At first, I wasn’t considering Mallorca as my priority travel destination. Mainly because it has always been associated with overcrowded holiday destinations for Western Europeans. However, I have never imagined that Mallorca is so beautiful, and you can easily escape from the crowds and surround yourself with pure nature, magnificent mountains and coastal views. I would never have guessed there are so many amazing places in Mallorca!
Amazing places in Mallorca.
It’s a diverse and magnificent island, which can be best explored by car, finding dramatic mountains and lagoon waters with stunning cliff views. Here are the most amazing hidden spots around Mallorca, which impressed me during my road trip around the island.
- I highly recommend renting a car in Mallorca.
- The best place to stay in Mallorca: Palma Nova or charming villages – the prices are lower and it’s far from the crowds.
I rented a car with Rentalcars.com – the world’s largest online car rental service and my favourite platform, with pick-up in Palma de Mallorca and went to explore the island. A car gives you so much more flexibility than travelling by local transport (although it is my favourite way of travelling).
Travelling by car also allows you to reach the hidden spots and discover the most beautiful places in Mallorca. If you are limited on time, the best way to discover rewarding places is to take the ride through the unknown 🙂
Although if you are not planning to rent a car, you can take a ride on the Sóller train, which is a great way to discover the Mallorcan landscape or take the amazing full day boat trip and Old train tour.
Palma de Mallorca.
Having a car will allow you to admire mind-blowing views along the coastline. This Balearic island offers lots of attractions, after driving around the island here are best spots to visit around Mallorca, that will leave you breathless.
To be honest, Palma de Mallorca – the capital of the island- didn’t impress me much. And I wouldn’t recommend staying there for too long. The only thing that brought my attention and probably the most characteristic landmark of the city is Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca.
The best place to stay in Mallorca.
I highly recommend staying outside of Palma, the capital city.
PALMA NOVA: I stayed in Palma Nova, located 10-15 kilometres south of Palma. It’s a beautiful small town with a magnificent coastline and beaches!
VILLAGES: There are several villages to choose from: Deiá or Valldemossa for a first-time trip.
MAGALUF: Magaluf, a small resort town, is magic! There are many well-arranged hotels, boutique hotels and apartments with sea view with outdoor swimming and sunbathing facilities. Some of the accommodation prices are shocking, but here are a few heaven hotel options ranging from $130-$200/per night:
- Absolutely fabulous INNSiDE by Meliá Calviá Beach
- Amazing Hotel Florida Magaluf – Adults Only
- HSM Sandalo Beach – 100% my type, private, mind-blowing style.
- SuperB 4*star Aparthotel Ponent Mar located 4 km from Magaluf
- 4* star Tomir Portals Suites – Adults Only, with an airport shuttle service to Palma, 20 minutes’ drive away.
Best beaches near Palma de Mallorca.
Definitely, Magaluf is at the top of my list of the best places in Mallorca. There is an amazing long beach with many cliffs, crystal-clear sea beaches on both ends, perfect for snorkelling.
Magaluf turned out to be fantastic town with a magnificent long goldsand beach. It is definitely one of the best hidden spots around Mallorca. While everybody would be staying in palma de Mallorca, this resort town was pretty empty before the start of the season in April, although it is located only a short drive south direction from the capital city.
Take a walk along the coastline to find small, lagoon beaches, where you can live amazing snorkeling adventure in green pure waters without crowds. The area really holds one of the nicest spots in Mallorca.
Boat tours in Mallorca.
One of the best ways to spend time is taking a boat trip with drinks, tapas, Mediterranean flavours with a fresh buffet lunch and lots of snorkelling – a few of the most popular tour options below.
Mirador de Ricardo Roca.
Mirador de Ricardo Roca is definitely one of the best places in Mallorca. It’s a famous watchtower near the tunnel going through the rocks, located on the northwest coast, about 20 km from Palma de Mallorca. I suggest a stop in Calvia, a beautiful small town on the way to the Mirador.
Formentor peninsula – the lighthouse and viewing point!
You can’t miss the two famous spots in Mallorca! Cap de Formentor is the northernmost point of the island with its iconic lighthouse, winding roads and dramatic cliffs overlooking the sea.
This is where you’ll meet most of the visitors and a million cyclists!! Who would be heading the lighthouse spot for overwhelming views, break and lunch? It may take some time to drive the curvy road leading to the top. Be prepared for cyclists grabbing the last piece of a local speciality or a tasty cake/galletas in the lighthouse restaurant 😉
Cap de Formentor.
Cap de Formentor is situated on the northern tip of Mallorca, where you’ll be able to admire a panoramic view of spectacular coastal landscapes. While the lighthouse and adjacent viewpoint are well-known, there are numerous hidden trails in the area.
Best snorkelling spots in Mallorca!
You can’t miss snorkelling in Mallorca. There is one of the most beautiful lagoon waters I’ve seen across the world. Crystal waters are usually easily accessible from the shore, all you need is your snorkelling equipment and water shoes – the terrain is a bit rocky, so better to protect your feet.
Cala del Mago – one of the most beautiful beaches is located on the south-west of the island. It’s a half-hour drive from Palma de Mallorca. There’s a lovely restaurant in the bay.
Cap de Formentor - Mallorca's most beautiful beach.
One of the best spots around Mallorca is Cap de Formentor – in my opinion, the most beautiful beach on the island, with crystal clear turquoise waters and fine white sand. There is a tiny road leading from the main road down to the beach. I would definitely recommend swimming shoes, as the bottom is very rocky.
Driving along the north coast will bring more magnificent lagoon landscapes. There are many cliff restaurants with unimaginable views of the turquoise sea. This one is called Restaurant es Grau, with tables sitting over the cliff. The food wasn’t top class but we were hungry and sometimes waiting time can be a nightmare.
Dragon caves (Drach caves) in Mallorca.
Dragon caves/Drach caves, located on the east coast of the island, are one of the biggest caves in Europe.
Caves of Drach Half-Day Tour with Boat Trip and Music Concert was incredible and I can highly recommend it.
Dragon caves are huge Mallorca’s underground treasure and one of the main tourist attractions. Dragon caves were formed between 11 and 5.3 million years ago. It is highly advised not to touch any of the formations, as it stops them from growing (formations grow only 1 cm per year). It is allowed to use cameras and video recorders.
Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy – best spot around Mallorca!
Tennis is my life passion and Rafa is my beloved athlete. His smile lasts longer than any grand slam! Rafael was born in Mallorca, where he built this incredible tennis complex, which opened in 2016. The academy has immediately become one of the leading sports centres in the world.
Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy is a high-performance professional training centre, along with a small museum. There are plenty of options for tennis camps for professional and amateur tennis lovers.
Best hiking trails in Mallorca.
A great mountain massif in Mallorca offers brilliant hiking adventures. The best hiking trails in Mallorca are located in the Tramuntana mountains.
Serra de Tramuntana offers a beautiful drive through the scenic mountain range, a Unesco World Heritage Site, with picturesque villages like Valldemossa, Deia and Soller.
Do not underestimate these mountains; some trails are very difficult, and weather conditions may be totally different at ground level. Get a good hiking map and plan your trails carefully. It gets really windy and cold in the higher sections.
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