The Mini Rough Guide to Mallorca (Travel Guide eBook)

By Rough Guides

This pocket-sized travel guide to Mallorca is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering what to do, what to see and how to get around the destination. It covers top attractions like Palma Cathedral, Cala Deià, Platja de Formentor and Coves del Drac, as well as hidden gems, including Estellencs and Colònia de Sant Jordi. Our Mallorca guide book will save you time and enhance your exploration of this fascinating region. This Mallorca travel guide has been fully updated post-COVID-19.

This Mini Rough Guide to MALLORCA covers: Palma, Sineu, Petra, Serra de Tramuntana, Sóller, Estellencs, Banyalbufar, Deià, Fornalutx, Valldemossa, Lluc, Pollença, Port de Pollença, Port d'Alcúdia, Península de Formentor, Serres de Llevant, Cala Ratjada, Porto Petro, Artà.

In this guide book to Mallorca you will find:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER
Experiences selected for every kind of trip to Mallorca, from cultural explorations in Sineu to family activities in child-friendly places, like Castell d'Alaró or or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas, like Palma.

TOP TEN ATTRACTIONS
This Mallorca travel guide covers the destination's top ten attractions not to miss, including Valldemossa monastery, Monestir de Lluc, Cabrera, Jardins and a Perfect Day itinerary suggestions.

COMPACT FORMAT
Compact, concise, and packed with essential information, with a sharp design and colour-coded sections, this guide book to Mallorca is the perfect on-the-move companion when you're exploring Valldemossa.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS
Includes an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture of Mallorca.

WHAT TO DO
Detailed description of entertainment, shopping, nightlife, festivals and events, and children's activities.

PRACTICAL MAPS
Handy colour maps on the inside cover flaps of this travel guide to Mallorca will help you find your way around.

PRACTICAL TRAVEL INFORMATION
Practical information on eating out, including a handy glossary and detailed restaurant listings, as well as a comprehensive A-Z of travel tips on everything from getting around to health and tourist information.

STRIKING PICTURES
Inspirational colour photography throughout.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Mar 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781839059148

Rough Guides

Rough Guides are written by expert authors who are passionate about both writing and travel. They have detailed knowledge of the areas they write about--having either traveled extensively or lived there--and their expertise shines through on every page. It's priceless information, delivered with wit and insight, providing the down-to-earth, honest read that is the hallmark of Rough Guides.

Book preview

cover.jpg

HOW TO USE THIS E-BOOK

Getting Around this e-Book

This Rough Guide Mini e-book is designed to inspire you and help you plan for your visit to Mallorca, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Highlights, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan an unforgettable trip. The Introduction and History and Culture chapters give the lowdown on Mallorca, past and present, while the Out and About chapter is a comprehensive guide to all the best sights. You will find ideas for getting active in Things to Do, while the Food and Drink chapter introduces you to the local cuisine and gives listings of our favourite restaurants by area. Travel Essentials offers just that; practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, Where to Stay provides a special selection of hotels for every budget.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Mallorca are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Mallorca. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Rough Guides:

Published in 1982, the first Rough Guide – to Greece – was created by Mark Ellingham and a small group of friends who couldn’t find a guidebook to meet their needs. Combining a contemporary, journalistic style with a thoroughly practical approach to travellers’ needs, the immediate success of the book spawned a series that rapidly covered dozens of destinations. These days, Rough Guides include recommendations from budget to luxury and cover more than 120 destinations worldwide, all regularly updated by our team of ever curious, roaming writers. These Rough Guide Minis may be small, but they are packed with information and inspiration and offer amazing value for money.

© 2023 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd.

