Turquoise sea, delicious seafood dishes, snow-white beaches, mountains, hiking, cyclists … I can go on endlessly. And all these words will be about one place — about Mallorca. But it’s better to see than to hear. And what can you see in Mallorca? I’ll tell you now:
1. Palma de Mallorca
Let’s start with the capital — Palma de Mallorca. People call this city the “pearl of the Mediterranean”. And like a pearl, this city can be admired endlessly.
The narrow alleys around the Plaza Mayor are full of small boutiques and shops of local designers, at the same time Palma’s high streets, Avenida Jaime III and Paseo del Borne, offer the elegant labels of world-known fashion brands. If you are tired of shopping you can dive into the cultural life of the city. The museums Es Baluard and Palau March offer diverse exhibitions and classical music concerts throughout the year.
Hungry? It’s time to go to the quarters of El Terreno, Santa Catalina, La Lonja or Paseo Marítimo on Palma’s seafront. These parts of the city are thriving with an abundance of new restaurants and bars, making them popular areas with the party crowd. In general, I think everyone will find something attractive in the city of Palma.
2. Pollença and Port de Pollença
The town of Pollença is an ancient town of charming narrow streets and an impressive main square, lined with cafés, restaurants, and bars – just a few kilometres from the northern resort of Port de Pollença.
Pollença has a port: Port de Pollença ( Puerto de Pollensa ) is both a port and a resort, especially famous among the British. A distinctive feature of this port are the coniferous trees, whose branches hang directly over the water and give this place a unique aroma. Port de Pollença has good facilities and long sandy beaches which make it an ideal family holiday spot. This is more “summer place”. But yes, there is still a bit of life during the winter, but just a bit.
3. Sóller and Port de Sóller
The lemons from Sóller are the best in the world — that’s what locals will tell you in this cute town. The town of Sóller is located in the west of Mallorca. In the 19th century, when the area was isolated from the rest of Mallorca by mountains, the lemons were shipped to France from the nearby west coast Port de Sóller. It was the time when many locals went to work in France and the French came to Sóller to build a second residence.
Later the Sóller road tunnel was opened. That means that the town started to have good access to the rest of Mallorca. And it became very famous among tourists.
Try the most famous activity here: take the popular excursion to Sóller, on the old wooden train, leaving from its station in Palma’s Plaza de España. It’s an extremely picturesque journey. Get off at the central square. There you’ll find numerous bars and cafés, and the church of Sant Bartomeu. And you can find a very nice museum called Can Prunera – a beautifully restored Art Nouveau building with a great collection of works by Kandinsky, Picasso, Warhol, Miquel Barceló and other artists. Also, there is the Balearic Museum of Natural Sciences, Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals, and the Jardí Botànic with the local species of plants and trees.
After the walk in the centre of town, you can go to Port de Sóller. It offers many restaurants for all tastes and budgets, and a beautiful sandy beach, Platja d’en Repic.
4. Deià
The small village of Deià is one of the prettiest villages on the island. It is located at the foot of the Puig del Teix mountain and has views out to the Mediterranean below. Just imagine that! And you’ll understand why it has been and continues to be a magnet for famous artists, writers, and other creative people.
Of course, it has some obvious disadvantages too: very busy roads during the summer and it’s almost impossible to park in the village. But these small minuses are not so important when you see such a unique place.
Lifehack: you don’t need to stay in the best hotel in Deià, Hotel La Residencia, which was owned by Sir Richard Branson. You can just go there to drink a glass of cava on the terrace.
After that take a walk. A 20-minute stroll from the village takes you down to Cala Deià – a small rocky cove with a beach – and beach restaurants which are famous for their fish dishes and incredible beautiful views.
5. Valldemossa
Another treasure on our list is Valldemossa. It is very close to Palma. Around 15-20 minutes of driving from the city into the Tramuntana mountains, but feels like a different planet. This is the highest town in Mallorca. And it is famous for the fact that Frédéric Chopin and writer George Sand spent the winter of 1838-1839 there, staying in rented rooms in the monastery. And, as a result, it’s probably Mallorca’s most visited town.
You can visit Valldemossa’s Real Cartuja, including the cells where Chopin and Sand stayed. It contains the composer’s piano and other artefacts. But if you also want to listen to music, visit the village in August, when Valldemossa hosts the annual Chopin Festival.
The cultural life of this lovely town is not limited to a music festival. Valldemossa is also home to a contemporary cultural centre, Costa Nord, established by Hollywood actor Michael Douglas. By the way, his home S’Estaca is just off the Valldemossa to Sóller coastal road, near Deià.
6. Santanyí
Another cultural centre of the island is Santanyí. It has attracted many international artists over the years. One of the most fascinating galleries is located directly on the main road: The Galeria Sailer. It offers a stunning collection of pre-Columbian textiles and antique Kalims, modern paintings, sculptures and other fascinating objects.
On the market days of Wednesday and Saturday, the narrow streets are closed to traffic and the cafés put tables and chairs out onto the streets.
7. Porto Colom
Porto Colom was named after Christopher Columbus. It’s a traditional fishing village, which gives it much of its charm. A lot of boats, old fishing cafes, and the smell of fish give this place a special atmosphere.
Even during the summer, it is pretty quiet and it will not be a difficult mission for you to find a parking spot there. Porto Colom doesn’t have many shops but there are one or two interesting ones – mainly along the long quayside. If you are serious about shopping, it is better to go to Felanitx or Santanyí.
As you have already understood, Mallorca is a unique place. And people of different ages, professions, and lifestyles will feel comfortable there and will be able to discover many interesting places. Because Majorca is like a treasure box.
By Lilya Syromyatnikova
@digidogs
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