Palma de Mallorca?

Palma de Mallorca

Around the city.

A major winter boat storage destination in the Med.



The spanish take the nativity scenes very seriously.



A local mafia band is ready to play.







A dream!





Even public parks are nicely decorated for the xmas.



But they do take the lights seriously.

Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma (La Seu)

The huge cathedral is the main sight in Palma and very hard to miss.











We even decided to visit the xmas night mass, just to see what's happening.

The Waterfront

Probably the most amazing thing in Palma is the waterfront. Especially in the winter when the city is quite sleepy and the beach isn't at full swing.




From the old town one can stroll either towards the harbor.


.. or towards the airport where one can see people doing this and that.






It's pretty warm for xmas in the sun.


I know the feeling.


.. so it's time for a lunch as well.

Cap Formentor

It's time to see something else, too. We decide to splurge some serious money and rent a car. For 8 euros we got a Huyndai i30 for a day, it wasn't even the cheapest option and with a 60 cent discount our total charge was 7.40 euros.



We decide to travel along the northern coastline tovards Cap Formentor, a lighthouse at the northeast corner of the island.







A lunch stop in Port de Pollença.




Our destination, Cap Formentor.


Menorca in the horizon.


Some serious cliffs out there.


There.

Wow--these are great! Exactly what I was looking for Our tentative itinerary is very similar. Thank you so much for posting this!!!

Time to return


Some souvenirs from Barcelona.


The spanish TSA didn't care.


Ah, glassware!


.. and some airline food.


.. and four hours later.

To celebrate the new year.





Summary

Well, the raw fact is that Europeans go to Mallorca for one reason -- weather. It is very, very likely to have sunshine and we had just the perfect winter weather in both Barcelona and Mallorca, can't get any better in Europe. The island is especially favored by the british and germans.

Palma itself is quite a small, a bit boring city. You can see the major sights in a day, the next day you'll be wondering about all the houses and places that look like they've been there for the last 40 years and nothing has changed. The old town is cozy, the narrow alleys are nice to wonder around and get lost, and the cathedral is a must-see.

As always in the Med, the food is pretty good. Spain can't compete with the french or italians but it's good, fresh, and usually sea-oriented. We never had a disappointing meal (our preference would be something less fancy, less touristic, and local). Spanish wines are also a safe choice and tapas (pintxos) are a great alternative if one doesn't feel too hungry.

The island itself offers several days worth of sightseeing. We managed to see just one side but I'm pretty sure there is more to see. What was actually interesting is that we didn't see a single large masstourism hotel. I guess they are on the southern shore or south from the airport which we managed to miss. Not that I complain..

I would most definetly recommend renting a car to see rest of the island. I would also recommend visiting the other Balearic islands, or at least Minorca as it's just next door.

In many ways Mallorca was very similar to Rhodes island, similarly popular tourist destination in Greece.

We enjoyed our trip, it was in every way above expectations. We didn't fall in love with Mallorca but we're happy that we've been there now. We enjoy Spain very much and are always ready to return to the country, maybe not Mallorca but rest of the country for sure.

I think the best part of Spain so far has been the Pyrenees (see Montanas trip report)

Petri, thanks for the photo journal. I get a kick out of seeing the world through your eyes and lenses.

Thanks, I enjoy your restaurant photos even more, and I try really hard not to gain weight just by looking at them

Thank you for the extensive report. Your trip descriptions and photos are marvelous.We went to Mallorca many years ago and it didn't appear that much has changed. It obviously accomplished just what you wished--a sunny, scenic winter getaway. It wasn't high on our list of places but we were glad we visited while we were in Spain. Can't wait for your next travelogue!

Wow, thank you for your report, and the photos are awesome, Petri !!!! I really love the photo of the waterfront; Palma ; with the palm trees and the water......and the couple of cap formentor; they look like California raods almost!
I have always wondered about that island; and I thank you for the great info! Very nice.
It makes me even more excited for our upcoming trip to another island; Sicily in May !!!!!

Loved your report!!! I went to Mallorca a million years ago and had almost forgotten about it, it was great to see your pix and read your report. Can't wait til your next trip! And Kathy, can't wait for your trip to Spain as well! It will be a while until we get there...

Fabulous report, Petri! Loved it! And, Kathy, for your upcoming trip, I just saw this:
Tickets, from the former owners of El Bulli

Have a great trip!!!

Last summer when we were driving in Spain, I realized that El Bulli was not far away -- until I learnt that it was closing end of July and fully booked until then.

I also read about the new restaurants in Barcelona but as we had just a few days, around the xmas, I thought that 1) having a relaxed holiday and 2) making an effort to book a busy restaurants wasn't a combination worthwhile. No doubt they are interesting experiences.