Table of Contents

10 Things Not To Miss

A Perfect Day In Mallorca

Overview

A Varied Landscape

Climate

Vegetation And Birdlife

The Islanders And Their Language

Tourism Trends

Enjoying The Island

History and Culture

Romans, Vandals And Moorish Occupation

The Reconquest

The Spanish Empire

Wars And Consequences

Crises, Republic And Civil War

New Horizons

Modernization

Out and About

Palma de Mallorca

The Cathedral

Palau de l’Almudaina

Around the Historic Centre

Patios and Museums

Moderniste Sites

Carrer Sant Miquel

Passeig d’es Born to the Waterfront

Out-of-Town Attractions

The Western Corner

West of the Bay

Port d’Andratx and Sant Elm

Up the Scenic Coast

La Granja

The West Coast

La Real Cartuja de Valldemossa

Around the Town

Son Marroig

Deià

Cala Deià

Sóller and its Port

Two Gardens

From Bunyola to Castle d’Alaró

The Heart of the Tramuntana

Monestir de Lluc

The North and Northeast

Pollença

Cala Sant Vicenç and Port de Pollença

Cap de Formentor

Alcúdia

Port d’Alcúdia and the Bay

Parc Natural de S’Albufera

The Central Plain

Sa Pobla

Binissalem and Sineu

From Petra to the Sanctuaries

The East and Southeast

Artà and Ses Païsses

Capdepera

Cala Ratjada

Cala Millor to Porto Cristo

Felanitx and the Santuari de Sant Salvador

Porto Colom to Cala Mondragó

Santanyí and Cala Figuera

Journey’s End

Things To Do

Sports

Sailing

Windsurfing And Water-Skiing

Scuba Diving

Boat Trips

Walking And Climbing

Golf

Birdwatching

Horse Riding

Cycling

Spectator Sports

Shopping

Leather

Linen

Glassware, Pottery And Pearls

Food And Drink

Markets

Entertainment And Nightlife

Late Night Line-Up

Children

Food and Drink

Cuina Mallorquina

Meat

Fish

Sweets And Puddings

Drinks

Eating Habits

Tapas

Bars And Cafés

To Help You Order

Deciphering The Menu

Where To Eat

Palma

The Western Corner

Andratx

Banyalbufar

The West Coast

Deià

Sóller

The North

Alcúdia

Cala Sant Vicenç

Pollença

Port de Pollença

The Central Plain

Inca

Petra

Sineu

The East And Southeast

Artà

Cala Figuera

Cala Millor

Porto Cristo

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accessible travel

Accommodation

Airport

B

Bicycle and scooter Hire

Budgeting for your trip

C

Car hire

Climate

Clothing

Crime and safety

D

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting there

Guides and tours

H

Health and medical care

L

Language

LGBTQ+ travellers

M

Maps

Media

Money

O

Opening hours

P

Police

Post offices

Public holidays

R

Religion

T

Telephones

Time differences

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information offices

Transport

V

Visas and entry requirements

W

Websites

Where To Stay

Palma

The Western Corner

Banyalbufar

Estellencs

Illetes

Portals Nous

Port d’Andratx

The West Coast

Deià

Port de Sóller

Sóller

Valldemossa

The North

Alcúdia

Cala Sant Vicenç

Pollença

Port de Pollença

The Central Plain

Inca

Sineu

The East And Southeast

Artà

Cala d’Or

Cala Figuera

Cala Ratjada

Porto Colom

10 THINGS NOT TO MISS

iStock

1. Valldemossa

One of the island’s most enchanting inland towns. For more information, click here.

Shutterstock

2. Coves del Drac

Beautifully presented caves, with one of the world’s largest subterranean lakes. For more information, click here.

Shutterstock

3. Monestir de Lluc

Wonderful views and soul-stirring singing at Mallorca’s holiest site. For more information, click here.

Shutterstock

4. Beaches

The island’s pristine beaches, lapped by limpid waters, are the biggest attraction for many visitors. For more information, click here.

iStock

5. Deià

Once the home of Robert Graves, and still one of the prettiest villages on the island. For more information, click here.

Greg Gladman/Apa Publications

6. Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró

Experience the life and work of one of Spain’s most famous artists. For more information, click here.

Shutterstock

7. Can Prunera

Lean about Modernisme in this fascinating museum in Sóller. For more information, click here.

iStock

8. Serra de Tramuntana

Stunning walks in a Unesco-protected mountain range. For more information, click here.

Greg Gladman/Apa Publications

9. Sineu market

This traditional Wednesday-morning farmers’ market is arguably the island’s best. For more information, click here.

Greg Gladman/Apa Publications

10. Palma’s cathedral

Dominating the city and the harbour, this marvellous Gothic cathedral is a sight to behold. For more information, click here.

A Perfect Day In Mallorca

9am

Breakfast. Kick off the day in Palma with breakfast at the trendy Mise En Place in Plaça Major, where a delicious array of treats – home-made pastries, fresh fruit, coffee – awaits you. It’s slightly hidden, but well worth seeking out.

10am

In search of Chopin. Take the road that runs about 10km (6 miles) through olive and almond groves to Valldemossa, where La Real Cartuja holds the apartment in which George Sand and Frédéric Chopin once stayed. In Palau del Rei Sancho next doot, recitals of Chopin’s music are held throughout the day.

Noon

Sweet treat. Linger over coffee and a coca de patata, a sweet local pastry, in the Carrer Blanquera.

1pm

Delightful Deià. Continue on the scenic coast road to Deià, a dinky, honey-coloured town that was home to poet Robert Graves and still attracts writers and artists. Meander through the picturesque streets and browse in the boutiques.

2pm

Graves’s grave. Break for tapas in El Barrigon Xelini (for more information, click here), a huge, atmospheric bar with tables spilling outside onto a pleasant terrace. Afterwards, follow the literary trail and visit the poet’s simple grave in the hilltop cemetery, before swinging by his home, Ca N’Alluny, which has been reimagined as a small museum.

3.30pm

Sea swims. Strike out on the 35-minute walk through olive and lemon groves to the Cala Deià, a pretty little rocky cove where you can swim in crystalline waters.

4.30pm

Sóller. From Deià, drive the scenic coast road, flanked by orchards of citrus trees and gnarled olive groves, for half an hour until you dip into the broad valley of Sóller. Park up to explore the bustling little town itself, lined with well-preserved eighteenth- and nineteenth-century mansions. Pause for an espresso in the café-lined square, Plaça Sa Constitució, while admiring the Moderniste architecture and soaking up everyday local life.

6pm

Spectacular sunset. Wend your way back down the coast to Son Marroig, home to a nineteenth-century Austrian archduke who fell in love with the island. You can visit his house and gardens, but the main attraction is watching the sunset over Na Foradada.

8pm

Dinner. Take your pick from one of Deià’s many excellent restaurants. Go upmarket with the modern menu at El Olivo (part of Belmond La Residencia hotel), or indulge in lobster with asparagus ravioli at Sebastian (for more information, click here).

11pm

Nightlife. Back in Palma, take a scenic stroll along the harbour, then perhaps end the night with a cocktail or two at Abaco (for more information, click here) in the old town.

Overview

Mallorca could claim to be the perfect holiday island, blessed with attributes that entice millions of foreign