5 Things To Do in Mallorca, Spain
2021
My 14 year old daughter and I decided to spend some time in Mallorca, Spain. We, like many, are avid travelers and for us, there’s no better time to visit Europe than in the summer. We’ve been to Spain before (with my husband) and generally enjoyed ourselves. We’d never been to the Mallorca and it was one of the places I wanted to explore in 2020 before the lockdown(s).
Mallorca is one of the three big Balearic Islands off the eastern coast of Spain. It is a summertime hang out spot for the Spanish and British alike. It is frequented at all times of the year but summer is its peak.
NOTE ON PREP:
Arriving in Spain was pretty much the same as it was 5 years ago when we visited. The country requires every citizen of the country you’re traveling from (not every country is allowed to enter Spain) to fill out a health questionnaire that they take pretty seriously. It requires you to inform them of arrival, hotel details, and to answer a few questions on whether or not you’ve been exposed to covid or experience any symptoms. You get a QR code that you must have with you as it was checked about 4 times during our entry. They don’t require a PCR test or a rapid test from US citizens and UK citizens. They also don’t require proof of vaccination. I, for one, don’t necessarily like the honor system but it did allow for a stress-less travel experience. You should note that you are required to take a PCR or Rapid test to enter back into the US and if you test positive you will have to stay in isolation in 14 days before being allowed to board a flight to America.
City Tour
Probably the highlight of our trip was the Palma Walking Tour I booked on Airbnb Experiences! Our tour guide Daniella has been living and working in Mallorca for over 8 years and doing tours for nearly 2! She fell in love with the city after moving around quite a bit in Europe. What I loved is that she took us to the food market, she took us to the old Jewish neighborhood and gave a very compelling history of the area, she took us down to the cathedral, we walked through the old parts of the city that not very many tourists get to see if they’re not wondering hopelessly. We also met a British family of 4 while on the tour. They were absolutely lovely and the kids weren’t too far from my daughter’s age so it made for a pleasant tour overall.
Shopping
I love to shop. This comes as no secret to anyone. Lol. And one of my favorite (relatively) affordable places to shop is Zara, Mango, Bershka and Massimo Dutti. All of these are Spanish fast fashion brands which means, even on the tiny island of Mallorca, they have more than a few of them! One of my favorite places to shop on the island was the Mango Outlet! I was really shocked by how current the things in the outlet were. They were all steeply discounted, sometimes up to 60-80% off their normal retail amount.
Another thing I love about shopping in Spain is the Zara stores are so big! And on the island of Mallorca, the main Zara store in Palma (there are a few), the store was big, clean, and they had a full stock of sizes! Not only did I see XS in almost every style I looked at, I also so many XXLs! Which I feel like I almost never see in New York City? Is it just me? I highly recommend!
Aquarium
We are a family that likes to go to museums. We’ve been to dozens throughout our travels. But this time we decided to go to the aquarium. The aquarium in Palma de Mallorca is known for its sharks. So that is really the main reason why we went. We were on vacation so we went during a weekday but many summer camps full of children under 10 were there as part of their summer fun. So the aquarium was packed at times. But we still enjoyed ourself! For 2-3 hours we got to enjoy air conditioning and wildlife and loads of interesting people watching. It was a tad bit expensive (25 Euro per person) but it was a nice break from the beach and shopping. A PRO TIP: Be sure to book your tickets online. We end up waiting in line and then purchasing our tickets online while we were in line!
Restaurants
What I love about Spain is the food. You can usually find some of the world’s best paella (outside of Cuba) and incredible tapas. They are also known for their ham and chorizo but I especially love the Mediterran food and tapas! Here’s a few places I recommend you add to your list that are either in Palma or around Palma:
Adrian Quetglas (great Mediterranean)
Celler Sa Premsa (Spanish food)
Avocado Mallorca (good for healthier breakfast options)
The Merchants (fancy steakhouse)
Manataco (Mexican)
Mercat de l’Olivar (market with lots of food, informal environment)
Katagi Blau (Japanese resturant at the hotel we stayed at, great rooftop views)
Beach(Clubs)
You wouldn’t necessarily know this from looking at my Instagram but we’re not into beaches that much. It’s great to wake up to a beach and to walk alone but the hassle of the sand really gets on my nerves at times! Lol. I am absolutely a lover of ocean waves though. I could sit and watch and hear the waves for ever and never get tired. But almost every beach we went to Mallorca was crowded. To be fair, because we were so jetlagged we could barely make it there before noon. So when we wanted to venture beyond our rooftop pool, we opted for the beach clubs. Beach clubs are pretty common in Europe. You essentially pay for a reservation at the beach which usually includes a sunbed, towels, access to a bathroom and changing room, services. Here are the ones I recommend:
Assaono (kind of crowded)
Hotel
Due to covid cancellations in 2020, like many known tourist destinations, Mallorca has seen as a rise in bookings in 2021. So many places I started to research were booked with only short stays available. While many folks book 2-3 nights at one hotel and then drive to another part of the island and book 2-3 nights at another place, my daughter and I decided to stay in one hotel for the duration of our time in Mallorca. We chose the Iberostar Selection IIluat Palma. One of the reasons I picked this hotel is because for a 4 star hotel, it was relatively affordable at a little less than $300 a night (which included breakfast and access to the star selection amenities including the rooftop pool). I also chose this hotel because it was exactly 10 minutes away from the airport and I have a general fear of missing my flight (it’s only happened once in the last 10 years but it definitely traumatized me).
Let me just say, the staff were absolutely incredible. Not only were they welcoming with a cool glass of water when we arrived, the check in process was seamless. Our luggage made it to our room 2 minutes after we did. There was hand sanitizer everywhere. Everywhere had to wear masks not only indoors but in community areas (Spain allows American and UK citizens to visit who have not been fully vaccinated and without a negative test). The view from the hotel lobby was less than stellar (we had a view of two houses mostly) but 25% of our view was of an incredible park right near the hotel. As New Yorkers we really enjoyed that!
I hope that helps you plan your trip to Mallorca! Let me know in the comments what you think!