Where to look
Beach & Sun Seekers
Beach lovers · Natural beach fans · Cove explorers · Sun worshippers Mallorca has over 200 beaches and coves — from the vast tourist-serviced sands of S'Arenal to completely wild, cliff-backed coves reachable only by boat or a half-hour hike. Es Trenc, on the south coast, is the island's most celebrated natural beach — 3km of brilliant white sand in a protected wetland area with turquoise water and almost no facilities by design. It is the closest Mallorca gets to the feeling of an unspoilt Caribbean beach. Formentor, at the tip of a 20km peninsula in the north, is dramatic in a completely different way — dark pine trees coming down to the water in an enclosed bay, with the Cap de Formentor lighthouse on the cliffs above. Cala Mondragó and Cala S'Almunia in the Mondragó Natural Park on the southeast coast are pristine coves with crystal-clear water accessible on foot from a car park, with very limited development.
Families with Children
Families · Young children · Parents wanting safe beaches and good facilities Alcúdia in the north is the island's finest family resort. The Playa de Alcúdia is a vast, gently shelving sandy beach — over 8km long, with calm, shallow water protected by the bay. The old walled town of Alcúdia, with its Roman ruins, has genuine historical character that turns a beach holiday into an educational experience. Watersports, boat trips to Cap de Formentor, and the nearby Hidropark water park complete the family picture. Cala d'Or on the east coast is more intimate — a series of small sandy coves with calm water, surrounded by pine trees, in a purpose-built resort that has developed gradually and keeps a degree of natural character. The east coast generally — Cala Millor, Cala Bona, Porto Cristo — has calm, protected water well suited to children and a full range of family accommodation and entertainment including the famous Caves of Drach.
Mountain & Culture Lovers
Hikers · UNESCO site visitors · Art lovers · Village explorers · Cyclists The Tramuntana mountain range, running the length of Mallorca's northwest coast, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — not just for its extraordinary natural scenery but for its thousand-year-old system of terracing, water management and dry-stone architecture that has shaped the landscape continuously since the Moorish period. The GR221 long-distance path (the Dry Stone Route, Ruta de Pedra en Sec) follows the range from Port d'Andratx to Pollença over 8 stages of outstanding mountain walking. Deià is the cultural heart of the Tramuntana — a village of golden-stone houses on a steep hillside, artist studios, the house-museum of Robert Graves, and a pebble cove (Cala Deià) 15 minutes' walk below. Valldemossa, a slightly larger village, is famous for the Royal Charterhouse where Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838–39. Sóller, connected to Palma by the vintage wooden tram and train, is the orange and lemon capital of Mallorca.
Party & Nightlife
20s–30s crowd · Club fans · Boat party lovers · British holiday makers Magaluf, on the southwest coast, has been the Mallorca party capital for decades. The Punta Ballena strip and the BCM Superclub complex are legendary among British party tourists. Nikki Beach, the Boat parties that leave from the marina, and the sheer concentration of bars and clubs along a single street make Magaluf a genuinely intense experience — not for the faint-hearted. Palma has a very different nightlife character — Spanish urban, sophisticated and genuinely mixed. The Paseo Marítimo is lined with restaurants and cocktail bars that fill from midnight. The Santa Catalina neighbourhood has the city's best neighbourhood bar scene. El Arenal (S'Arenal) south of Palma is a middle ground between Magaluf and the city — more organised but less extreme.
Romantic Couples
Couples · Honeymoons · Special occasions · Art and architecture lovers Deià is Mallorca's most romantic address — the golden stone village, the mountain backdrop, the sound of cicadas and the distant sea visible through the olive trees create an atmosphere of timeless Mediterranean beauty. The small boutique hotels here are some of the finest in Spain: La Residencia is legendary. The cove at Cala Deià, reached by a rocky path from the village, is a private-feeling pebble bay with crystal water and a single boat-house restaurant. Palma old town is romantic in a different way — the 14th-century Gothic cathedral (La Seu) is one of the finest in Europe, particularly lit at night from the sea wall. The Arab baths, the medieval Almudaina palace, and the La Lonja maritime exchange are all within walking distance. A terrace dinner in the Santa Catalina neighbourhood, with a bottle of local Binissalem wine, is an excellent Palma evening.
