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Cap de Formentor at sunset from the Es Colomer viewpoint, with cliffs dropping into the sea
Palma Cathedral and the Almudaina royal palace above the sea wall and the lake of Parc de la Mar
Turquoise water under hanging stalactites in the Coves del Drac
Cabrera's harbour buildings below the castle on the hill above the port

Things to do in Mallorca: 15 experiences

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Photo: Jonas Droste, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Palma

Climb onto the roof terraces of Palma Cathedral

Check dates and prices

Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0

Porto Cristo

Hear the concert on Lake Martel in the Coves del Drac

Check dates and prices

Photo: Rudolphous, CC BY-SA 4.0

Colònia de Sant Jordi

Sail to Cabrera National Park from Colònia de Sant Jordi

Check dates and prices

Photo: Chixoy, CC BY-SA 3.0

Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands. Palma, the capital, sits on a wide bay in the south-west, with a Gothic cathedral on the waterfront and an old quarter of courtyard mansions behind it. Most trips pair a few days in Palma with the Serra de Tramuntana, the UNESCO-listed mountain range along the north-west coast, where Sóller, Valldemossa and Deià sit among terraces and dry-stone walls.

The rest of the island works differently. Cap de Formentor is the northern tip, reached by bus in summer. The flat interior holds market towns and vineyards around Sineu and Binissalem, the east coast has the caves of Porto Cristo, and the south has the dunes of Es Trenc and the boats to the Cabrera national park.

Swimming at the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis, below the cliffs at Sa Calobra, comes from Spain's main list; everything below is the rest of the island.

15 things to do in Mallorca

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Palma Cathedral and the Almudaina royal palace above the sea wall and the lake of Parc de la Mar

Climb onto the roof terraces of Palma Cathedral

Palma

1 hour for the terraces, plus the cathedralTimed entry

An hour on the roof of Palma's Gothic cathedral by the sea, above a rose window 11 metres across.

Check dates and pricesPalma Cathedral ticket with the roof terraces option
Arcaded courtyard and staircase of Can Vivot, a baroque mansion in Palma's old town

Walk Palma's old town from courtyard to Arab baths

Palma

Half a dayNo booking needed

Walk uphill through Palma's old quarter, where mansions hide their courtyards, to an 11th-century Arab bath hall.

Tours in Mallorca
The round courtyard and towers of Bellver Castle seen from its roof terrace

See Palma from the roof of round Bellver Castle

Palma

No booking needed

One of Europe's few circular castles, on a wooded hill, with a roof terrace above the bay and the city.

Tours in Mallorca
The wooden Sóller train waiting at Sóller station under plane trees

Ride the 1912 wooden train to Sóller and the tram to the port

Palma to Sóller

About 1 hour each way, plus the tramBook ahead

Wooden carriages crossing the Serra de Tramuntana since 1912, then a tram for the last stretch to the port.

Tours in Mallorca
A garden courtyard inside the Valldemossa charterhouse

Hear Chopin in Valldemossa's charterhouse

Valldemossa

No booking needed

The charterhouse cell where Chopin finished his Preludes, with the Pleyel piano he used and short Chopin recitals in the same visit.

Tours in Mallorca
Ca n'Alluny, Robert Graves's stone house among olive trees outside Deià

Visit Robert Graves's house in Deià

Deià

No booking needed

The stone village Robert Graves chose to live in, and the house he built there with Laura Riding in 1932.

Tours in Mallorca
Dry-stone walls and old olive trees beside the GR 221 trail in the Serra de Tramuntana

Walk the GR 221 Dry Stone Route between mountain refuges

Serra de Tramuntana

One day to over a weekBook ahead

Walk the paths, terraces and dry-stone walls that earned the Serra de Tramuntana its UNESCO listing, sleeping in mountain refuges.

Tours in Mallorca
The Formentor lighthouse on the bare rocky tip of the cape, with the road winding up to it

Take the bus to the Formentor lighthouse

Port de Pollença

No booking needed

The road along the Formentor peninsula to the lighthouse on the cape, whose last stretch is closed to private cars for part of the year.

Tours in Mallorca
Turquoise water under hanging stalactites in the Coves del Drac

Hear the concert on Lake Martel in the Coves del Drac

Porto Cristo

About 1 hour insideTimed entry

A cave lake where, since 1935, every group sits for a short live concert of cello, harpsichord and violins.

Check dates and pricesDrach Caves entry with the lake concert and boat ride
Cabrera's harbour buildings below the castle on the hill above the port

Sail to Cabrera National Park from Colònia de Sant Jordi

Colònia de Sant Jordi

Most of a dayBook ahead

A national park of 19 islands and islets, almost all of it under the sea, reached only by boat.

Check dates and pricesBoat to Cabrera from Colònia de Sant Jordi, Blue Cave swim
Clear shallow water and the long sandy beach of Es Trenc, with sa Ràpita in the distance

Spend a day on Es Trenc, the protected dune beach

Ses Covetes

Free

A long sandy beach between sa Ràpita and Colònia de Sant Jordi, protected together with the Salobrar de Campos salt flats.

