Judit Guerrero AndiñachWhen thinking of Mallorca, the first concepts that come to mind are ‘beach’, ‘party’ and ‘German foreigners’. However, this island located right in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea has much more to offer, in any of the four seasons of the year. Although its population is around 1.2 million people, during 2023 it received more than 14 million tourists, which has set a social debate for years to determine the future of the region. At the moment, there are two clear opinions: inhabitants that work in the services sector who need tourism to keep making money, in contrast with the ones whose job doesn’t depend on it and would rather be quiet without that much traffic from abroad.
“Mallorca couldn’t survive without tourism because the resources for other economical activities aren’t enough”, states Andrea, a tour guide in Palma de Mallorca -the capital of the island-. However, a possible option could be its deseasonalisation, as a way of spreading the amount of tourists along the year. This is already happening inside Spain with institutions like Imserso, which organize trips to Mallorca for Spanish pensioners not only in June, July and August but during the whole year. Moreover, the cheap flights from the Iberian Peninsula to the island have made it a popular destination during many other holidays like Christmas or Easter.
For this reason, hereunder there are six activities that can be enjoyed at any time of the year by anybody. Of course, some musts like visiting Palma de Mallorca or some beaches and ‘calas’ can not be skipped, but this reportage has tried to go out of the ordinary so that your trip is extra quality and you get to meet some of the island’s most enchanting towns and foods.
1. Take the tram from Sóller to its harbour
The particularity of this tram, apart from its age -its origin goes back to 1912- is that it joins the mountain and the sea in half an hour. For 9 euros each trip it takes you from the valley in the heart of Serra de Tramuntana to the huge luxurious port in where you will find many shops and restaurants, as well as the beach. But Sóller is also a really cute town with sites to visit like Sant Bartolomé’s Church, Carrer Sa Lluna and Can Prunera Museum. The tram leaves every hour from 8am to 9pm, but make sure to check the timetables in their website because they change depending on the season.
2. Eat ‘quelitas’ and ‘sobrasada’ in Inca
Inca is the third largest city in Mallorca and is located between Palma and Pollença or Alcúdia. On your way to visit these cities, don’t miss two of the most famous snacks of the island, for example, in the famous shop Can Company. Sobrasada is a sausage made by seasoning chopped pork with paprika, made on the island using locally-grown red peppers, and it has a sweet and a spicy version. On the other side, Quelitas are a kind of savory biscuit with olive oil from the brand Quely that have become really popular and can now be found in many variations: whole grain, thin, chocolate, olives…
3. Watch the sunset in ‘Cap de Formentor’
At the northern tip of Mallorca you will find this cape, where the upper end of the Serra de Tramuntana meets the Mediterranean. It is located on a peninsula at the north-east of the locality of Pollença and reaching it is free. However, during Summer -from the 1st of June to the 30th of September- its access is limited to residents, public transport, authorized and emergency vehicles and cyclists. Since nobody can leave Mallorca without watching a sunset, why not doing it from Formentor and making the experience even more special. It won’t leave you indifferent!
4. Let yourself be surprised by the Drach Coves
This cave, located in Porto Cristo, is popular for its 1,200 metres of length, its maximum depth of 25 meters below ground level and its stalactites and stalagmites. The price of the ticket for adults is 16.50 euros off season and 17 euros during peak season if you buy them online (1 euro extra for buying them at the box-office), and 10 or 11 euros for children from 3 to 12 years old. For children under 3, it is completely free, but be aware that trolleys are not allowed.
The times change depending on the season, but usually the first tour is at 10am and the last one is at 5pm. The visit is one hour long and includes a walking visit with a live music concert in the lake and a boat trip to cross it. Take into consideration that the temperature inside is between 17 and 21 degrees, the floor can be slippery and the environment is really humid, but the experience is definitely worth it.
5. Walk and photograph the beauties of Portocolom
This little coastal village is famous for its fisher houses and ‘Sa Cova Foradada’ -the holey cove- that perfectly frames the lighthouse. Walking around the place, breathing the gentile marine aroma and taking time to improve your photographic skills are some of the activities that you can do in Portocolom. Moreover, closeby there are some nice ‘calas’ like Cala Marsal in where you will be able to rest and enjoy the weather.
6. Get lost in Valldemossa’s streets and try its potato cake
After walking around this enchanting town and visiting the popular Sant Bartolomeu Church, go to Ca’n Molinas and order ‘coca de patata’, single or filled with chocolate, as well as other traditional pastries (they cost less than 2 euros!). This company has different cafés around the village in where you will be able to buy other traditional foods like ‘sobrasada’, ‘ensaimadas’, almond cakes and ‘panades’ among others. Since Valldemossa is located in a valley of Serra de Tramuntana, from there you will also be able to go hiking or riding your bike with amazing views.
A trip proposal from Barcelona
This itinerary has been organized for a four-day getaway from the 19th of April to the 22nd of April 2024. The plane, operated by Ryanair, leaves from El Prat airport in Barcelona and arrives to Palma’s airport and vice versa, whereas the hotels and the restaurants are spread around the island so that the travelers can choose in accordance to the activities that they would like to do.
As a summary of the activities that can be done during these days and that have been previously explained, here is an infography with the most relevant information like the location in the map, the price and the duration:
