Mallorca Travel Guide – What you need to know

Last October we travelled to Mallorca for one week and let me tell you one thing: there’s so much this island has to offer! From plenty of beaches and bays with crystal clear turquoise water to picturesque villages in the mountains, there’s something for everyone in Mallorca. The diverse landscape of the biggest Balearic island has impressed us and even after a week full of discovering around the island there’s still so much to see. You’ve got no idea what to do, where to go and stay on your visit? We’ve got you covered! With this travel guide we will share our favourite beaches (also some secluded and secret ones), places to visit, eat and what you need to know before visiting. Including some budget friendly travel tips. So let’s get right into it!

 

Contents

• How to get there
• Where we stayed
• Good to know
• Beaches
• Places to visit
• Places to eat
• Our Favourites

 

How to get there

There are essentially two ways to get to Mallorca: by plane or by ferry. You can directly fly to Palma from most airports in Europe and if you’re flexible with day and time this is most likely the cheapest and fastest way to get to the island. If you prefer to go by boat you can take the ferry from Barcelona or Valencia for example, which will take you around 7 to 8 hours. There are also Ferries from France or southern Spain.

 

Where we stayed

We stayed in Cala d’Or, a village in the southeast part of the island and around 50 minutes by car from the airport. We chose this location as it was practical to explore different beaches from there and as the area there is more diverse and calmer than around Palma or Magaluf. On the other hand, with the car we had the possibility to still go to the north of the island in not too much time. We had an apartment for four people (we were travelling with relatives) in an Aparthotel where the “flats” were located in houses with gardens (for the flat on the ground floor). This kind of accommodation suited us as we could prepare our own food and also have a more budget friendly trip while still having the comfort of a hotel with all the facilities like pools. This experience was mostly worth it for us. We had a small but nice apartment with a big terrace and the houses made it feel like a little village.

Good to know

When to visit

We highly recommend you visit Mallorca in off season. We were there in the beginning of October during school holidays and it still had plenty of people, so we couldn’t imagine how full the beaches had to be in summer. As a lot of them are located between cliffs in a cove there is limited space which makes it feel cramped easier. April, May or September and October might be ideal as it’s warm enough but without the crowds. Ideally you can also skip the school holiday time (lots of tourists, especially germans, come during that time). Chances are also that accommodations are cheaper during that time.

Rent a car

Probably our most important tip. Without a car it either wouldn’t have been possible to visit all these places or it would’ve taken much longer. Like that you are so much more flexible and even if you visit in summer you still have the possibility to get further away from the crowds. It’s an investment that is worth it and especially when you’re a bigger group you can share the costs which will help if you’re on a budget.

Get to the beach early

We made the experience that when we arrive before lunchtime (not that early haha) we have more options and space on where to stay at the beach. Like that you don’t have to cramp in between people when it’s full(er). If you’re not into spending the whole day on the beach you can even spend a (most likely) calm morning, there and leave after lunch.

Go further

What we did sometimes was that we looked at the map and chose beaches that were not near a village and a parking. Chances are that the further the way to walk and drive, the less people are in that location. It’s more challenging but for us it has been totally worth it for example when we went to Cala Varques. You have much more space and less people at the beach and you also did some exercise 😉

Rent an apartment

If you’re looking for a budget friendly accommodation, we find that an apartment can help you save money as you don’t pay for food at the hotel. It’s usually cheaper to buy in the supermarket especially if you are sharing with others. Just make sure you just buy what you need otherwise you’re gonna have take it home with you.
 

Beaches

South coast

Cala Mondragó is a 30 minute drive away from Cala d’Or. The beach is located in a natural park so you can also go for a hike. It is easily accessible, the paid parking is just a 5-10 minute walk away but you could theoretically follow the road and stop by the beach to unload everything and drive back to park. We also saw that busses arrive right at the beach so that might be a good option if you don’t have a car. The water is beautifully clear and flat as it’s located in a cove and it’s not steep either. It’s perfect to go snorkeling or to rent a pedalo which can be done directly there. There are also a restaurant and toilets. The beach is not that big and even in October it had plenty of people (probably due to school holidays in Germany). We definitely recommend you rent a pedalo and go a bit further to snorkel or swim further from the beach. It’s still beautifully clear water and protected by the bay. Also note that there’s a hotel close to the beach which might increase the amount of people at the beach.

Cala S’Amarador is a 5 minute walk by the water away from Cala Mondragó. You can also access the beach from a paid parking located 5 minutes away by foot. Cala S’Amarador is bigger than Mondragó and it has no facilities. We just went there for a quick swim in the late afternoon, but I’d say this beach is recommendable if you want more space and less people compared to Cala Mondragó. In retrospecitve we probably would have spent the day at this beach if we knew about it earlier.

Cala Llombards was around 25 minutes to drive from Cala d’Or. You can park right by the beach so it’s easily accessible. Cala Llombards is not really big but stretched out to the back so it fills up quite fast in front. You can walk on each side of the cove and occasionally even jump in which is great fun. The water is so clear and blue, it’s amazing. You can also access the jumping points by swimming and climbing up a small ladder. If you walk further, you get to even higher jumping points if you’re an adrenaline junkie. Please research first where to jump and make sure it’s safe as we just did a small jump and cannot speak for other places. Facilities like toilets and a small but very delicious restaurant are also there. Note that the restaurant is mostly full so it’s better to reserve a table or take your own food if you don’t want to wait for a long time.

