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Majorca, or Mallorca, the fifth Balearic Island, as the joke goes is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Mediterranean. Christopher Columbus (he was born in Majorca by the way, and is thought to have learnt to sail in Porto Colom), once you visit Majorca and move around the island a little you'll easily see why it's so popular. It has something to please all. Check out the superb arts and crafts on offer across Majorca, particularly the clay whistles Siurells. Historic monastries and churches abound, idyllic olive groves, cosmopolitan centres like Palma and Andratx, film and cultural events and sunshine, sea and sand and rural trips Majorca to die for. The panoramic landscapes of the Tramuntana mountains along the West side of Majorca, and running down to the sea on the East side at Port de Pollenca and Port d'Alcudia are breathtaking. Once bitten by the landscape of the Tramuntana mountains in the north, you'll be smitten, and check out the views as you cruise along that west coast winding and climbing C-710 road. Majorca is an island where you find yourself having to stop frequently to catch your breath, marvelling at the beauty.
Twenty eight beautiful beaches, many of them Blue Flag sandy beaches, hidden coves, an array of watersports ranging from diving, wind surfing, water skiing, good old pedalos, some surfing and a choice of large water/aqua parks. Golfing fanatics will love Majorca, with 11 official standard courses on the island. Some celebrity names emerge as you explore the island. To name a few, writers such as Robert Greaves or Junipero Serra who was born in Petra in Majorca and was crucial in the settlement of the West Coast of America in the 1700s. Chopin and his lover George Sand visted Valledemossa, and many a celebrity now has a second home on Majorca aka Michael Douglass and Catherine Zeta-Jones who are frequently held up like trophies by the Baleric Regional Government, yawn. Perhaps the most famous name associated with Mallorca is Joan Miro, surreallist artist supremo who was born in Majorca. His public art is everywhere in Palma and his home in Cala Mayor, just outside Palma, is now a contemporary art gallery with a choice pick of Miro's work plus some guest exhibitions that'll blow your mind, Louise Bourgeois and her spiral women being a recent example. Love the beaches, the clubs, the history, landscape, the many nature parks and the contemporary art, ohh and the cathedrals and churches of which there are rather a few.
Majorca holidays are a well established favourite with British holidaymakers. Majorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands, and basically has a split identity offering guests a more typical beach resort holiday, or move inland and to the north or west and discover a land of sublime landscapes. Majorca has it's own mountain range, the Serra de Tramuntana. The island of Mallorca has a built up holiday hotel coast in parts, but many areas are now protected from the encroachment of development, including the wetlands and bird haven of the north and east side.
Majorca's dramatic and varied coastline is a key attraction for holiday visitors. There are many marinas dotted around the coast, perfect for yacht berthing if you happen to have a yacht! Cala Rajada on the east coast is a particularly popular yacht berth. Inland discover unspoiled countryside and rugged mountains, mountain top monasteries and the fertile valleys of the Sierra de Tramuntana in the North around popular Soller, Deia and Valldemossa. It's a beautiful island, particularly to the West. It's a rugged coastline here is a mecca for walkers and Deia is particularly popular with artists and writers. The jutting out rock that is Mirador d'es Colomer up at Formentor in the north is stunning enough in photographs, but to visit and to be there is a spiritual moment indeed. Highly recommended, but please no diving!
Palma de Mallorca is Majorca's bustling cultural capital, offering an array of festivals including film and classical music, and a gothic sand coloured cathedral looming high up on a hill overlooking the port. If you're looking for a cultural break in Majorca with a focus on contemporary art and stylish specialist shopping on the side then Palma de Mallorca is most certainly for you. The off peak winter or spring seasons are good times to explore Palma, without too much oppressive heat as you wander about the city exploring the architecture, the many museums and art galleries and the stroll into Miro laden Parc de Mar, and the impressive promenade along Palma's port front. There is a small beach just outside Palma as well, just up from the Cathedral towards the airport. It's clean, small and friendly, but most probably if you're based in Palma and want a beach day you'd be better scooting down to S'Arenal, or even closer C'an Pastilla. Both have great Majorca beaches.