Shoppers crossing between market stalls under the trees on market day in Sineu

Go to Sineu's Wednesday market

Sineu

A morningFree

Sineu has held a market since 1306, and it is still the only weekly one in Mallorca where live animals are sold.

Vineyards and the farmhouse of es Torrent Fals in the Binissalem wine area, with the Serra de Tramuntana behind

Taste Manto Negro wines around Binissalem

Binissalem

Book ahead

Binissalem's wine denomination of origin: five villages sheltered by the Serra de Tramuntana, with the local Manto Negro as main grape.

Tours in Mallorca
A spiral ensaïmada dusted with icing sugar

Eat ensaïmada and sobrassada the Mallorcan way

Mallorca

No booking needed

A spiral of dough made with pork lard and dusted with icing sugar, and the island's cured pork sausage.

Tours in Mallorca
The pebble cove at the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis between high cliffs, Mallorca

Swim at the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis

Mallorca

Half a day from Port de SóllerBook ahead

Swim in a small pebble cove where the Torrent de Pareis gorge meets the sea, with rock walls up to 200 metres above you.

Tours in Mallorca

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Palma de Mallorca airport, just east of the city, takes flights from mainland Spain and much of Europe. EMT bus A1 runs from the airport to the centre and Plaça d'Espanya, where the Estació Intermodal underneath is the departure point for TIB intercity buses and the island's SFM trains; in season, TIB's Aerotib lines also run straight to some resort areas. Ferries reach Palma from Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia.

  • Getting around

    TIB buses cover the island from the Estació Intermodal in Palma, and line 203 links Palma with Valldemossa, Deià and Port de Sóller. SFM trains run inland; the T3 to Manacor stops at Binissalem and Sineu. The Sóller train is a separate heritage line with its own station beside Plaça d'Espanya. A hire car helps on the east and south coasts, but from 15 May to 18 October, between 10:00 and 22:00, private cars cannot drive to the Formentor lighthouse, so take TIB bus 334 there.

  • How many days

    Five days covers the core: a day and a half in Palma for the cathedral terraces, the old town and Bellver; the Sóller train down to the port; Valldemossa and Deià on the 203 bus; and Formentor. A week adds the Coves del Drac, Es Trenc and a Wednesday at Sineu market. Cabrera takes most of a day from Colònia de Sant Jordi, and walkers should build the GR 221 around refuge bookings.

  • When to go

    The cathedral terraces open from March to November, and the Cabrera park runs its free guided walks from Easter to late October, while the boats to the island sail mainly in summer. The Formentor road is closed to private cars in the daytime from mid-May to mid-October. The Coves del Drac open all year except 25 December and 1 January, and rain makes no difference underground. September brings the grape harvest and the Festa des Vermar in Binissalem, and on 2 February and 11 November the sun lines up with the cathedral's rose window.

  • Where to base yourself

    Palma is the easiest base without a car: the airport bus, the Sóller train, the TIB buses and the SFM trains all start there. Sóller or Port de Sóller suits walkers in the Serra de Tramuntana, with the tram, the Muleta refuge and line 203 to Deià and Valldemossa. Port de Pollença is where the Formentor bus starts and the GR 221 ends. Colònia de Sant Jordi is the base for the Cabrera boats and Es Trenc.

Questions travellers ask

Do I need a car in Mallorca?

Not for Palma, the Serra de Tramuntana villages or Formentor. TIB line 203 runs from Palma to Valldemossa, Deià and Port de Sóller, the Sóller train and tram link Palma with the north coast, and the T3 train reaches Binissalem and Sineu. In summer daytime the Formentor lighthouse is reachable only by TIB bus 334, on foot or by bike. A car mainly helps to combine the east and south coasts.

How many days do you need in Mallorca?

Five days covers Palma, the Sóller train, Valldemossa and Deià, and Formentor. A week adds the Coves del Drac, Es Trenc, Sineu's Wednesday market or a boat day to Cabrera. Walking the GR 221 from end to end is a trip of its own.

Can you drive to Cap de Formentor?

Not in the daytime in summer. From 15 May to 18 October 2026, between 10:00 and 22:00, private cars may only go as far as the Formentor beach car park while it has space, and the road on to the lighthouse is closed to them. TIB bus 334 runs from Alcúdia and Port de Pollença to the lighthouse every 35 minutes. The dates change each year, so check formentor.conselldemallorca.es.

Is Mallorca worth visiting in winter?

Yes, for Palma, the villages and the caves: the cathedral, Bellver Castle and the Coves del Drac stay open, and the Sóller train runs on a winter timetable from 2 November. The cathedral terraces close after November and reopen in March, and the boats to Cabrera run mainly in summer. Winter is also when you can drive to Formentor freely.

Where should I stay in Mallorca?

Palma if you travel without a car, because the airport bus, the Sóller train, the island buses and the trains all start there. Sóller or Port de Sóller suits walkers, Port de Pollença is the base for Formentor, and Colònia de Sant Jordi for Cabrera and Es Trenc.

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