A Guide to the Balearics: What to Do and Where to Stay

The Balearics’ wealth of attractions is remarkable, starting with Mallorca, with its mountainous topography, beach resorts, historic architecture and superb gastronomy. While Ibiza is most famous for its nightclubs and non-stop partying, there are also white-sand coves and traditional villages to discover. Ibiza’s closest neighbour, Formentera, beckons with its unspoilt white-sand beaches, while Menorca’s main draws are coastal hiking trails, beaches, Megalithic remains and seafood-heavy cuisine. The islands are particularly wonderful from mid-spring to mid-autumn.

The best places to visit in the Balearics

Mallorca

Palma de Majorca's cathedral from above

If you’re wondering where to go in the Balearics, start with Mallorca – the region’s largest and most popular island has no shortage of great places to stay. Staying at the Sheraton Mallorca Arabella Golf Hotel or Castillo Hotel Son Vida, a Luxury Collection Hotel gives you access to the busy capital of Palma, its Old Town streets sprinkled with chef-led restaurants and overlooked by a magnificent Gothic cathedral.

To the northwest of Palma is the Serra de Tramuntana, the rugged mountain range beyond which lie some of Mallorca’s best beaches and hidden coves. Beach lovers needn’t travel far beyond Palma to find a resort overlooking a strip of white sand along the south coast; best places to stay include St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort near the beach town of Palma Nova, and Hospes Maricel & Spa, Palma de Mallorca, a Member of Design Hotels in Cala Major.

Great options for a day on the beach also include the seafront towns of Port de Pollença and Port d’Alcudia on the north coast, worth a trip in the car for an afternoon of sunbathing. If you’re a hiker seeking to explore the north’s myriad walking trails, base yourself in one of the appealing mountain villages: Valldemossa, Chopin’s winter hideout; Deià, Robert Graves’ longtime favourite; tiny Fornalatux, or Lluc, home to Mallorca’s most famous monastery. Alternatively, hop on the antique railway in Palma to reach Sóller, a valley town made up of stone merchant houses, and the appealing Port de Sóller on the coastline further north.

Nature enthusiasts need look no further than Cabrera, an uninhabited island off Mallorca’s south coast with a wealth of birdlife, while divers and snorkelers can explore the island’s underwater riches off the coast of Sa Dragonera, another island connected to the beach town of Sant Elm on the island’s western tip. The agricultural hinterland in central Mallorca is has ira own charm, and if you’re a wine aficionado, a tour of the top wineries, such as Bodega Ribas and Bodegas Macià Batle, is a must.

Ibiza

Dalt Vila is the centuries-old heart of Ibiza Town

Ibiza’s name has long been synonymous with frenetic nightlife that attracts thousands of revellers to Sant Antoni’s iconic nightclubs on a nightly basis throughout the summer season. The world’s most renowned DJs come to Ibiza to perform their sets, cementing Ibiza’s reputation as the world’s top night spot bar none.

Nightlife aside, there’s the year-round pleasure of strolling around the UNESCO-listed Dalt Vila, the centuries-old heart of Ibiza Town, with its fortress-like cathedral, harbour full of yachts, and narrow medieval streets dotted with boutiques and cafés. Other places to visit include the shimmering Salines saltpans of the south, family-friendly beach resorts on the east coast such as Santa Eulalia, home to W Ibiza and Hotel Riomar, Ibiza, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, and traditional whitewashed villages in the forested interior, making Ibiza one of the most diverse destinations in the Balearics.

Formentera

Formentera draws visitors with its white-sand beaches

An easy boat ride from Ibiza and popular with boating daytrippers, quiet Formentera draws visitors with its white-sand beaches, which are among the longest, cleanest and least crowded in Spain. You can also rent a bicycle and explore the sun-baked countryside, from the tiny village capital of Sant Francesc Xavier to the Bronze Age ruins of the Barbarìa peninsula and the lunar landscape of the Barbarìa cape. The adventurous may wish to reach the La Mola lighthouse at Formentera’s easternmost point, enjoying beautiful coastal scenery en route.

Menorca

Menorca is home to fine white sand beaches

The easternmost of the Balearics, Menorca is bookended by two towns with labyrinthine, medieval centres: the buzzy capital of Maó and the attractive Ciutadella, its ancient lanes overlooked by centuries-old mansions. Travelling between the two, stop at the most significant of Menorca’s megalithic remains en route: Talatí de Dalt and the Naveta de Tudons. Minor roads leading south from Menorca’s inland market towns take you to some of the island’s finest beaches and secluded white-sand coves, all within easy reach of the coastal villages of Cala Galdana, Sant Tomàs and Son Bou, while the north coast comprises breathtaking coastal scenery, isolated lighthouses and seafront trails that you’ll have largely to yourself.

What to eat and drink in the Balearics

Caldereta de langosta

Ensaïmada

The most famous of the Balearics’ seafood-based rice dishes is Menorca’s caldereta de langosta (soupy lobster rice) – so good that King Juan Carlos I would visit Menorca just to eat it. It consists of rice, seafood stock, onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers and local lobster. It’s a seasonal dish available in spring and summer, and great places to eat it include Café Balear in Ciutadella and Es Cranc in Fornells.