The Main Tourist Information Centre at Palma Airport, Airport T.I.O (Majorca Island Council), Aeropuerto Palma de Majorca, 07000 - Palma de Majorca, Tel: +34 971 789556, Fax: +34 971 789267
Majorca Baths in Palma anyone? The Majorca Baths are one of the few remainly marks of Moorish/Arab settlement on Majorca. Majorca has a complex and varied history and culture, having been occupied many times. Also, Mallorca has real archeological interest, offering sites which date from around 5000 BC, including Son Matg, near Valldemossa which is the oldest site of human occupation in the Balearics.
Discover the crude stone remains of Beaker Culture dating from 2500-1400 BC, and the Talayot cones built to cover funeral chambers. Don't miss the spectacular gothic cathedral in Majorca's capital Palma looming up on the hill overlooking Palma's enormous port. Palma Cathedral is especially interesting for it's internal design and decoration by Gaudi. Push out into centres like Arta with it's beautiful Santuari de Sant Salvador d'Arta, a popular resting place and lunchtime break spot with cyclists! Marvel at Pollenca, a treasure in Mallorca with it's superb textile designer, sculpturer and artist Marti Vincente Museum, sitting half way up the Pollenca steps. And check out that monastery at Lluc just to the north of Soller. You'll love the mountain drive up, which will seem like a doddle if you've driven around Palma!
The history of Mallorca is a fascinating journey indeed. There's been some revolutions (not the civil war kind) and some changes. In the first half of the 20th century Majorca was somewhat a mecca for films stars, royalty and other such classy people, especially after the errection of the elegant Hotel Formentor in the northern Port de Pollenca, the work and idea of Argentinian entrepreneur Adan Dihel, who took a few knocks building the finest hotel on the Mediterranean, near a beach which was not really considered the ideal location.
The Hotel Formentor, built in 1929 instigated a change in the island's tourist industry, and so it rolled on with the building of Hotel Cala Dor and the Gran Hotel Camp de mar. The island's coming full circle again, now with celebs like Michael Douglas, Michael Schumacher and Claudia Schiffer picking up a property on Majorca.
Majorca nightlife, clubs, restaurants, bars, cafes and all round family holiday evening entertainment is superb, and what gastronomy! Majorca means choice, from superb restaurants, friendly bars, and lazy cafes to pumping nightlife in resorts such as internationally famous Magaluf and Palma Nova with it's 150 watering holes and clubs, and neighbour resort Palma Nova which is a bit less in ya face?!
Magaluf, or Shagalluf if ya must, has a lot of character and gets a lot of stick from Daily Telegraph toned Majorca tourist information books. In reality, Magaluf's holiday feel changes with the seasons, and can be what you want to make it, either a clubbing mecca with a choice pick of big name clubs or you can make it a nice beach family holiday with it's superb clean and sandy beach, ample family friendly restaurants and all the comforts of home such as Sunday roasts and essential big football games in many bars. Slightly out of season, either late Spring or early Autumn, Magalluf is quieter and more of a relaxing Majorca holiday base, with usually some great special offer holiday deals available.
On the east side of the Bay of Palma, C'an Pastilla and S'Arenal offer familiar watering holes, and names like Macdonalds and Burger King have been here a while. There's a choice of tapas restaurants as well in many of the hotspot resorts on the island, and what you also might find is a fair choice of German menu. You could give that a go!
For the best of traditional Mallorcan food and wine push out a bit. Palma de Mallorca the capital will offer you prime choice of international fare, as well as some great bars and cafes, especially along the Promenade or on one of the many cafe lined squares in Palma where you can sit outside with ya shopping doing a prime bit of people watching. Fantastic for this Palma! If you're really feeling adventurous, you'll discover some fantastic resturants serving traditional Mallorca and creative cuisine, alongside superb Mallorca wines in places like Pollenca, Arta, Deia (with great mountain views as you eat). Take time to explore laid back Mallorca smaller villages and towns like Santanyi in the south, or sit outside sampling the superb menu at the Andratx Cultural centre, admiring spectacular views. Don't be afraid to push out to sample the many different faces of Majorca nightlife - it's easy with the hire car and if you can master a little pidgeon Spanish before you go it'll help you no end in the restaurants and bars when you're thinking of trying something new!
Mallorca's arts and crafts scene is excellent. Find Majorca fine ceramics in some of the island's many craft and food markets, or in smaller towns and villages. An array of Majorca specialist shops offer beautiful espadrille sandals, clothing and a choice of glassware and pottery. Particularly renowned are the Mallorcan Siurells, an assortment of white painted clay whistles, often painted in red and green. These have Moorish links and can be found all over Majorca. Top Majorca tip, Siurells are much cheaper to buy in the resorts, rather than in museums and galleries!
