Mallorca
Why we loved Mallorca…
Mallorca is a small island, making it very easy to navigate across it and uncover the beautiful white sand beaches, the secluded, craggy coves and the pretty, stone villages all over it. It’s easy to see why the island is so popular with Brits, there’s plenty to do, the classic Spanish food is great and the weather is reliably hot most of the year. We also got married here, so we might be biased!
Adventure
Chill
Culture
Nature
Our One Week Itinerary
This trip bases itself in Soller and Arta to access the best parts of Mallorca in the North and the East of the island.
☆Don’t miss: Soller, a beautiful small town in a great location.
DAY 1: Soller
Fly into Palma airport, rent a car and head to Soller an easy 30 minute drive north. We used Soller and as a base to explore the north of Mallorca, although you could easily use one of the neighbouring towns of Port De Soller, Deia, Valldemossa, Alaro or Pollenca.
Soller is a quaint little town situated close to the sea on the other side of the Sierra Tramuntana mountains in a valley of orange groves. The town is full of great Spanish food and fresh orange juice, and has a local market in the main square on Saturdays.
Take a ride on the vintage wooden tram which clickety-clacks the short 1km ride from Soller to Port de Soller, giving you easy access to the sea. It’s a lovely ride as the tram rattles its way through Soller’s narrow streets, along the backs of stone houses with Mallorca’s classic green shutters, past many orange groves and then along the sea front at Port de Soller. Spend the day exploring Port de Soller and chilling out at the beach and then catch the tram back in the evening.
DAY 2: Soller
Hike from Soller to the quiet mountain village of Fornalutx. Every alleyway you turn down in this traditional little village is lovelier than the last. Wander round the town and have lunch at one of the cute cafes.
Head back along the other side of the valley. This route back will give you a great view of Fornalutx and over Soller in the distance as the trail descends, lined with dry stone walls, olive groves and orange trees.
DAY 3: Soller
Soller also has an old wooden electric train which runs through to Palma, making a great day trip to the capital. The train climbs its way up the mountainside behind Soller with spectacular views over the valley, before plunging underneath the Sierra Tramuntana and then coasting down the otherside through Bunyola and into Palma.
First stop should be La Seu, Palma’s huge buttressed cathedral which took over 300 years to build. You should visit the roof terraces to see the rose window and for a great view over the city.
We then followed a short walking tour of the main buildings of importance, narrow streets and city walls as suggested in Lonely Planet. Being the capital, there are plenty of great restaurants, bars and shops to make the most of before heading back on the train to Soller.
DAY 4: Soller
Head to Deia, taking the vertiginous coastal roads perched on the edge of the mountains as they plunge into the sea. Deia is a postcard perfect village set on the slopes of the Tramuntana. Because of this, it can be busy and parking can be tricky.
We would definitely recommend making a lunch reservation at the famous Ca’s Patro March restaurant down by the sea in Cala Deia. After its appearance in the popular TV series “The Night Manager”, reservations are a must.
Drive back on yourself to visit Valldemossa in the afternoon. Another lovely town in the mountains which is certainly worth a wander around.
DAY 5: Arta
Drive to the far East of the island to Arta, where we based ourselves to explore the east coast. Spend the rest of the day exploring Arta itself. There is a long market all the way down its main street selling interesting souvenirs as well as its famous local pottery and baskets. But the main attraction is the fortified Santuari de Sant Salvado church which sits regally above the town. The views across Arta and out to sea are fantastic from here.
DAY 6: Arta
Today is a beach day. Head out to Cala Mesquida, Cala Torta, Cala Estreta and Cala Matzoc. We started at Cala Torta and walked along each of the aforementioned beaches and the rugged headlands in between to Mirador Farrutx.
At Mirador Farrutx there is a small turret which you can climb for a fantastic view along the Balearic coast of eastern Mallorca. Head back the way you came and have a dip in the sea at which ever beach takes your fancy.
DAY 7: Arta
Head north to Cap Formentor where the scenery becomes very rugged and impressive. Brave the drive up the hair pin bends to Mirador de El Colomer at the top for an incredible view along the cliffs and over Cap Formentor.
There is also a little turret called Talaia d’Albercutx which you can climb if you take a few more hair pins higher up the mountainside. This offers more views over Pollenca Bay (Badia de Pollenca). Over the otherside of the pass are some of Mallorca’s best beaches such as Cala Figuera and Platja Formentor.
View from Talaia d’Albercutx
Day 8: Arta (If you have more time)
If you have another day, we would recommend a cycling trip along an old disused railway line between Arta and Manacor which has been turned into an excellent and very flat cycle track called Via Verde (the Green Way). We stopped off at the beach in Cala Millor for lunch.
Sunburnt Zebra Travel 