Where to stay in Mallorca for 6 nights?

Old Sep 20th, 2022, 03:34 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Where to stay in Mallorca for 6 nights?

Me and my parents are going to Mallorca 1-7 June next year and I am really struggling on what area to stay in!

I have been doing lots of research and everything I want to see seems to be spread out all over the island!

My question is do we stay in Palma where it is central and do day trips to all the places or should we split up our time between 2 different places (e.g 3 nights in Palma, 3 nights in Cala Millor/Colonia De Sant Jordi/ Cala Ratjada).

I’m not interested in Magaluf or anywhere that is just a huge resort town.

About us:
  • I am 25 and my parents are early 50’s
  • From Australia and first time to Mallorca/Spain
  • We will have come from a 3-week trip around Spain so keen for a location that has beautiful beaches but also a cute authentic town.
  • Looking for somewhere where there is enough happening/ plenty of cafes/restaurants but also not a huge resort town with no authentic culture.


Thank you so much in advance!
newbietraveller3 is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 02:06 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
The first thing to recognise, is that Mallorca is not an enormous island. From Palma, you can be anywhere else in an hour or so if you have a car. Magaluf and Palma Nova are no noes as you recognise and the east coast doesn't interest me much with places like Cala d'Or, again just resorts. Palma has a good selection of hotels and restaurants, but IMO doesn't have that much of a Spanish feel to it. Pollensa in the north is much more attractive, close to Puerto Pollensa and has a much more Spanish atmosphere. Good restaurants and a choice of hotels and shopping. It's a small place but lovely.

We usually use the Hotel Son Sant Jordi in the town and if we feel like pushing the boat out, we stay at Son Brull.
Rubicund is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 07:15 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I agree fully. with all that Rubicund has told you. I used his Mallorca posts here for my trip planning.

We began this summer's Spain stay with 2 weeks in Mallorca--the first week in the Tramuntana area to visit the highly picturesque towns of Deià, Valldemossa, Fornalutx and Sóller then further north to Pollença, Alcúdia and Port de Pollença.
While Sóller has lots of charm, it was heaving with tourists (mostly Northern European) during the day, as many came from Palma on the historic tram for a day trip. We had the town mostly to ourselves at night and enjoyed our evenings there very much. Visually it reminded me quite a bit of a Provençal or Languedoc town. We did take the vintage tram several times down to the Port de Sóller, which does have nice, expansive beaches but is quite developed, not "quaint" to our eyes.

We found that the northern coast had a much more authentic feel, especially the charming village of Pollença. One can reach the Port de Polllença and its beaches easily by car or public bus. And as Rubicund notes, Pollença has excellent boutiques, some terrific restaurants and the area produces some very good wines. We stayed at the Mon Boutique Hotel in the heart of the village and day tripped to Port de Pollença and Alcúdia. We also saw the Son Brull, which is a gorgeous estate but was a bit beyond our budget.

We spent our 2nd week in Palma itself but found that 7 nights was just 4 nights too many for us. It was just packed with tourists as it's a major summer resort especially for Northern Europeans and lacked the charm of the northwest of the island (and its historic quarter now has a definite graffiti vandal problem, side by side with some interesting street art). Again for us, 3 nights in Palma would have sufficed. From Palma the most popular day trips are to Valldemossa by bus and to Sóller by the historic train.
Maribel is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 08:22 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 323
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Getting around is easy using public transport.
https://www.tib.org/en/xarxa-de-transports/mapa-linies
https://www.emtpalma.cat/en/lines-timetables

Beaches I would avoid Cala Mesquida. The resort buildings spoils it.
Es Trenc beach is very nice. I believe it can be reached by bus.
VANAARLE is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 03:51 PM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you so much for the reply!
Did you like moving around the island to stay in different places? I'm trying to work out whether to stay in 1 spot or 2!
Also where did you stay in Palma and Soller? Thank you so much!
newbietraveller3 is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 04:23 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
In the Sierra de Tramuntana, arguably the prettiest section of the island, we stayed in 2 spots, the picturesque towns of Sóller and Pollença.
In Sóller we stayed in town at The Salvia, a gorgeous former merchant's mansion with garden & pool. We have friends now who are staying at the more secluded Son Grec Petit Resort, a 10-minute walk from the center of town, also with gardens and pool, but more expensive.

But if you want to be AT the beach, you should choose Port de Sóller or Port de Pollença. The former port seems to us more upscale/sophisticated than the latter and is surrounded by mountains, while the latter has larger and more expansive beaches and broader, wider sea views. The latter attracts a large crowd of families, primarily British. Currently the road out to Formentor is closed to private vehicles but one can take a boat ride from the port's pier. Nearby the historic quarter of Alcúdia is pretty and character filled (good for a morning or afternoon visit), but we found the Port de Alcúdia character-less.

At Port de Pollença we did inspect the lovely 4-star Hotel Illa d'or on the Pine Walk (it has its own yacht for guests' use, a spa and beautiful seaside restaurant where we had an excellent lobster paella lunch. We could have been happy there. We also could have been happy at the Hotel Espléndido in Port de Sóller, but we chose the charming, character-filled towns of Sóller and Pollença because our main focus wasn't swimming or sunbathing or water sports.

In Palma, because we stayed for 7 nights, we chose the serviced apartments, Fil Suites, in the historic quarter, and our suite with kitchen sitting room, bedroom and glassed in terrace was huge! We did check out at least a dozen or more hotels (just ask!), from 3 and 4-star to luxury (for business purposes). We have friends, a family of 5, who loved their stay at the 5-star Es Princep, but there are many other less pricey options in Palma---something for (almost) every budget. But Palma hotel prices run high, especially in June.

We did lots of research on the web site of property agent Helen Cummins, as she has great photos and really detailed descriptions of the various Mallorcan holiday spots.
https://www.helencummins.com

Ditto to the web site, The Other Mallorca
https://www.theothermallorca.com

And here-
https://www.theothermallorca.com


Hope this helps!

Last edited by Maribel; Sep 21st, 2022 at 04:58 PM.
Maribel is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 09:09 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 323
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by newbietraveller3
Thank you so much for the reply!
Did you like moving around the island to stay in different places? I'm trying to work out whether to stay in 1 spot or 2!
Also where did you stay in Palma and Soller? Thank you so much!
My advise is for 6 nights (that is only 5 days ) the max changes of location you should think about is just 2. The more you change location the more time you loose packing and unpacking registering in and out of accommodation is also time lost.
VANAARLE is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 10:39 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 25,493
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Don't avoid the idea of using bicycles on the island, the place has lots of back roads and bike hire. I've spent a fortnight on the island touring and also stayed in two monastries for an "interesting" stay, one had a great restaurant and the other was more spartan.
bilboburgler is offline  
Old Sep 22nd, 2022, 11:25 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
newbie,
If you do decide on Port de Sóller, there are 2 other less expensive hotels than the Espléndido (which in June was outside of our budget): The Hotel Geranios is on the quieter left side of the port facing.D'en Repic beach that gets solid reviews from the UK posters on the TA Sóller forum and the busier Hotel Marina next door (service problems on the outdoor terrace restaurant but the hotel is tidy).
There are two beaches at PS and a wide range of water sports available. We really regret not taking the one hour boat ride from the port to Sa Colobra.

https://www.barcoscalobra.com/sa-cal...lobra/?lang=en

And as bilbo notes, this area is a haven for cyclists. The white knuckle, hairpin curve 13-kilometer road down to the tiny cove of Sa Calobra (which we didn't dare do by car!!!!) is said to be Mallorca's toughest cycling road and one of the most picturesque roads in Europe.

https://www.epicroadrides.com/cyclin...calobra-climb/


Maribel is offline  
Old Sep 23rd, 2022, 12:48 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Have you considered including Menorca? At less than 100km (under 3h by ferry) from Mallorca, you have one of the most beautiful islands of the Balearic Islands. This is not to say Mallorca doesn't have very nice spots, as mentioned earlier, but Menorca -less known to international tourism- has a myriad of pristine towns and natural landscapes that are a delight and more 'authentic' I'd say. Menorca hasn't changed its ways to cater for visitors as much as Mallorca if you catch my drift.