Majorca is renowned for it's blueish Mallorca pearl, and you'll see this in jewellery shops across the island. They ain't cheap, but they have a certain charm for sure.
Majorca arts and crafts, especially the pottery, clothes, creative accessories like bags, beautiful tiles with unique designs, ceramic Jesus' and Virgin Marys galore!, beautifully crafted plates and bowls and so forth. You'll find much of this arts and crafts scene in Mallorca markets held on certain days in most Majorca centres. Well worth hooking into a few markets, particularly at Pollenca and Arta. If you're someone who likes pottering about looking for little specialist off the wall ornaments or nic-nacks you'll find them in Majorca, guaranteed!
The choice of Majorca Watersports, Aqua Waterparks and holiday boat trips couldn't be better. Watersports you won't be short of in Majorca, especially in the key resorts like Magaluf, S'Arenal, and East Coast meccas like Cala Millor and Cales de Mallorca. Plenty of pedalos and family fun watersports at Port de Pollenca and Port d'Alcudia. The East Coast is great for the Tramuntana winds which provide welcome cooling during the peak summer months, but also natural assistance for favourite watersports like surfing and windsurfing. Try the smaller Cala Mesquida to the north east for prime surfer territory. They surf all year round here!
Majorca is one of the best locations in the Mediterranean for watersports, with an array of imaginative water fun rides, waterparks and watersports on offer in and around most top resorts. How about a banana boat fun ride! There's a great choice of fun blow-up boats, lilos, various animal shaped figures, armbands and rubber rings at many souvenier shops in Majorca resorts. All are cheap and you'll have bust it by the end of your holiday anyway, so it won't be overloading your case. Choose from pedalos, windsurfing, bananna boat rides, paragliding, plain surfing, or why not hire a boat. Small boats don't need licenses so you could explore that option, and take off round the Majorca coast a little on your own.
There's plenty of choice all-inclusive Majorca boat trips to choose from. Depending on where your resort or base is check out what's in the immediate area. If you're in the Bay of Palma, why not think about hiring a car and driving a short distance over to the West side of Majorca and hop on a day trip boat ride to Sa Dragonera island, a beautiful nature reserve with unspoilt beaches for swimming. If you're on the lower east side of Mallorca, how about hopping down to Cap Salines, via a Santanyi stop off and head out on a boat trip to Cabrera, a Majorca off shore island used as a prison during the Napoleonic Wars.
A little further afield, if you're in Port d'Alcudia or Port de Pollenca a day trip to Menorca, landing in Cuitadella is a real option with many small boat trips on offer, or take a larger ferry from Port d'Alcudia. For the really adventurous, or not as the case may be as it's really easy to do! Why not take a day trip to Ibiza from Palma de Mallorca port. Ferrys to Ibiza leave regularly early morning to Eivissa. It's only a couple of hours or so and Eivissa/Ibiza Town is a shopping mecca and a superb day trip walking around the old village of Dalt Villa high up on a hill.
For family travel Majorca and family holidays Majorca style, you can't beat the Formentor Peninsula to the north, including the Bay of Pollenca and Port de Pollenca which is increasingly becoming a popular family holiday area in Majorca. It's more low key, away from the crowds so is fast pulling families away from the Bay of Palma, and indeed the Bay of Alcudia in the east. You'll find everything you need for a good family holiday at these resorts, including many fully inclusive family hotel packages, superb safe, clean and idyllic sandy beaches where the mountains of the Tramuntana run right down to the sea in a dramatic backdrop. Watersports, boat trips, ample cafes, bars and restaurants along the Majorca coast and great clean beach promenades are the order of the day at these resorts, with hotels and self-catering apartments close to the beach in flat bay Majorca resorts.
Majorca caters well for family holidays, with numerous amenities and good beaches all essential when you've your hands full with a family and the tots. Both Port de Pollenca and Port d'Alcudia fit the bill well for Majorca family holidays. Don't write off the Bay of Palma resorts though. Magaluf and S'Arenal are as good as any for family holidays and these resorts offer perhaps more of the familiarities of home if that's what you're looking for, aka Eastenders Bar and so forth. During off peak periods they quieten down too!
