Mallorca is one of my absolute favorite places. This was my second time visiting and it never ceases to surprise me with it's beauty and charm. Even though it's an island, you may find yourself surprised at how much there is to see. Palma is the capital and bustling with tourists with plenty of bars, restaurants and shops to choose from. You will also find grand resorts with stunning ocean views scattered around the island and the most magical hotels in the breathtaking Tramuntana mountains. If you are planning on visiting Europe, it's a quick 2.5 hour flight from London or 1 hour flight Barcelona!
Where to stay:
I recommend staying in Palma and making it your home base. There are definitely tons of other amazing area to stay, but if it's your first time then Palma will probably be best. We stayed at the BO Hotel and we loved it. The hotel was centrally located and very modern (and the beds were super comfortable!). There are tons of bars and restaurants just around the block and an Italian restaurant attached to the hotel. Here are a few other hotel options that I had bookmarked:
- ⭐Where we stayed: BO Hotel (from $209/night)
- ☆ Where we stayed previously: Nixe Palace Hotel (Oceanside/Near Palma - from $313/night): We stayed here the first time we visited Mallorca and loved it! It's about a 10-15 minutes taxi ride and looks over the ocean. One of our favorite things was enjoying breakfast on the patio at the hotel restaurant. The food was delicious and views were amazing! (Photos below were taken at the Nixe Palace).
- INNSIDE by Melia Palma Center (from $152/night)
- ME Mallorca (Oceanside/Near Palma - from $233/night)
- Boutique Hotel Can Cera (from $228/night)
Exploring Palma
I could spent a whole week just exploring Palma. Ok, well it's actually not that big so a week might be a little too long, but there are just so many cute restaurants that I want to stop by and eat at! You have to remember that in Europe they will eat, drink and talk for hours (whereas I'm used to eating in like 20 minutes or less and I'm ready to go lol). So many of these place have outdoor seating so you can sit back, relax and enjoy some tapas and wine for as long as you want. We are by no means foodies, and we barely scratched the surface of places to eat in Palma, but here are a few restaurants we ate at and enjoyed:
- Cappuccino Cafe: There are a few different Cappuccino Cafe's scattered among Palma and this was our favorite breakfast spot (we at there 3 times!). We ordered the Super Brunch every time because it was so good. Everything was so fresh and delicious...my mouth is watering as I write this lol.
- Cafe Coto: A very pink (and unique) restaurant that has great tapas and just steps away from the BO Hotel.
- Gastrobar Casal Solleric: We had their penne and goat cheese salad when we first visited 3 years ago and we couldn't stop thinking about it! We stopped by twice and ordered the dishes again :)
- Ombu: A European-Asian fusion restaurant, you will find some unique (but delicious) tapa dishes here!
5 Villages/Beaches to Visit
1. Es Pontas: I had seen photos of this rock formation online, but it was even more stunning in person. There's unfortunately no beach here, but plenty of beautiful views! It's about an hour drive from Palma.
2. La Figuera: Just a 10 minute drive from Es Pontas, this charming little fishing village is so picturesque and definitely worth a stop. It's very small so you can easily walk around the town and then enjoy lunch while overlooking the ocean.
3. Cala d'Or: This resort area is filled with beachgoers and is a popular hangout spot. We stopped here on our drive to take a quick dip in the gorgeous (but very cold!!lol) water.
5. Soller & Port de Soller: There is a train that runs from Palma through Mallorca and will take you to Soller. We took the train the first time we were in Mallorca and I definitely recommend it! You have some beautiful views of the villages in Mallorca and end up the cute town of Soller. From Soller you can take another train (or taxi) to the port. Restaurants line the beach and it's so dreamy you will want to stay there all day.
Getting Around: Neither my sister nor I felt comfortable enough to drive around the island, so we ended up taking a taxi around. Outside of Palma the roads were pretty open and definitely not as difficult as I thought they were going to be, so if you are an experienced driver I definitely recommend renting a car. The concierge at your hotel should be able to help you out if you don't want to rent a car at the airport.
If you have any questions, leave me a comment in the section below!
What to pack:
So beautiful photos, outfits and amazing views! :) Hope you had a good time there.
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