Things to do
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Alcúdia Old Town
Medieval walls with restored gates enclose Alcúdia's old town, a knot of honey stone lanes a short way inland from the long beach of its bay. On Tuesdays and Sundays the market fills the streets in and around the walls. Just outside, the Roman ruins of Pollentia have a walking path through the excavations. Evenings are quieter, once the market stalls and the day coaches have gone.
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Bellver Castle
Circular in plan, which is rare in Europe, Bellver Castle sits in pine woods on a hill above Palma, with views over the bay and the city's rooftops. The walk up from the El Terreny side takes about half an hour through the trees, and a road reaches the top for cars and taxis. Inside, a small city history museum fills the rooms around the courtyard. It closes on Mondays.
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Cap de Formentor
At the northern tip of the island, the Formentor peninsula ends in sheer cliffs and a lighthouse, reached by a narrow road with long drops on the sea side. Stop at the Mirador des Colomer for the view down the cliffs to the islet below. In summer the road beyond the beach closes to private cars for much of the day, and a shuttle bus runs from Port de Pollença.
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Cuevas del Drach
Near Porto Cristo on the east coast, the Cuevas del Drach are show caves where the visit ends at Lake Martel, an underground lake, with a short classical concert played from boats on the water. Entry is by timed ticket and summer slots sell out, so book ahead online. The walk takes about an hour, with steps and damp floors, and sturdy shoes help.
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Deià
Stone houses stacked on a hillside under the mountain, with orange and olive terraces below, give Deià its look. Robert Graves' house is open as a museum, and his grave lies in the churchyard at the top of the village. A steep lane and path drop to Cala Deià, a small pebble cove with clear water. Parking in the village is limited to a few small lots that fill by mid morning in summer.
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Es Trenc
Pale sand and shallow turquoise water run for kilometres along Es Trenc, an undeveloped beach on the south coast backed by dunes and salt flats. With no hotels or promenade behind it, there is little shade, so bring an umbrella and water. The car parks fill by late morning in July and August; arrive early or come for the evening. One stretch of the beach, away from the main car parks, is used by naturists.
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Fundació Miró
Joan Miró's studios on the hillside at Cala Major, west of Palma, are kept much as he left them, with brushes and unfinished canvases in place. The foundation adds a modern gallery for his paintings, prints and sculpture, and a garden set with his works. An hour and a half is enough for a visit. It closes on Mondays.
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Mondragó Natural Park
Two sandy coves, S'Amarador and Ses Fonts de n'Alis, sit inside Mondragó Natural Park on the southeast coast, linked by a coastal path through pine and juniper. The water is calm and clear, good for swimming and snorkelling along the rocks. Car parks are small and fill by late morning in summer, so arrive early. The visitor centre hands out maps of the short marked walks.
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Palma Cathedral
Facing the bay from the old sea wall, La Seu is a Gothic cathedral whose interior Gaudí reworked, hanging a wrought iron canopy over the altar. Morning light through the rose window throws colour across the nave, so arrive early. Visits are by ticket on weekdays and Saturday mornings, and Sunday is kept for worship. Allow an hour and a half for the nave, the chapels and the museum rooms.
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Pollença
Sunday morning, market day, is the liveliest time in Pollença, an inland town in the north with stone streets and a central square of cafés. From the square, the Calvari stairway climbs more than three hundred steps between cypresses to a small chapel and a view across to the bay. The resort of Port de Pollença lies a few kilometres away on the water.
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Sa Calobra
Reached by a road that coils down the mountain in tight hairpins, Sa Calobra is a small cove where the Torrent de Pareis gorge meets the sea. A short path through tunnels in the rock leads to the gorge mouth and its pebble beach. Coaches and boats from Port de Sóller crowd it at midday, so arrive early and carry water. Drivers should expect slow traffic and cyclists on the climb out.
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Serra de Tramuntana
Running the length of the northwest coast, the Serra de Tramuntana is limestone mountain cut into terraced olive groves and stone villages, threaded by one winding main road. The GR221 dry stone route links refuges across the range for multi-day walking. Spring and autumn suit it, as summer heat makes long days hard. Cyclists share the road in large numbers, so drivers should expect slow climbs and tight hairpins.
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Sóller
Oranges grow across the valley around Sóller, a market town ringed by mountains and reached from Palma on the wooden electric train through the Tramuntana. A tram runs on from the town to Port de Sóller and its sheltered bay. Plaça de sa Constitució is lined with cafés under the church's modernist facade. Ride the train early or late in the day to avoid the fullest carriages.
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Valldemossa
Up in a mountain valley, Valldemossa gathers around a Carthusian monastery where Chopin and George Sand spent a winter, and their cells are open to visit. Cobbled lanes lined with potted plants lead off the main street. Tour coaches arrive by mid morning, so the village is calmest early or late in the afternoon. The bakeries sell coca de patata, a soft potato bun dusted with sugar.