Search more here: https://www.menorca.es/portal.aspx?IDIOMA=3 and check the Menorca Tourist Office Youtube channel too: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHh...edWuGieIk1EVIQ

Btw, to reply to a comment above: the culture in the Balearic Islands is not "Spanish" as such, not in the sense some people will picture anyway. The Balearic Islands have been heavily influenced for many centuries by the cultures of the former Crown of Aragon -more specifically Catalonia- due to their history and commercial and cultural links, and the traditions, customs, values, cuisine and even language (the local languages on the islands are different varieties of Catalan) have more similarities with them than with those influenced by the former Crown of Castille, namely Madrid, Andalucia o Extremadura among others. So expect a rather different 'scenario' altogether. Just sayin'.

And, if you have the time, a bit further away from Mallorca you have the smallest of the islands, Formentera, which is certainly the less spoilt of them all by a long shot... very worth a visit.

More info: https://www.formentera.es/en/

.

Last edited by EnricM; Sep 23rd, 2022 at 12:52 AM. Reason: Adding Formentera remark
EnricM is offline  
Old Sep 23rd, 2022, 02:24 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Maribel, thank you for the kind words and I hope that I was of some use in your trip planning. A couple more places to think about seeing on the island; Andratx is a nice little port in the south west, next to Sant Elm, a tiny port with a couple of excellent restaurants overlooking the harbour. Try the Caragola, it's really good.

The history of the islands goes back to pre historic times, but I'd guess that they became more important when the Romans set up camp there. Remains of the Roman occupation can be seen in various places, especially just across the road from the walls at Alcudia. The Catalonian dialects spoken on the islands are different from Spanish, but for those who haven't been to the area before, it gives an idea of the local culture to use the word Spanish as it's closer to Spanish than any other. Catalonian dialects are certainly the closest. However, Spanish is widely understood and spoken.

With only six nights, I think I'd stick to the one island and save the others for next time.
Rubicund is offline  
Old Sep 23rd, 2022, 06:02 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, I don't think it's worth wasting too much time on this matter, but I'd like to clarify that I was talking about CULTURE, not language... the latter being just one part of what the term "culture" embraces. It's clear to any observer that traditions, mores, etc in the Balearic Islands have far more in common with certain territories than others, with whom they only share the fact they're now under the same jurisdiction, so to speak. Whether a territory is ruled by this or that country at a given moment in History does not necessarily mean the same culture is shared uniformly. There'll obviously be influences here and there but that does not make it "the same". As an example, and sticking to more recent times but without getting political, the Philippines or Equatorial Guinea, despite having been ruled by Spain for a long time (centuries!), one until 1898 and the other as recent as 1968, I imagine we all agree that they have very few things in common with "Spanish culture", don't we?

For different reasons, some tourists come to Spain with the impression they'll see/experience the stereotype of culture displayed for decades in Hollywood movies and creaky tourist brochures, and then some get disappointed when visiting certain territories and discover these do not apply. So for those adamant about living the vibrancy, passion and richness of the Castillian culture -often referred to as "Spanish culture"- in all its forms, the Balearic Islands -or the most easter coast of Spain for that matter- might not be the best place to start as you'll immediately realize their culture -academically defined as "all the ways of life of a population that are passed down from generation to generation"- differs greatly.

Apologies for entering into these "dissertations"
EnricM is offline  
Old Sep 23rd, 2022, 12:09 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Rubicund,
Your notes were indeed a great help to me, and because of you, we decided to spend 4 days in Sóller then move on to really charming, atmospheric Pollença, which I'm really glad we didn't miss, Plus the "challenging" drive from Sóller to Fornalutx to Lluc to Pollença is the highlight of touring the Serra de Tramuntana with its truly spectacular scenery.

I've bookmarked Na Caragola for a return visit. Looks charming!

Last edited by Maribel; Sep 23rd, 2022 at 01:09 PM.
Maribel is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
toedte
Europe
4
Mar 3rd, 2022 06:46 AM
jjmmll
Europe
4
Jul 29th, 2017 06:47 AM
catgilbert
Europe
9
Jul 16th, 2013 07:23 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -