Four spectacular Spanish islands, with four very different flavours, all clustered together in the shimmering Mediterranean Sea. The Balearic Islands (Islas Baleares) have dazzled holidaymakers for decades, and for good reason. Ibiza has historically been the party island, Mallorca the crowd-pleasing holiday resort, Menorca the hiking haven and Formentera the tiny, remote outpost. In recent summers, however, all four islands have undergone a quiet reinvention, and the Balearic Islands are ripe for rediscovery by international travellers. This is the time to visit, as they settle comfortably into their new, more grown-up, and entirely distinct identities. Here’s our guide to the best of the Balearics.
MALLORCA: CULTURE, CUISINE AND CINEMATIC SCENERY
Mallorca has always been the big-hitter holiday hotspot, a multifaceted paradise offering holidaymakers everything from awe-inspiring mountain scenery and hiking to crowd-pleasing beach resorts for all budgets.
Despite Mallorca’s well-deserved popularity with European tourists, she has managed to maintain much of her intrinsic beauty and charm, and independent travellers can easily swerve the package resorts. Start with a city break in Palma, a Spanish capital that seduces hard and fast, with a pink-hued Gothic cathedral towering over a glitzy marina dotted with superyachts, where Michelinstarred restaurants rub up against traditional bakeries
