I have mixed feelings about Mallorca. We visited in February to avoid the summer crowd at the beach and wanted to have a quiet time during our stay. We spent 4 days in Mallorca and made the best out of it. However, we faced a few setbacks during our stay but that did not discourage us. Consequently, they were almost forgettable at the end of the trip.
Palma is the biggest city on the island of Mallorca in Spain. In fact, Mallorca is a very popular destination amongst tourists because of its innumerable resorts, bars, and restaurants. In addition, it hosts a long list of never-ending sandy beaches complemented with turquoise blue waters. Moreover, it also has a long and flourishing history that can be seen in the sophisticated baroque buildings and beautiful cathedrals.
Best time to visit
Mallorca has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. However, they are always crowded in summer. You can visit Mallorca during the shoulder months of June and September. But, don’t expect it to be empty.
The temperature is mild throughout the year. So, if you just want to enjoy the scenery, you can visit Mallorca in winter as well.
Getting there
It is fairly easy to get to Palma de Mallorca Airport because it is well connected with the whole world. From the Airport, there are buses going straight inside the city center. For instance, Bus number 1 is very frequent and gets to the city center in 30 minutes. The ticket can be bought inside the bus or outside in the Ticket machines at the bus stop.
Alternately, you can take a taxi which will cost you around 25 Euros.
4 Days in Mallorca
We took a flight from Frankfurt that took us directly to Palma de Mallorca Airport. Our Airbnb was a little outside the city. Therefore, we took the Airport bus until the city centre. After that, we took another bus that took us near our Airbnb. After this, it was an uphill walk which took us to our beautiful Airbnb with a sea view.
Incidentally, our Airbnb was located very close to a beach called Cala Mayor. It is a tiny but beautiful beach. Therefore, we decided to spend the evening in the beach followed by a sumptuous dinner. We had long plans for our 4 days in Mallorca. Thus, we decided to end the day early.
Day 1- Playa de Muro and Alcudia
Playa de Muro
We started the day early as we were planning to see two beautiful places on this day. One of them was a very famous beach called Playa de Muro. First, we took a bus to the city center. Then, we took bus number 351 directly to Playa de Muro. The trip takes around 1.5 hours and make sure to get down at Els Pins stop. From here, you can access the beach through one of the many lanes to your left.
Alcudia
Alcudia Old Town is probably one of my favorite places in Europe for its interesting history. Firstly, it is a walled town with a rich history dating back to the Bronze Ages. Secondly, this town was built as a defensive fort, mainly for the local fishermen and their families, to protect them from Pirate and Vandal attacks. Surprisingly, the wall still stands here, and inside is a quaint untouched town.
In addition, it has houses where people still live, some restaurants, hotels, ruins, and its very own church. The walk inside the old town was very relaxing and we also had some delicious lunch at one of the restaurants inside. After exploring a bit more, we took another bus to the city center, picked up some delicious Tacos before heading back to our Airbnb.
Tip: The places around Mallorca are very spread out. As a result, you need a lot of time for commuting. I would recommend you start the day early, especially in winter.
Day 2- The Sóller Experience
I was probably most excited about this day out of our 4 days in Mallorca. On this day, we took the vintage train from Palma to Sóller and spent the entire day in Sóller enjoying the little town with its beach and many other charms. As usual, we took a train at the Intermodal Station. You can book your tickets directly at the station but try to arrive early to avoid a rush. For instance, we missed a train and had to wait another hour before the next one.
However, we ended up spending a beautiful day at the little town. For more details, you can read the whole experience here. After getting back in the evening, we grabbed some dinner near the Intermodal Station in Palma before heading to our Airbnb.
Day 3- Beach Day at Paguera
Finally, it was a warm day so we decided to make a beach day out of it. The beach on our list was Playa de Paguera. We got the bus number 102 from the Intermodal Station and were on our way early in the day. However, we decided to change our plans a bit but we do not regret it at all. Incidentally, the bus made its way through a very scenic route along the coastline and made a stop at a place called Placa Santa Ponca. We were so intrigued by the scenery outside we decided to get down and check it out.
