Mallorca, Spain – Travel Guide

Every year we spend some of our summer in Mallorca, Guillermo’s hometown. When we are there we love going to different beaches, especially the ones that are not that busy, as well as visiting all the cute little towns the island has to offer. This year we also spent time searching for our wedding venue, so we got to visit lots of cute fincas (villas).

Getting there

There are so many direct flights to Mallorca from Europe that getting there is never an issue. We flew in from Paris. The flights are often with budget airlines, although not really budget prices (flights to Mallorca are quite pricey but the ones leaving from Mallorca are reasonable). We flew with Vueling from Paris Orly. Both airports are very busy during the summer, so be prepared to queue. Once in Mallorca we drive every where, as public transport isn’t very well connected.

Beaches

When looking for beaches aim to find ones with no crowds, beautiful views and clear water.

Out of all the beaches we visited, our favourite one was definitely Cala Figuera. We had passed this beach many times by car when going to Cap de Formentor and always thought it was beautiful. We decided to spend a day there when Charlotte’s best friend was visiting. We bought white wine, fruit and snacks, parked the car at the parking and started to make our way down to the beach. The way down turned out to be pretty steep, slippery and very very hot. We strongly recommend wearing sports shoes when going here, as we struggling with our flip flops. Guillermo was carrying a heavy cooler full of food and drinks and Charlotte has a fractured food … it wasn’t a fun descent.

However, once you get down there the water and views are so beautiful that you quickly forget about the struggle you went through. This “beach” is a pebble / rock beach, so there is no sand until you get into the water. This is perfect for those who hate getting sand everywhere when they go to the beach. The beach wasn’t very busy, for Mallorca in the summer standards, and we were able to find a nice spot with no one nearby. However, we did have a frequent visitor … and anyone coming to this beach with food should be prepared to encounter him as well – a very persistent male goat. He is not at all shy and will happily come over to your area and steal your food (he’s also very stinky). The only way to keep him (and the other female, and less annoying, goats) away is to pick up a long stick on your way down and hold it towards him if he tries to come nearby.

That aside, it’s a great beach to spend the day if you’re looking to avoid crowds and have amazing views and crystal clear water. On the way back we also realised that there are two paths leading to the beach, the first one we took was directly from the carpark. The other path is much less steep, and much more of a walk, (rather than a hike like the parking path) which can be done in flip flops. This path is actually the marked path to the beach and can be found a few meters down the road from the carpark.

Another beach that we enjoyed  was Cala Blava. This is again a “beach” with no sand, instead there are huge flat stone surfaces which lead directly into the sea. We loved it here because it was nearly empty (there must have been maybe 10 people within our eyesight), and the people who come here are usually locals. Whilst the views are not as impressive as Cala Figuera, there are no goats and the walk down is pretty easy (about a 10 minute walk through bushes and rocks). It’s a great place to have a picnic and to enjoy the water with a lot of privacy. The ocean breeze is also pretty strong here so it doesn’t get too hot.

We considered going to Calo des Moro, as we went there the year before and the water there is an amazing shade of turquoise. However, the government has recently banned cars from parking nearby, requiring you to park away from the beach and take a bus to the beach. It seemed like a lot of effort, especially as this beach gets extremely busy (the reason why cars can no longer park there during the summer months). It’s the kind of beach where your towel will most certainly be touching the towel of your neighbour.

Cute little villages & towns

Valldemossa

This was our favourite village. It is incredibly picturesque and has so much to offer, from cute cafes and bakeries to boutique shops, to the cute little houses with doorways lined with plants. One of the most beautiful parts is the monastery at the top of a little hill in the village, where composer Chopin used to live. Strolling through the gardens of the monastery, whilst surrounded by mountains, you can really feel the rich cultural history of this place. We stopped here for a traditional coca de patata (potato cake) and ice cream.

Deia

We drove past this village and immediately had to stop to take in it’s beauty. The little town sits on a hill in between huge mountains. The houses are teal coloured and often have bright purple flowers. There are also impressive hawks flying over this village, just adding to its charm.

We didn’t stop to visit the village we wanted to check out a boutique hotel on the way to Soller, as we were considering it as potential wedding venue. The hotel, Cas Xorc, is located at the top of a crazy narrow drive up a mountain. Whilst the venue proved to be over budget, we still admired the hotel’s grounds in awe. We would definitely want to spend a night here if we could – the hotel has a beautiful rustic feel and the gardens have an incredible bird’s eye view over the green lush mountains.

Soller

We drove through Soller, enjoying the views of the cute town, and continued on to the port where we stopped to have a drink and enjoy the views of the port. A cute little tram runs across the boardwalk, which we didn’t go on, but it adds to the picturesque element of the scene. There are lots of little restaurants at the port that offer a nice view and quiet environment.

Other places we visited

Cap de Formentor

We love going to Cap de Formentor, as the views are really exceptional. On the way to the lighthouse there’s a stop where you can enjoy the views of the mountains and ocean. It’s definitely worth stopping for as the views are quite mesmerizing. The drive from this first stop to the lighthouse spirals through the mountains, so a good driver is required! There are a few additional places you can stop at on the way to enjoy the views. The lighthouse has a few resident goats, and often doesn’t have too many tourists.

Son Marroig & Sa Foradada

We wanted to visit Son Marroig Finca, to check its potential as a wedding venue. It has a beautiful little white temple with a backdrop of amazing ocean views. Unfortunately, it was closed this day. However, we found this had a beautiful viewpoint of Sa Foradada, an impressive mountain in the middle of the ocean with a 10 diameter hole in the middle of one of the rocks. There’s also a little restaurant right nearby where you can enjoy the views. Had Charlotte’s foot not been fractured, we would have walked the two hours that lead to the mountain. Definitely something to do next year.

Palma

You can’t go to Mallorca without a visit to Palma city centre, right? We love strolling through all the backstreets, away from the crowds, and coming across all the different types of architecture. The houses with little indoor courtyards (like Parisian apartments) are particularly beautiful, as are all the little churches and cobbled streets. You also can’t go to the city centre without stopping to see the impressive Cathedral. 

Charlotte’s friend Senta treated us to an amazing 8 course tasting menu dinner at the Mark Foch restaurant in Palma city centre. Both the food and wine were delicious, and they also have a veggie tasting menu, and every dish had amazing seasonal vegetables. We also ate out at Cap Rocat Hotel’s restaurant. The food there is pretty good, nothing extraordinary, but we go there for the view! The tables all face the ocean and you can see the sun setting over the sea – it is truly beautiful!