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Holidays in Mallorca, Spain

Boutique hotels

Mallorca Overview

Spain

Coastline
Sierras and sailing boats
Coast life
Culture or cocktails

The biggest of the Baleares, Mallorca is a varied surprise: a rural patchwork of wheat fields, olive groves and tranquil villages; a cosmopolitan destination with well-edited boutiques and white-cube galleries; a series of beautiful beaches for party people and peace-seekers alike.

Mallorca villas and hotels vary almost as much as the island itself, from hip, minimal fincas to chic townhouses in the mountains. Palma is the island’s self-assured capital, where yachts and cocktails cohabit happily with ancient winding streets beneath the towering pink-hued Gothic cathedral. Drive for an hour, and you can escape the 21st century on the dramatic north coast or among the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. The hilltop village of Deià, with its literary credentials and an insouciant elegance, epitomizes Mallorquin glamour – the original boho chic.

Marvellously Mallorca

You can't miss La Seu – Palma Cathedral – the Gothic behemoth that rises from the bay. Take a couple of hours to explore the astonishing interior, and keep an eye out for the 20th-century additions from Gaudì, including an unfinished crown of thorns made from cardboard and cork. Rural Mallorquin life is best observed at the Wednesday morning market on the main square in Sineu: you can watch as horses, goats and chickens are bought and sold – it's great street theatre. The market here began in the 14th century, and it's one of the few places where livestock trading still takes place.

Local knowledge

Taxis
Cabs are cheap and easy to find in Palma itself, but you’re better off hiring a car if you plan to do any longer journeys around the island.

Tipping culture
Mallorcans don’t usually tip. A few euros is sufficient.

Siesta and fiesta
Banks close at 14h. Most bars and cafés open at lunchtime and stay open until midnight or later. It generally doesn’t get busy at restaurants before 21h, or before 23h at bars and clubs.

Packing tips
Take a Mallorquin phrasebook with you and try out a few words of the island’s mother tongue along with your Spanish.

Recommended reads
A Winter in Majorca by George Sand; Snowball Oranges by Peter Kerr.

Cuisine
Snack on pa amb oli, the Mallorquin take on bruschetta. Other specialities include lubina a la sal (salt-baked sea bass), slow-roast lamb, and frito Mallorquin – deep-fried offal and vegetables. If you want to get hands-on, Tyrone Power offers weekend cookery courses (+34 971 875395) in Sineu.

Currency
Euro (€).

Dialling codes
Country code for Spain: +34. Balearics: 971.

Do go/don't go
The temperature rarely dips below 30ºC in summer, when the island gets very busy. Autumn is less hectic and the water is at its warmest. In winter and spring, Mallorca is mild, sunny and peaceful.