What to visit in Mallorca, including a 7-day itinerary

We loved it so much in Mallorca! And to think that I got here by accident! It was like Russian roulette on the Ryanair website, we were looking for a cheaper flight and we didn't have a destination in mind, what's more, we didn't feel like going there or beyond, for Sicily we needed more days, in Alsace I couldn't really find food options, I didn't want a well-known and explored the place, so, in the end, I chose Mallorca. I did a little research and give it a go!

But alas, what I found on the island! It has a little bit of everything!! A big city, Palma, with typical Spanish buildings and a strong Art Nouveau influence (so I checked the architecture), villages in the mountains with traditional stone buildings that made us feel like in Tuscany, sea, beautiful beaches with fine sand, an absolutely spectacular coastline, mountains and dream routes to travel by car, views of millions! Not to mention the good food, because you're in Spain! And the weather is fantastic! Seriously, what else is missing?!

I stayed in Mallorca for 3 days and only saw the north side. I mean part of the north side. I have to tell you that this vacation was more about relaxation, so I didn't visit very many places. In fact, we split the days into two and in the morning we explored, then we went to the beach.

Yes yes, at the beach in October! I had read, but I didn't expect it to be that hot, it was a maximum of 26 degrees I think, but it felt like 30. It's true, the morning was a bit cold, and in the afternoon when the sun came through the clouds, it took you the cold if you bathed in the sea. But this weather was perfect for us because it allowed us to visit, stay at the beach, and not die of heat.

I will tell you in the article about what we saw and what there is to see in the northern part, then briefly about the rest of the island, because we did the documentation, we just chose not to run around and stay in the north.

When to travel to Mallorca

The Mediterranean climate makes Mallorca a pleasant destination all year round. The main season is between June and September, but summer is extremely hot on the island. So the most suitable periods are April-May and September-October when the days are warm and it is not so full of tourists. Especially in autumn, it is still warm enough to swim in the sea, and prices drop considerably.

We went at the beginning of October, without any hope of a beach, we were set to visit and possibly cool our feet in the waves. But the weather pleasantly surprised us, and we even stayed at the beach and swam in the sea!

The morning was a bit cold, 20 degrees, so in the morning we explored and in the afternoon we sat at the beach. I got 26 degrees, real feel 27, but they felt like 30 in the sun. It was serious beach weather, with sunscreen and the need for an umbrella! Not like August, but we sure would have tanned a little if we got down to business.

It's not like that every day, for sure, the day we went it was cloudy and there was some rain in the forecast. But we got good weather. Warm enough to enjoy the sun in the middle of autumn, but not hot enough to keep you indoors and unable to visit.

Accommodation in Mallorca

As I said, Mallorca has everything for everyone. The northern part is mountainous, with picturesque towns, and viewpoints high on the cliffs, while the south has many more beautiful beaches and famous caves. If you stay 3-4 days on the island, depending on what you want from your vacation, choose accommodation in the north or in the south.

But if you are staying for 7 days or more, I suggest you split your vacation in half and take two different accommodations, one in the north and one in the south. Although they are not extremely long distances, 1-1.5h from one end of the island to the other, maybe you don't want to spend that much time in the car every day.

In the north, I would choose accommodation in Palma de Mallorca itself (except that long-term parking is problematic here). Or if you prefer a smaller town but by the sea, Alcúdia or Port d'Alcúdia are very good options. But if you prefer a picturesque town in the mountains, get accommodation in Valdemossa, Sóller, or for a more local and less touristy atmosphere, stay in Pollença.

We stayed in Palmanova, a resort a little south of Palma de Mallorca. It wasn't a great choice, but all in all, it was good. We would have liked to go to Palma because initially, we didn't see it as a beach holiday, but the accommodations in Palma were a bit expensive.

So we chose the next best thing in terms of restaurants with gluten-free options, Palmanova. But it's a.. traditional resort. With hotels on one side of the street and shops full of chinaware, cakes, toys, and towels on the other.

We're not big fans of typical beach holidays, so we weren't too excited. But we had an apartment from which we went right down to the beach, which was really great, and the resort is very family-friendly, with playgrounds all around, another plus.

And the impeccable beach, with very fine sand (with that texture of flour, so pleasant to the touch) and clear water. Honestly, if I think about it now, I think we would also go to Palmanova next time, and explore even more the north side!

Suggested itinerary for 7 days in Mallorca

We have detailed below what to visit in Mallorca and based on our experience and thorough research we have done online, we have built an itinerary for 7 days. At a relaxed pace, but still covering the most special places on the island.

I thought for days 1-4 accommodation in the northern part of the island and for days 5-7 accommodation in the southern part. I only counted one day for Palma, although two would do.