For a real luxury Mallorca family holiday choice, opt for one of the many fincas or Majorca villas scattered about the island, usually away from the tourist crowds and off the beaten track. A finca is a luxurious rustic country house, much like a luxury villa with it's own swimming pool but with perhaps a little more historic character and charm. Fincas fall firming in the 'up-market' luxury tourism category and are becoming increasingly popular holiday self catering family holiday choices in Majorca.
Majorca shopping couldn't be better! George Sand, if she landed in Palma de Mallorca today, would certainly find plenty to amuse herself in the shops in Palma. Palma de Mallorca is a shopping mecca. Quite big as Spanish cities go so you'll need a good street map for shopping in Palma. A lot of tourist info books on Mallorca point you to this shop and that, but pottering around Palma is best, as little gems pop up that you might otherwise had missed had you been on some rigorous military shopping exercise. It's a pleasure wandering around Palma anyway, just for the architecture, with plenty of charming cafes in many hub squares to collapse in.
Shopping in Palma offers the full range, from top designer names to specialist ceramic shops, or clothes shops. Palma is a city conscious of it's style and edge, with age old architectural buildings, but a leaning somehow to the contemporary in both art and culture. You could spend some serious money here, and there are extremely expensive places to shop and frequent, but you can do the other bohemian thing as well, cooing over some of the best shoe shops on the planet. Camper shoes of course being prevalent, with their headquarters and history integral to Majorca.
Palma's many art galleries and museums are cheap to get in, all with good museum shops and check out the cafe restaurant at Es Baluard! The superb contemporary art gallery on Placa Porta de Santa Catalina s/n in Palma has a fantastic terrace with superb views of Palma's port and across to Bellver Castle. Great coffee here too, and close to the main shopping area in Palma. Around the Museu d'Art Espanyol Contemporani behind Placa Major are a choice of little narrow cobbled streets lined with some pretty exquisite specialist shops. Looking for something quirky and different, you'll find it in this area. Just make sure you've got a good upto date street map on you when shopping in Palma. Get your bearings by some of the main attractions like the obvious one, the cathedral on the coast and one of the largest squares, Placa Major if you're pushing into the heart of the city. Palma is a prime shopping city!
Other little Majorca shopping gems include hotspots like Pollenca. There's some real one off clothes shops here, plus great cereamics, Mallorca wine and spirits shops, and stationery shops coupled with some great cafes and restaurants. Pollenca eating out is particularly good on the vegetarian angle! A surprise good little shopping base for that off the wall gift is Santanyi to the south. Shopping in the resorts can be great for bargains. Look closely and you'll see many Majorca shops offering expensive perfumes particularly all duty free. You'll find some bargains aka Clarins, Lancome and all the rest in these shops. If you're looking for arts and crafts, often times they can be cheaper purchased in the resorts, for example the Siurells, than in museum shops or in some of the bigger towns and cities. Dig around in some of these souvenier shops in the resorts and you'll find a few pleasant surprises. Port de Pollenca and Port d'Alcudia being particularly good here. The best shopping in North Mallorca can be found in Soller. Lots of beautiful ceramics, jewellery, and bakers all crammed round a bustling main square. Well worth taking the toytown train up to Soller from Palma if shopping is your bag!
Majorca weather can be variable out of season, but this works well for visitors who come to the island for superb walking and cycling, as it's cooler obviously. Peak summer months are standard heat heat heat, but if you're visiting in early Spring, even in April, it's worth going prepared. You'll need your jumpers and a coat for night time frolics, as out of season in late Autumn and early Spring upto May you can get the warm sun during the day, but the nights go quite cold, and many hotel rooms are not fitted with heating!
Majorca gets the rain as well, what with the Tramunana mountains and all. If you're looking for a good beach sunbathing holiday then you're safe from May to September. Outside of that you are vulnerable to variable weather. George Sand's book 'Winter in Majorca' is a good example of not being prepared!
Late Autumn and early Spring seem to be popular times for visiting cyclists who come to Majorca for the superb landscape, and the challenge of the mountain climbs. Watch out for them if you're driving about in your hire car during these times. For Majorca weather updates and more check the main Balearic Islands web link to the right. They've got temperature reports every day, so you can see what you're heading towards.
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