There was a small beach in a bay and surrounded by land on 3 sides. As a result, it was a beautiful place to take a dip. In addition, there were several bars and restaurants in the area. Therefore, we spent an hour in this place, enjoying the views and taking pictures before heading out on the same bus to our final destination. Lastly, we got down at the C/Mallorca – C/Eivissa stop and walked a short way to reach the Playa de Paguera.
The beach was beautiful with a little walkway going straight inside the water. We took a dip, but it was too cold. After that, we sat on the beach for a long time, walking in the walkway and enjoying a cocktail at a local beach restaurant. There were also a few families with children enjoying the sun and some locals walking their dogs. To sum up, it was the perfect beach day. After sunset, we took the same bus back to our Airbnb.
Day 4 – Exploring Palma
Palma is a big and beautiful city and we wanted to explore it a little before our 4 day-trip in Mallorca ended. Therefore, we checked out from our Airbnb and then deposited our luggage at a Luggage storage facility at the Intermodal Station. We had our flight back late in the evening and had the whole day to enjoy Palma.
Catedral-Basílica de Santa María
Palma is characterized by its grand and stunning Gothic Cathedral called Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca or simply La Seu. Naturally, this was our first stop.
The cathedral was absolutely majestic and one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever witnessed in Europe. Luckily, we got the opportunity to go inside and it was a magical experience. Of course, there were many tourists in the cathedral complex but it was spacious enough to accommodate everyone.
In the back of the complex, there is a wonderful view of the Palma de Mallorca promenade and the sea. After taking some pictures we made our way to the front of the cathedral where we saw many cobblestoned alleyways. After that, we bought some souvenirs from one of the many shops in this area.
Arab Quarters
We walked in the meandering alleys thinking about the age and history of the place. Mallorca was a point of attack by Pirates a long time ago. However, it survived and still stands tall and magnificent. Meanwhile, we slowly made our way into the Arab Quarters. In this place, you can see the remains of the Arab baths from the Moorish era. It was a nostalgic walk across these streets. After this, we made our way to the promenade at Palma de Mallorca.
Walk along the Palma Promenade
Next, we walked a long way along the promenade and had some delicious Paella with Sangria at one of the restaurants. As usual, the sea was beautiful, and it was a sunny day. We still had some time, so, on the spur of the moment we decided to take one of the buses that goes along the promenade just to enjoy the view.
Eventually, we decided to get down whenever the bus made a turn inland. It may sound silly, but it was a beautiful experience. Finally, we ended up getting down in one of the typical Spanish residential areas and followed Google Maps to a nameless beach.
There was a promenade and a beach here so we walked along it all by ourselves. In conclusion, it was a perfect way to end our 4 days in Mallorca. We took the bus back to the Airport before heading home.
What to eat
Food could be a bit on the expensive side in Palma, especially in the touristic areas. But if you make your way in one of the local residential areas you will find delicious and cheap options. We had most of our meals outside. There are also popular options like Pizza Hut and Mc Donalds in the popular areas.
Where to stay
I would advise you to stay as close to the city centre if possible. The local buses are not expensive but are not very frequent if you stay a bit away from the centre, especially during off season. Staying near the Intermodal station, however, will give you easy access to the rest of the island.
Activities and Budget
Must Do
- Visit the Palma Cathedral
- Visit as many beaches as possible.
- Make a day trip to Sóller
Unique Experience
Visit Old Town Alcudia.
- Get lost in the alleyways of Palma.
Budget
Food: 40-60 Euros for 2 persons with drinks
Stay: 50 Euros and more per night
Our door to door budget for the entire trip came to 400 Euros.
A few things you should know if you are planning to visit Mallorca in winter or in off season:
- The weather was colder than we expected during our 4 days stay in Mallorca and we did not have heaters in our Airbnb. So it was very uncomfortable to sleep at night.
- The public transport was very scarce and we ended up cancelling some of our plans because we simply did not have a way to get there.
- Most of the restaurants were closed and therefore most of the times we had to hunt for a long time before finding a decent restaurant.
- We stayed around 5 km away from the centre so we had to rely on public buses to get to the centre. However, the buses were very infrequent.
