Majorca

Beauty in the Balearics

Majorca (or Mallorca as it known locally ) is the largest island in the Balearics and its capital city, Palma, with a population of 300,000 is the largest city of all four islands.  It has become a regular holiday hotspot for families seeking a week or two of sea, sun and sand, but it offers so much more, with dramatic coastlines and gorgeous countryside.

The island can boast a rich heritage just itching to be explored.  Majorca enjoys influences that stretch from the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans to the more modern Venetians, Frenchmen and Spaniards.  You can explore ancient castles, age-old farmhouses and renovated palaces.  Majorca has grown beyond the package-holiday reputation of the 1970s and 1980s to become a place associated with luxury and culture.

Palma is an ancient town but with modern appeal.  It remains a fishing port, and you can watch the fishermen putting their nets out to dry on the quayside.

Palma was once the most important trading place in the entire Mediterranean, and La Lonja, the stock exchange building, dates back to the fourteenth century.  These days Palma is a busy city with a range of excellent hotels and busy bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

For those keen to explore, you can visit the “old town” Casco Antiguo and take a stroll around one of the more expansive areas of old buildings in all of Europe.  The wonderful La Seu Cathedral was built as long ago as 1231 and is the only cathedral in the world that faces Mecca.  You could visit the Monastery at Valldemossa, or the Wine Village at Binissalem where you can sample the local award-winning wines.

Majorca only has only one airport, based in Palma, but flights land there from most of Europe and other places worldwide.  If you’re staying in Palma then it’s a taxi to your hotel, but if you’re staying elsewhere on the island you’ll need to make sure your resort offers a shuttle service, or for easier travel hire a car.

If your main aim for a holiday in Majorca is swimming and sunbathing you’ve plenty of places to choose from.  Majorca’s main holiday resorts are Alcúdia and Pollença on the northeastern coast.  The resorts and beaches in Pollença are excellent whilst the bay between Alcúdia and C’an Picafort has a massive golden beach.  For fun, you should visit the waterparks located in Gracillaso de la Vega, Aqualand Majorca and Western Park.

Magaluf is one of the most popular destinations for tourists, particularly from Britain and Scandinavia, in Majorca.  It is located on the southwest coast in the district of Calvia.

You can enjoy a variety of activities on the beach by day, and an intense nightlife by night.  Magaluf has some of the best nightclubs in Majorca, such as BCM, Buffalo Girls, Honeys and Tokyo Joe’s.

Majorca also boasts ten eighteen-hole and two nine-hole golf courses.  It provides excellent sailing facilities on the calm and crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean.  Plus, every weekend you can check out the horse racing at courses in Palma and Manacor.

The “big sister” of the four Balearic islands, historic Majorca enjoys over 300 hours of sunshine each year and has 350 miles of coastline to explore.  It’s a place that’s impossible to appreciate fully in only one vacation, which is why so many tourists return time and time again.  For the perfect mix of excitement, activity and relaxation, Majorca just cannot be beaten.