Caló des Moro is a pretty popular beach nowadays. We decided to walk there when we were at Cala Llombards which took us half an hour. This beach is not easily accessible and you’re gonna have to walk there. On this site you find more detailed infos on how to get there. It’s steep and rocky so you need to be really careful and fit. Especially in the end where you’re almost climbing down. For us it was worth it. We have hardly ever seen such a stunning beach. We were blown away. It’s so hard to describe the water and everything, you just have to see it with your own eyes. But back to reality, we were not the only ones there as you can imagine 😉 The thing is, there are no facilities there and it’s not even really a beach, just caves and rocks, so there’s little space for laying down and chilling. We decided to just go there for a swim in the afternoon so that worked for us as in the water there is plenty of space. We left our stuff in one of the caves and we were fine this way. You can also hike around to the viewpoint overlooking the ocean and the beach with the cliffs. The view from the top is honestly stunning.

Platja des Trenc is probably the most famous beach in Mallorca. You can reach it in 35 minutes from Cala d’Or and after the paid parking it’s a short walk to the beach. It seems endless and has wonderfully clear, flat water. Unfortunately, when we were there it was quite windy and had lots of seaweed, so the vibe was a bit different, but we enjoyed nevertheless, although it was not as special as expected. The beach itself is long but “thin” so it is worth it to walk a bit further to be around less people and have enough space. There is a beach bar and if you collect a cup full of cigarettes from the beach, you get a free drink of your choice. We filled three in no time… In conclusion we think that with the abundance of beautiful beaches around the coast, this doesn’t have to be on your list just because it’s known. You’ll find equally beautiful beaches that are less known in our opinion.

East coast

Cala Varques was the most secluded beach we visited and it was really worth it. We drove 20 minutes until the free parking by the road and then we had to walk half an hour to get there. In the end the track goes through the forest so make sure you have good shoes and you don’t bring too much stuff 😉 There are no facilities there besides a little refreshment truck so also bring your own food and drinks. The beach itself is spacious and not crowded, at least that’s how it was in October. The water is clear blue but it was steeper and a bit rocky in the beginning to go in. The cool thing about this place is that you can go exploring and walk around to other small beaches or coves. That’s how we found a great lookout and a secluded cove where a few climbers were exercising on the cliffs. We went for a swim there in a cave and it was unforgettable. That’s a spot you really have to find and not everyone gets there. On another note, Cala Varques seems also a nudist friendly beach (which we didn’t know) so just keep that in mind if that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Northeast coast

Platja de Formentor is located on the northern corner of the island a few kilometres away from Cap Formentor. It took us around a 90-minute drive to get there. There is a paid parking close to the beach and toilets as well as a restaurant. Platja de Formentor is quite long and “thin” so we recommend arriving before noon to have enough space. There are also water activities available like kayaking or renting a pedalo. Our impression of the beach was mostly positive, the water was beautiful as always (do we expect anything less by now?) but the whole vibe is a bit different and more exclusive from the south in our opinion.

You want to see more Island-Beach-Inspiration? Head over to our post about Corsica – you won’t be disappointed!
 

Places to visit

Valldemossa

Looking for a picturesque village in the mountains in the north of Mallorca? Then Valldemossa is the place to be. Stone houses, cute streets, amazing views and lots of history are just some of the reasons to visit this little gem. From liquor tasting in a tourist shop to walking through the streets eating gelato we really enjoyed our time there and we highly recommend it. It takes around half an hour from Palma or 70 minutes from Cala d’Or to drive there.

Cap Formentor

This is the most northern point of Mallorca. It takes around 20 minutes by car from Platja de Formentor. Although the viewpoint is touristic, the breathtaking view is worth the way and even the drive there is already spectacular with the impressive landscape around you. And if you’re lucky you will even spot some wild mountain goats. Recommendable to go for a visit if you’re in the area.

Palma Cathedral

Although we weren’t in Palma this time, we already visited the Cathedral in Palma and the beautiful in and outdoors are a sight to see. Palma itself is definitely worth a visit if you’re into history and a bit of busier citylife.

Magaluf

Let’s clarify that right here: Magaluf is not everyone’s cup of tea. If you like party and don’t really care about the landscape or exploring, this is the place for you. Otherwise a little visit will be enough, like for us. We drove to Magaluf in the afternoon after going to Valldemossa so we cannot speak for the nightlife ourselves, just of what we heard 😉 It has quite a different vibe than the south and east coast with much more high buildings right by the beach but we still had an enjoyable time. We rented a tandembike and drove along the water which was quite fun and afterwards we strolled through the still empty streets. Not a must see but if you’re curious just do it.

Places to eat

Es Taller, Valdemossa

On the search for vegan food we came across this gem. Located in an old garage in the industrial style, tasty & fresh food for all preferences in form of tapas, mains and desserts makes every stomach happy. The interior is stylish, minimalistic and welcoming at the same time, even the toilets look good. We couldn’t recommend Es Taller more.

Chiringuito, Cala Llombards

A small, lovely restaurant directly at the beach and fresh, delicious food. Do we need to say more? We were definitely surprised from the quality of the food, this is not your ordinary beach bar. It even had vegan options like roasted veggies and guacamole.

On another note: If you are in the mood for a restaurant now but cannot leave the house, why not check out some of our easy vegan recipes? 🙂
 

Our Favourites

Favourite (secret) beach: The cove next to Cala Varques. It had the bluest water, we could literally stay there forever and we were almost alone. Also Caló des Moro because of THAT view.

Favourite Place: Valldemossa for all the reasons we already mentioned earlier 🙂

Favourite Food: Es Taller in Valldemossa because of the staff, the food and the ambiance: 10/10

 

If you’re still here then first of all thank you so much for sticking with us! It honestly means a lot to us. We hope we could inspire and help you with this travel guide and if you have any further questions or suggestions just hit us up! We’re always happy to chat 🙂 and if you do go to Mallorca after this whole covid thing is over, let us know so we can enjoy it with you! Take care and until the next time,

João and Leonie