I have to tell you something... I love islands... Hawaii, New York City, Capri you name it and if it's an island I will probably love it there... but one of my absolute favorites is Mallorca; one of the three Balearic Islands-- Ibiza and Menorca the other two off the east coast of Spain. The first time I heard someone talking about Mallorca was in Sardinia an Italian Island get-a-way not too far away.
Not too long after that Ringo Starr referenced it in 'The No No Song' and then later it was used as the location setting for the Agatha Christie movie 'Evil Under The Sun'... from watching this fun film I was completely captivated by Mallorca so I started looking into the island and doing a little research but not too seriously... but I knew I one day wanted to visit.
I came pretty close once while vacationing on Ibiza with friends but it was summer and we were told in no uncertain terms the hotels were all likely full and reservations needed to be make months in advance of a summer visit.... so that was that... for the moment.
I had a good friend from school who I learned a few years after the Ibiza trip that his mother had retired and lived on Mallorca and she was going to be traveling and asked my friend if he could stay at the house and oversee work that was being done in her absence and I was invited along... This trip will always stand out on my top ten holidays because everything about the whole trip was sublime... and the two weeks I spent there changed me, my friendship and life after leaving... and perhaps most importantly I learned to let go of the past and live again.
To get there by air you can fly from Madrid or Barcelona and there are air links from Ibiza and Menorca and several other Spanish cities. A ferry service is also available from the Spanish mainland and a high-speed ferry linking Valencia, Ibiza, Menorca and Mallorca.
Getting from the airport near the town of Palma you should utilize their highly efficient bus service (15 minutes from the airport to Palma), there is a railway that links Palma and Soller, Inca, Sa Pobla and Manacor. My advice is rent a car... but I can't emphasize enough the importance of packing good, comfortable walking shoes for this trip especially for exploring Inca.
I think one of the things I love most about Mallorca, particularly Palma is it's like Honolulu in that it had about a half million people live and work there while the island is largely a tourist destination...(I think the island population is just shy of a million) The whole island is steeped in a wonderful history with traces of ancient Roman and Arab civilizations still visible... and all the cultures that have passed through over several hundred years; artifacts from these periods can be viewed at the Museu de Mallorca. It's the best museum in the Balearic Islands and used to be a residential palace built in 1630.
The villa we stayed at was on the Northwestern coast near Banyabufar with land that terraced down to the sea... It was breathtaking and what I remember best in addition to the beautiful views of the sea is that it was fragrant with jasmine and rosemary.
Taking the train from Palma to Port Soller is one of the most beautiful journeys and splendid views of the mountains and coast line of the island... my favorite is Sa Calobra a small town that surrounds a beautiful cove.
The Monestir de Lluc is the spiritual center of the island and has been for many a religious pilgrimage for over 800 years.
If you are traveling by train Inca is the last stop on one line and the third largest town on the island and has a lot to offer the shopping enthusiast... but I highly recommend you visit on a Thursday as it's market day... you can buy fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, souvenirs, household goods.; the market stalls stretch over several districts of town. Make sure you stop at some point for some traditional Mallorcan cuisine including caracoles (snails) and a glass of wine.
Mallorca is also known for it's caves, which are carved out of the island's limestone rock... they were once known as providing shelter to the early settlers... the caves also have breathtaking underground lakes and provide excellent acoustics to musicians who perform for visitors sitting in small boats.
Mallorca has about 80 beaches and the best are around Badia de Palma and my picks are Ses Illetes. Palmanova, Portals Nous, Cala Portals Vells... and if like me you don't want tan lines and want to sun at a nude beach then my favorite is El Mago. Some of the islands best beaches have been incorporated into the larger resorts, that include access to restaurants, bars and bath and toilet facilities.
Because of the movies "Evil Under The Sun" and "And Then There Were None"...another island became one of my destinations... The Burgh Hotel on Burgh Island where the hotel exteriors and interiors were shot for both films... you can visit and have lunch or dinner if you are not a hotel guest.... but it's on the South Devon Coast in England.
The climate in Mallorca is typically Mediterranean with warm dry summers with a rainy fall and a cool-ish (but not cold) winter. There are many hotels on Mallorca; most situated on the coast and the town centers... so make sure to make your reservations well in advance if you are visiting high season from June through September.
I've travelled all over the world and I've seen other visitors who come to a place and they leave unchanged and are the same people they were when they arrived... I think that's an impossibility to anyone visiting Mallorca...the magic and enchantment I've found are part it's irresistible charms. I always leave thinking about when I can come back again and again.
See you next week.
