lording it over Capdepera is this early-14th-century fortress. A walled complex built on the ruins of a Moorish fortress, the castle is one of the best…

  • Lighthouse

    Cap de Ses Salines

    Follow the Ma6110 highway 9km south of Llombards to reach the Cap de Ses Salines, a beautiful bluff on Mallorca's southernmost tip with a lighthouse (Far…

  • Gallery

    Sala Picasso & Sala Miró

    In two rooms at street level in Sóller's station are two fascinating, introspective and contemplative art exhibitions: the Sala Picasso and Sala Miró. Few…

  • Mountain

    Talaia d'Alcúdia

    Accessed by a lovely, relatively undemanding 30- to 40-minute hike through the pine trees, this astonishing viewpoint has 360-degree wide-angle views over…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Mallorca.

  • Activities

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