• Day 1: Sóller, Port de Sóller, Jardins d'Alfàbia, Fornalutx
• Day 2: Son Marroig, Valdemossa, Deià (optional Cala Deià, Llucalcari)
• Day 3: Alcúdia, Sa Calobra, Pollença, Far de Formentor, Mirador de Es Colomer
• Day 4: Palma de Mallorca
• Day 5: walking in Cala Figuera, relaxing in Cala d'Or
• Day 6: Cala s'Almunia, Cala Pi, Caló des Moro, Cala Llombards and Mirador de "Es Pontàs"
• Day 7: Coves del Drac, Pont natural d'Es Caló Blanc, Porto Cristo

Car rental

Although you can get around the entire island by public transport, it's worth renting a car to explore at your own pace. We were very happy to give a decent amount for the car, just like we used to before the pandemic, especially at what prices they are going for now. I paid only €142 for 4 days, including insurance!

I didn't need a credit card, I could pay the guarantee for the full fuel (€109) with my debit card, they gave us a second driver for free, they upgraded us, who knows why, we had chosen the class the youngest, dreaming of a Fiat 500 (which we never get), and gave us a Kia Stonic with 6500 km on board, practically new.

As I said, we didn't walk very much, we only covered 300 km. The island is not very big either, it is about 80 km from one end of the island to the other, following the roads, which you travel in approximately 1-1.5 hours. To fill it up I paid €31.

I paid 2€ for parking in Soller (it costs 1€ per hour), and in Palma, it was a bit expensive, 3€ per hour, I entered in the fifth hour and paid 12.40€. Otherwise, we had free public parking near the accommodation, in Valdemossa the parking meters did not work so no one paid, and in Son Marroig a girl gave us her parking ticket because she no longer needed it.

I have been to Mirador Es Colomer before, where there is free parking. But basically, it costs about 1€ per hour to park, except in Palma.

Remember that in Spain you can park for free on the white lines, and the blue lines are paid. You usually have to pay a certain period in advance at the parking meter and leave the ticket on board.

In Palma I recommend you park in the Parc de la Mar car park, the location is very good, right opposite the Cathedral, it costs €3 per hour, just like all the car parks in Palma, and you don't risk a fine!

I read about other more central parking lots that you can get a fine after 7-10 months for entering a residential area. I don't know exactly what the residential area is, so better not to risk it.

What to visit in Mallorca - the north of the island

The north of the island of Mallorca, i.e. what can be seen north of the highway between Palma and Alcudia, is dominated by the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. And where there are mountains, there are wonderful trails and views of millions! We explored this part as much as we could in the three-half days we had at our disposal.

Palma de Mallorca

I wrote a separate article about Palma, we only stayed 4 hours here, but you can easily stay a few days and explore it properly. I really enjoyed the Modernista (Spanish version of Art Nouveau) side of the city, I ran after beautiful buildings, hidden gardens, and fascinating inner courtyards.

Soller

Soller is a very nice little town, with a splendid Cathedral! One of its main attractions is the historic wooden tram, which takes you 20 minutes to Port de Soller.

Basically, it runs every half hour. The ticket is bought directly on board the tram, a one-way trip costs €8 for adults, and children between 3-6 years old pay as much as €6. I didn't even get off the tram in Port de Soller, because I didn't have time, but I think it's nice to explore as well.

In Soller, you must stop for a while and admire Sant Bartomeu de Sóller, their gorgeous Cathedral, but also the former Banco de Soller, a building with a Modernist facade, right next to the Cathedral. The old city center is also very picturesque, and I recommend a stop at miga de nube, a slow cafe atelier that a friend recommended to me.

In addition to the tram, there is also the Ferrocarril de Sóller, an almost 100-year-old wooden train that runs between Palma de Mallorca and Soller. This one we originally planned to take, but realized it would have taken at least half a day for the whole experience, so we dropped it.

The old wooden train is slow, takes 60 minutes (while the bus takes 45 minutes), and a return trip is €25. On their website, where you can also find the timetable, you can buy a train+tram combo ticket for €32. It should be noted that it goes through a tunnel for about 10 minutes, so it is not necessarily recommended for claustrophobics.

What's special about this train, besides the fact that it's made of wood and is almost a hundred years old, is the fact that it reaches a viewpoint where you can't get to in any other way than by train, Mirador del Pujol de'n Banya. And that it goes over a viaduct with 5 arches, which I found very photogenic.

You can find the timetable on the same website as the tram, in the Train section. You can also buy the tickets online, and maybe it's a good idea because I read in the reviews that it's very crowded, especially in the first hour.

Valdemossa

Valdemossa is perhaps the most famous town in Mallorca, everyone knows about it. For this reason, it did not particularly appeal to me, but the road also took us here, and it did well. You know how it is, the most famous attractions became famous for a reason, they are definitely very beautiful. Same with Valdemossa, it has some incredible streets!

The city is also known because Frédéric Chopin lived here for a while, and even has a museum dedicated to him. We didn't visit anything in particular, but we ate ice cream and walked quietly through the streets.

There are two very large parking lots in Valdemossa, but I don't know exactly how much they cost, because both parking meters were broken when we were there, and nobody was paying.

We surprised the city from afar as we headed back to Palmanova. Just like in Tuscany, when I was running after the sights with the wonderful towns that seem to be dug into the rock.