Ensaimada

Resembling a small croissant and eaten either plain (llisa) or filled with fresh cream, chocolate or pumpkin, ensaimadas hail from Mallorca and are popular throughout the islands, with cafés dedicated to this signature pastry. The secret is in the dough, with saïm (pork lard) an essential addition. Try it at Ca’n Joan de s’Aigo in Palma.

Mallorcan wine

Mallorcans have produced wine since Roman times and local wines are now internationally recognised for their quality. The wineries are mostly split between the island’s two Dos (Denominaciones de Orígen) areas: around the interior towns of Llucmajor, Manacor and Felanitx on the east side of the island and around Binissalem in the northwest, and local tourist offices can help to organise tours of the wineries. Local grape varieties to look out for include fogoneu, manto negro and callet (red wines) and giro blanc and prensal blanc (white wines).

Sobrasada

Mallorca produces its own takes on sobrasada, the classic Spanish spicy sausage. Made from the local black pig, it’s aged in a similar manner to the chorizo, but unlike the mainland versions, it’s denser in texture due to Mallorca’s unique climate. Found on menus of most restaurants, it’s eaten raw or cooked, typically spread on bread.

Bullit de peix

Bullit de paix, a traditional fish stew, is one of the classic Ibizan dishes to try. It consists of two parts: fresh catch of the day sautéed with garlic and peppers, then stewed with potatoes in a rich fish stock, topped with a light aioli sauce, and rice cooked in the fish broth from the first stage, served as an accompaniment. Some of the best places to try it include El Bigotes – Bullit, Restaurant S’Espartar and Restaurante Port Balansat.

Top things to do in the Balearics

Valldemossa, Mallorca

One of the must-see sights in Mallorca is the ancient mountain village of Valldemossa, an excellent trekking base with a beautiful monastery. If you’re after jaw-dropping vistas, rent a bicycle and take to the hairpin bends of the road to the Castell d’Alaró, and the stretch of the west coast between Andratx and Sóller.

Taking the vintage Palma-Sóller train is one of the most interesting things to do and a wonderful introduction to Mallorca’s mountainous northwest. Of the many scenic hiking trails in northwest Mallorca, one of the best is from the Mirador de ses Barques near Sóller down to the beautiful coves of Cala Tuent and Sa Calobra, via olive groves and coastal cliffs.

If you’re an architecture lover, the magnificent Gothic cathedral in Palma is unmissable, and if you’re a dedicated sun worshipper, head for the superb Platja de Palma or Es Trenc beaches east of the capital. Mallorca also boasts the most diverse dining scene in the Balearics, with standout restaurants including DINS and Adrián Quetglas in Palma to Béns d’Avall in Deià. Don’t miss a Michelin-starred tasting menu at Es Fum at the St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort.

Beach goers are spoiled for choice in Ibiza, with beach-hopping among the fun things to do on the island: Cala Xarraca is best for snorkelling, Las Salinas attracts a party crowd with its hip beach bars, Es Portitxol is reached via a gorgeous walk through pine forest and along the cliffs, while Punta Galera is the place for sensational sunsets.

For a quieter beach scene, charter a catamaran or speedboat to Formentera for the day and head straight for the island’s northern tip to reach Platja Illetes – the finest beach in the Balearics – a sliver of white sand, lapped at by calm, turquoise waters. Menorca doesn’t disappoint either; two of the best coves are the south coast’s Cala Macarella and Cala Turqueta, the former reachable on foot from Cala Galdana via part of the the centuries-old Camí de Cavalls trail that encircles the island, while the latter is accessed via dirt roads southeast of Ciutadella.

Hidden gems in the Balearics

Cap de Formentor

In the north of Mallorca, past the Port de Pollença, alternative things to do include taking the narrow, winding road to the lonely lighthouse at the Cap de Formentor for superb panoramic sea views. On the other side of the Bay of Pollença, the Alcudia Peninsula offers one of the island’s most scenic loop hikes that takes in the remote, white-sand Platja de Coll Baix with its attendant Mallorcan wild goats.

For a unique take on the two popular Tramuntana villages, hike over the mountain plateau from Valldemossa to the artists’ enclave of Deià, enjoying a bird’s eye view of the latter as you descend the hairpin bends.

Inland from Ibiza’s popular beaches, if you want to delve deeper into tranquil countryside life, unique things to do include visiting one of the agroturismo near the traditional villages of Portinatx, Sant Lorenc de Balafia or Sant Joan de Labritja. Formentera’s isolated location has resulted in an abundance of organic, slow-food cuisine; pick up the island’s slow food map to sample local specialities.

Hikers in search of Menorca’s striking coastal scenery should head for the remoter sections of the Camí de Cavalls, such as Cala Morell to Ciutadella, taking you past some ancient cave tombs and 19th-century stone pyramids, or else Cap Favàritx, with its dramatically-positioned lighthouse atop some ocean-battered cliffs.

Published: October 02, 2024