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Mallorca

Mallorca

Rex Features

Mallorca - or Majorca as it's also spelt - is blessed with beautiful beaches, an infinite stockpile of fresh seafood and more than 300 days of glorious sunshine a year. Which is probably why it's one of Europe’s favourite playgrounds. Though in recent decades the influx of tourists and real estate development here has left some of its landscape looking more like a strip mall than an island paradise, there are still quiet coves and Moorish-era architecture to behold and appreciate.

Just look beyond the capital Palma’s all-night bars and all-day English breakfast specials and you will discover Mallorca’s cultural bonanza, such as the stunning Capella de Santa Agnés and majestic Almudaina Palace.

Families travel to Mallorca to escape the winter blues - but summer in the sun-washed island is equally rammed with sunbathers and party-goers alike.

Drive down any of Palma’s main streets and you’ll find Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Germans, and Thai restaurants. For simpler, down home cooking explore Mallorca’s outlier villages to sample locally cured meats and varying regional liquors called hierbas.

Travel Tips

  1. You can find luxury and family-friendly hotels all over Mallorca. But a smart splurge where the children can splash around the pool and you can check in for relaxing spa treatments is the Hotel La Residencia. Away from the madness of Palma, the hotel is tucked between citrus groves and the northwest artist’s village of Deia.
  2. A day at S’Albufera Nature Park should be on your holiday bucket list. The protected coastal wetlands are one of the most beautiful and bio diverse in Europe and a great natural distraction for children and couples wanting a break from the lethargy of Palma’s beach happy hours and neon lights.
  3. Sunset cocktails at the Gran Hotel Son Net should be on your checklist before leaving Mallorca. The 17th century palace transformed into a luxury hotel, is shrouded in exotic flowers and palm trees 20 minutes from the capital, Palma in the village of Puigpunyent. Stick around for a five-star dinner at the in-house Oleum Restaurant.
  4. A visit to San Salvador Monastery is also an excuse to travel inland from Majorca’s East coast. The mountain top monastery has 360-degree views of the surrounding lush countryside, and historical tours are on offer to ground and tourists travelling solo.
  5. Though usually crowded, Porto Cristo Beach is a good base to settle yourself or your family for an afternoon of swimming and tanning if you want to be close by to explore the Drach and Helms caves. Alcudia Beach is a more secluded choice, iisolated by the Formentor Mountains.

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