Palma City Lovers
Urban explorers · Foodies · Architecture fans · Art museum visitors Palma is one of the finest small cities in Europe — a genuinely beautiful, liveable Mediterranean city with a Gothic cathedral, Renaissance palaces, a vibrant food market (Mercat de l'Olivar), excellent restaurants and a creative design and arts scene that reflects the island's cosmopolitan character. The old town is walkable, the seafront is elegant, and the city has an energy and authenticity that the beach resorts lack. The Es Baluard Contemporary Art Museum, the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró (Miró's studio and home, open to visitors), and the Palau March sculpture collection make Palma a genuinely cultural city. The Santa Catalina neighbourhood, west of the old town, has the city's best independent restaurants and neighbourhood bars — a culinary scene that rivals Barcelona at a fraction of the price.
Budget Travellers
Backpackers · Cost-conscious visitors · Off-season hikers · Island explorers S'Arenal (El Arenal) south of Palma has the largest concentration of budget accommodation on the island — the long beach resort has hundreds of competing hotels and apartments that drive prices down, especially outside school holidays. Palma city itself has budget guesthouses in the old town at prices well below the coastal resorts in shoulder season. Pollença town in the north (not Port de Pollença, which is more expensive) is an authentically Mallorcan market town with good budget guesthouses and excellent bus connections to the north coast beaches. May and October are the best months for island-wide budget travel — prices fall sharply and the weather and sea remain very good. The Tramuntana GR221 walking route has budget guesthouses (Cases de Neu) along its length.
🏙️ Palma
Capital city. UNESCO Gothic cathedral, excellent restaurants, Santa Catalina nightlife, Miró Foundation. Best all-round base. Culture · Urban · Couples · All types
🏔️ Deià / Tramuntana (UNESCO)
Northwest mountain villages. Stone houses, olive groves, Robert Graves, Ca l'Abat cove. Most romantic and most expensive area. Romance · Culture · Luxury · Nature
🏖️ Alcúdia
North coast. 8km calm family beach, Roman ruins, medieval walled town. Best family beach base on the island. Families · History · Beach
🌊 Es Trenc (south)
Most beautiful natural beach. Protected park, white sand, turquoise water. No resort infrastructure. Requires hire car. Beach · Nature · Couples
🌿 Cala d'Or (east coast)
Series of small pine-backed coves in a purpose-built resort. Calm, clear water. Very family and couple-oriented. Families · Beach · Couples
🎉 Magaluf
Party resort. Punta Ballena strip, BCM superclub, boat parties. Exclusively young party crowd. Not for families. Party · Nightlife · Young adults
🏡 Sóller / Port de Sóller
Tramuntana foothills. Vintage wooden tram from Palma, orange groves, fishing harbour. Authentic and beautiful. Authentic · Romance · Couples
Tips for booking
- Es Trenc is best before 10am or after 5pm. Parking fills completely by 10am in July and August. Take a bicycle from Colònia de Sant Jordi (7km away) or the shuttle bus from Sa Ràpita to avoid the parking problem. The beach is worth every effort — it is genuinely exceptional.
- The Caves of Drach near Porto Cristo are outstanding for older children. The largest underground lake in Europe is inside the cave system — a classical concert on gondolas in an underground lake is one of the most unusual experiences in Mallorca and genuinely magical for children over 8.
- The GR221 is best walked from north to south in autumn (October). The route from Pollença to Port d'Andratx takes 7–9 days of easy to moderate mountain walking. Accommodation in village guesthouses is pre-bookable. October has perfect walking weather — warm but not hot — and the mountains are beautiful.
- Palma's nightlife is significantly better quality than Magaluf's. If you want nightlife without the extreme Magaluf atmosphere, Palma is excellent — bars, rooftop terraces and clubs on the Paseo Marítimo, and a genuine Spanish city atmosphere. Stay in the Santa Catalina or La Lonja neighbourhoods.
- Book Deià accommodation 6 months ahead for summer. The village has a very small number of hotels and the demand from international visitors (and celebrities — it has a loyal A-list clientele) means that quality rooms go very early. La Residencia should be booked a year ahead for July and August.
- Palma makes an excellent base for the whole island. The city is centrally located, the expressway network covers the island efficiently, and staying in Palma gives you the best urban quality of life on the island. Day trips to Formentor, Deià, Es Trenc and the caves are all feasible from Palma.
- The TIB public bus network covers most of Mallorca cheaply. Buses from Palma reach Alcúdia, Cala Millor, Porto Cristo and Sóller without a hire car. Renting a car for 2–3 days rather than the full week significantly reduces costs while still enabling the Tramuntana and Es Trenc visits.
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