Son Marroig

Son Marroig is a magical and beautiful place! Here is a viewpoint towards the Sa Fordara rock, and a little further down, to the left, is a villa with an absolutely delightful garden, a small pavilion, and an incredible view!

The villa was built in the 19th century by Archduke Louis Salvador de Habsburg-Lorraine and Bourbon, who fell in love with this place in particular, but also with Mallorca in general, as he was the first to make the island's beauty known to the world, through his writings its. The wonderful pavilion in the garden is made of Carrara marble, it was built in Italy and then brought here.

I found the garden spectacular, what a feeling the plum trees give me, so exotic! And you can see this view with the pavilion from the villa, from the 1st floor. You don't have access to the balcony, you can only take pictures from the window.

The entrance costs only €4 per person and you can freely walk around the villa and the garden. I think it's not a very famous place, I found out about it on Instagram, and there were very few people there. It's a real hidden gem of Mallorca!

Mirador de Es Colomer

How much we loved Mirador de Es Colomer!! It was the first place I visited in Mallorca! You have to park at the bottom point, you park for free on the opposite street, and you have to walk a short way with steps as if detached from Paradise! You walk high up on a steep cliff, with the sea next to you, and at the end an amazing view of Cap de Formentor awaits you!!

Pollença

On the way back from Mirador de Es Colomer we also stopped a little in Pollença. Although we didn't have it on the list of the most beautiful towns in Mallorca, it surprised us fantastically! The streets in the center are incredibly photogenic! It also has a nice playground if you are interested. We somehow came across playgrounds all over the island, Anna wanted us to stop at each one, and we stopped, what to do, it was also her vacation. But they were slowing us down. 😅

I parked for free in Pollença.

Other beautiful places in the northern area

There are many more places saved on my map that we didn't get to because we assumed a relaxed pace anyway. But I want to list them for you, in case you want to devote more time to this region.

Deià – is between Valdemossa and Soller. Cala Deià is its beach, very spectacular. Here in Deia is also the restaurant La Residencia, with a very romantic atmosphere and a splendid view!

Llucalcari – another photogenic town.

Banyalbufar – nice little town, very interesting is its beach, which also has a viewpoint where you can admire it.

Torre del Verger – the remains of a hilltop tower, a popular spot for sunset photos.

Fornalutx – a small town 8 km from Soller, I really wish we could get here. Maybe next time.

Jardins d'Alfàbia – a former estate with a historic Gothic-style house and a Moorish-style garden. The complex appears in literature since the Arab era of the island. The house, garden, and orchard can be visited. And this is where we planned to go, it is between Palma de Mallorca and Soller. We wanted to take the train from Palma to Soller, then the bus back, which also stops at these gardens. The ticket costs €8, buy it online to make sure you don't waste time in queues.

Sa Calobra – is a spectacular beach, flanked by two huge rocks. And the road here is wonderful, the road undulates between the mountains and even forms a loop (Nus de Sa Corbata).

Alcúdia – a slightly larger town with a lovely old center.

Cap de Formentor and Formentor Lighthouse – perhaps the most famous point of the island, it looks really cool and is a favorite spot for unforgettable sunsets. The view from the lighthouse is superb, and the balcony brings a special elegance to the image. Keep in mind that the road to the lighthouse is closed to cars in the summer, but there is a shuttle that takes you there. The road opens for cars only from September 15.

Albercutx Watchtower – the remains of a centuries-old tower built to watch pirates. The view from the tower is superb, you can get very close by car, and then you have to walk up a bit.

What to visit in Mallorca - the south of the island

We didn't go to the south of the island at all, so I'm just reviewing a few places I had saved.

Cala Pi Beach and Torrent de Cala Pi – a gorgeous little beach bordered by rocks, from which you can take a wow picture! 😊

Caló des Moro – perhaps the most beautiful and popular beach on the island!

Cala s'Almunia – a small beach right next to Moro

Cala Llombards – another beautiful beach

Es Pontas – a natural rock arch

Cala Figuera – the port of Cala Figuera is very impressive

Pont natural d'Es Caló Blanc – a natural bridge formed in the rock

Coves del Drac – the most famous cave on the island, leads you to one of the largest underground lakes in the world. Book a cave trip online (here if you're staying in the south of the island, and here if you're staying in the north), including hotel pickup, transportation, cave ticket, Porto Cristo walk, and pearl factory visit.

Coves dels Hams – another cave nearby

Porto Cristo – a small town only good for a walk

Son Servera and Església Nova – a nice little town with an unfinished church

Cala Gat and Cala Agulla – some more beautiful beaches

Cala Mesquida – a special beach with some sand dunes next to it

I hope you find our experience and tips on what to visit in Mallorca helpful. It's a fantastic island and has a lot to offer, I didn't know it was such a versatile destination and I'm glad I chose it. Not to mention it's a beach destination in the fall, in the middle of Europe, so close to home!

Have a nice holiday in Mallorca!