Introduction.
Are you thinking about your next summer holiday? Are you looking for a destination in Europe that melds both city and country village together? Consider Mallorca, the largest of the Spanish Balearic islands. It’s one part European city-feel, another part European countryside. In this post, we share a 4-day itinerary that explores the various regions of the island and because this is after all, first and foremost, a dessert travel blog, we will revitalize you with some great dessert recommendations too. 🙂 But, fair warning, we have perhaps been to too many European cities and small towns already, because for us, Mallorca – aside for the desserts – was a predominantly underwhelming experience that left us questioning its famed appeal.
The best 4-day itinerary in Mallorca
Day 1: Explore Old Town Palma
- How to see? DIY walk-around.
The capital of Mallorca is Palma, and the historic section of it is known as Old Town Palma. It reminded us of a little of both Madrid and Granada. For example, the tree-lined main thoroughfare known as La Rambla was bordered by upscale designer stores that wouldn’t be out of place in Madrid. And the formidable-looking stone cathedral that overlooks the ocean reminded us of Granada’s Alhambra.
What we loved most about Palma though, were the desserts. We didn’t come across anything like them elsewhere in Spain. Of the many bakeries we visited in Mallorca, the two we recommend the most are:
- Horno Santo Cristo – come here for the Mallorcan “enseimada,” which is a swirly spiral pastry dusted with a snow shower of icing sugar, and filled with custard cream. Skip the rest.
- Fornet de la Soca – come here for all other Mallorcan pastries, savoury and sweet. We visited almost every day. 🙂
Day 2: Alcudia, Fomenter, and Pollenca
The towns of Alcudia, Fomenter and Pollenca are located in the northern region of Mallorca. Alcudia is famed for its street markets, but these are overwhelmingly comprised of (very) cheap clothing stores. Hard pass. We actually prefer climbing the old city ramparts that border part of the town. The Cap de Fomenter was more memorable, though it will require a blisteringly-hot hike to the viewpoint to photograph the soaring mountain range against the azure blue sea. Unfortunately, during our visit in the month of September, the road leading up to the Fomenter Lighthouse was closed to public, so do check opening periods in advance!
Day 3: Drach Caves and Valldemossa
You can visit both Drach Caves and Valldemossa in the same day. They make for easy half day trips from Palma.
Have you explored a subterranean cave system before? Years ago, we were left traumatized when a school excursion saw a larger-than-average classmate become stuck within a rock tunnel. Some years later, we overcame that fear of caves and became mesmerized by an extraordinary labrynith of startling white caves in Fengdu, China. If you haven’t been to a cave system before, Drach Caves makes for an easy introduction, but for us, it didn’t surpass our Fengdu experience. Drach, by comparison, is incredibly crowded, and the lighting ought to be upgraded and revamped to really showcase the site. But, what distinguishes the experience is the chance to listen to a classical music concert being played by musicians sitting on boats that drift across a candle-lit subterranean lake. It’s a very “Phantom of the Opera“-like experience. After the concert, if you had the foresight to strategically sit towards the top-left hand of the seating area, you will have a chance to jump on one of the boats and cruise across the same subterranean lake.
Situated 30-minutes away from Old Town Palma, Valldemossa is a small village that is easily accessible by the Line 203 bus. It’s a pretty town, but if you have visited the little towns in Italy’s northern lakes region, for example, it won’t surpass that experience. You could walk it completely in about 2 hours, even if taking a lot of photos of the flower-strewn balconies and doorways. Another picturesque little town to consider is Deia.
Day 4: Tour the island via Sa Calobra and Soller
Mallorca’s “Island Tour” is heavily marketed by every hotel and tour agency you will come across during your visit to the island. We would not recommend. From Palma, you board a giant tour bus that travels through an area described as “scenic.” It will be “scenic” to you if you have no problems with a bus driver continuously blaring his honk and dodging daredevil cyclists while screeching down sinuous mountain roads that curl into tight hairpin bends every few minutes. The more accurate adjective to describe the drive might be “nauseating”…
Then, you reach Sa Calobra, which is apparently a famous “beach.” Having grown up in Australia in close proximity to wonderful beaches, a beach is an area where there is sand. Sa Calobra is more pebble garden than beach. We were left stupefied by the number of tourists splayed across the rocks, suntanning themselves into red lobsters. 😦
From Sa Calobra, you take a ferry to Soller. It’s a cute seaside town that exudes a more casual vibe, as compared to, for example, the French Riveira. From Soller, you cram into sardines with other tourists onto a wooden tram, and then you disembark from this tram to hop onto a train that is perhaps the most relaxing aspect of the entire day. If we were to repeat this day, we would spend the day in Soller, and completely skip the rest.
Dessert adventure checklist
- ☑ Dessert destination: Mallorca, Spain.
- ☑ Budget: $-$$.
- ☑ Sweet irresistibles: Enseimadas pastries.
- ☑ Travel notes:
- How long? We think there are better islands in Europe to spend your time, but if you are planning to go, consider 3-4 full days in Mallorca.
- When to vist? We visited in September, which we typically feel to be the most ideal month to visit the southern Mediterranean region. It was warm, with no rain, in the range of 25-30 degrees Celsius.
- How to get there? We flew from Barcelona – there are many flights almost every hour going between Barcelona and Palma.
- Where to stay? We stayed at Hotel Born, which is a beautifully-appointed historic hotel in Old Town Palma. Do note however, there are no elevators, so if you have mobility issues, it will not be convenient.