Majorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands and with a flight duration of less than three hours from nearly every UK airport it's one of Europe's most popular holiday destinations. It offers white sandy beaches, ever-lasting sunshine, high quality restaurants and a lively nightlife.
Best for...
Majorca has long been a favourite with families and clubbers alike, thanks to its fabulous weather and great resorts...
The resorts in Majorca offer a great variety of holiday options, from lively Magaluf holidays where you can dance til dawn in one of the many bars or nightclubs, to chilled out family friendly holidays in Alcudia or Puerto Pollensa, with bustling restaurants, pretty harbours and shops - there's enough to keep all types of holidaymakers amused. Couples looking for a romantic hideaway should head to the historical town of Deia - a world away from the rest of the island.
What to do...
The main holiday season runs from April-October. Whether you visit for a weekend or a fortnight there are some things you must do before you leave the island - including visiting the island's capital city of Palma.
| There's enough to keep all types of holidaymakers amused... |
Just a short journey from the airport, Palma is perfect for a city break or a day trip. The city offers a good choice of culture with museums and guided walks, countless shops, fine restaurants and street cafes where you can sit and people watch. Any visitor approaching Palma cannot help but be impressed by the gothic cathedral Le Seu - a definite photo opportunity. Castell del Bellver is also a definite must see - the city's municipal museum. Set at the top of a hill, from here you can look out over the city and the bay for one of the best views in Palma.
From Palma, you can take the antique train to the historic town of Soller. The train takes a spectacular route through the mountains and, if you catch the special scenic train, it stops enroute so that passengers can enjoy a wonderful viewpoint high above the mountains and overlooking the small town of Soller and its family resort of Puerto Soller - which is connected to the rail terminus by 1920s trams - a piece of local history.
The resort of Palma Nova, together with its neighbour Magaluf, makes up the most popular holiday area on the island. Situated just a few miles west from the capital, most visitors come here on package tours from Britain to experience the beautiful beaches and wild nightlife. Palma Nova and Magaluf are basically merged into one through the vast numbers of hotels and apartments that have been built over the years, but Palma Nova is known as the quieter section of this hedonistic seaside development, more suited to families - holidays in Magaluf offer access to some of the hottest night spots in Europe - so in peak season this is not the place to seek out a quiet getaway. In recent years this area has undergone massive redevelopment and many of the high-rise concrete buildings have been removed.
Majorcan towns are from one extreme to the other. The market town of Pollensa, with its narrow streets and delightful squares create an atmosphere that sets Pollensa apart from most other Majorcan towns. Climb the 365 steps up to the chapel of Calvari for a view that you will not forget. Enjoy tapas and a glass of sangria in one of the relaxed outdoor cafes and watch the world go by, or take a trip to the nearby fishing village of Puerto Pollensa - a firm favourite holiday resort with families and couples returning time and time again to take a stroll along the pretty marina where yachts are moored.
Nobody can visit Majorca without sampling some of their fine cuisine. For a special treat, take a trip to Deia for a gastronomic experience you will not forget. There are at least three restaurants that are worthy of a Michelin star in this tiny village alone.
