I visited Mallorca for 4 days as a beach getaway, between a city break in Vienna and an outdoorsy family vacation in Switzerland. Mallorca is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean sea. And 4 days in my Mallorca travel itinerary were not enough to take in the natural beauty and history here.
Located off the southern coast of Spain, it is the largest of the Balearic Islands. It is a popular beach destination for European and international travellers. Apart from crystal clear waters, sheltered coves and picturesque villages, Mallorca is a great choice for a beach vacation as it is well connected by air to many cities in Europe. Just an 1-hour flight from Barcelona, so easy to add to your Barcelona travel itinerary. For me, the connectivity factor made choosing Mallorca over Croatia, Italy or Greece an easy decision.
This 4 day Mallorca itinerary is suitable if you are looking for a relaxing short break, with or without older children. Palma the capital, and Magaluf are the best places to party. But we steered clear of them, opting instead for the beaches and the artsy villages.
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Where to stay in Mallorca
Mallorca is fairly large in area – 9 times the size of Braç in Croatia and more than 40 times the size of Mykonos or Santorini. Different parts of the island have developed in their own unique way. There are varied choices for accommodation – quaint B&B cottages, ultra-luxury resorts, hip wellness retreats, agroturismo farm, vineyards stay, and all inclusive resorts.
We decided to split our time between the north eastern villages in the Tramuntana Mountains and the quiet seaside town of Portocolom in the south west. Our decision to stay at Valldemossa in the Tramuntana Mountains worked well. It gave us easy access to the gorgeous, fairytale villages of Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller. For those of you staying in Palma, consider a day tour to explore beauty of Mallorca’s mountainous northern coast.
Mallorca Itinerary Overview
Fly into Palma de Mallorca airport – Rent a car at the airport – Valldemossa (2 nights, explore Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller) – Portocolom (2 nights, explore beaches of Cala d’Or ) – Fly out
Mallorca Itinerary for 4 days
Day 1 of Mallorca: Exploring Valldemossa
We landed into Palma de Mallorca airport, which was busy and unimpressive, with long queues and a haphazard concrete vibe. The lines at the car rental agency were long but the staff was efficient and helpful, and we collected the car from the parking building across the street.
The initial part of the journey was a freeway that branched into country roads and on to the curvy Tramuntana drive. We stayed at Continental Bordoy, 4 km ahead of Valldemossa. This hotel, within the Tramuntana Mountains, overlooked the ocean and has spacious, well designed and equipped rooms.
Valldemossa dates back to the 1400s and has had prominent guests including the composer Frederic Chopin and the writer George Sands, who stayed here in the 1830s. We parked at the paid parking just outside the village and explored the cobblestone streets on foot.
The old stone houses with emerald shutters, the Carthusian Monastery with its teal topped tower and the mountains in the background make the town look like a movie set. No wonder many sequences from a Bollywood movie were shot here!
We loved walking around in the street, exploring the gardens next to the monastery (Jardins Rei Joan Carles) and browsing the paintings and art for sale around the main square. My favourite café was Ca’n Mollinas, which had charming garden seating and sumptuous desserts and breads like the ensaimada, with coffee that hit the spot.
Day 2: Visit Deià and Sòller
Deià Village
The village of Deià was a short ten minute drive from our hotel on the MA-10 highway. It is a picturesque road, along the azure blue sea and the peaks of Serra de Tramuntana, but narrow and serpentine. I loved driving here though it is not for the inexperienced or the faint hearted. Parking is difficult to find in the summer months, and we had to overshoot Deià and walk back.
Deià is mostly a pedestrian only village and is a haven for artists. Its tranquillity and privacy attracts many high profile artists and performers, and it has an upmarket, polished feel to it. Hotel Es Moli and extravagant La Residencia are the high end hotels to stay here.
We enjoyed walking up and down the narrow streets, taking in the quaint architecture. There is a farmers market on Wednesday and it was fun to try the treats and interact with the locals, before having a delicious brunch at Café Es Punt. We drove down to Cala de Deià, and enjoyed the beautiful views of the aquamarine sea from Ca’n Lluc.
Sòller
Port de Sòller is another 30 minutes’ drive along the highway. The bay has two sandy beaches, which are safe and accessible. We spent a few hours sunbathing and swimming in the water. Beyond the beaches is the promenade with bars, restaurants and souvenir shops.
This is also the origin point for the famous tram that connects Port de Sòller to Sòller town. The historic tram has been used for the last hundred years to transport people, oranges and fish and goes through the mountains and orchards to the centre of Sóller town. We didn’t take the tram ride but took a number of photos next to the pretty and colourful tram cars.
We headed to Plaza Constitución for dinner, listening to live music and watching the old tram come and go. We ended the meal with the traditional Herbes de Mallorca, a liqueur made from star anise and plants like lemon, orange, chamomile etc.
Day 3 of Mallorca Travel Itinerary: Drive to Portocolom
Portocolom
The drive from Valldemossa to Portocolom was pleasant. There usually is traffic on MA-20, the bypass for Palma near the airport. The 4 lane motorways are like freeways and have a maximum speed limit of 120 kms/hour. The secondary roads are a little more difficult to navigate with roundabouts and many narrow stretches through the countryside. Drivers are usually patient and accommodating.
Portocolom is not overrun by tourist development and retains its sleepy fishing village charm, with fishing boats, sail boats and yachts bobbing in the harbour. We ate at the L’Ou restaurant which does artisanal Italian dishes and is managed by a young and helpful team.
At Portocolom, we stayed in a charming traditional two-storeyed home. Our Air B&B host told us that this was her family’s holiday home for the last two decades. The artefacts, painting and antique furniture pieces like Louis XVI rocking chairs were a far cry from the usual furnished B&Bs and gave us a taste of the real Mallorca.
Cala Marçal
We then headed south to Cala Marcal. It is a sandy beach with shallow waters and amenities – an ideal location to spend the day especially with children. Apart from swimming and snorkelling, there are options for adventure sports. The restaurants get lively as the sun goes down, and it was safe to stay at the beach till dark.
Day 4 in Mallorca: Beach Hopping at Cala d’Or
Cala d’Or is a village further south from Cala Marcal, with vacation homes, resorts and restaurants. The coastline has many inlets with sandy beaches, and we decided to spent the last day of Mallorca travel itinerary, hopping from one cala (creek) to another.
We started at Cala Esmeralda, a public beach close to the Inturotel resorts. It was simply gorgeous with clear sapphire blue waters, with a point for cliff jumping. It was ideal for swimming, floating and people watching. We drove over to Cala Petita, a really tiny but stunning beach, accessible only on foot or through the water. The area around Avenue Tagomago is lively and has a number of restaurants. We tried the Indian Fusion restaurant.
To round off the day, we headed to Playa de Cala Ferrera and then drove around the Robinson Cala Serena resort to get to the secluded but public beach of Cala Serena. Even though the day was ending, we could not get enough of the beaches of Cala d’Or (Golden Bay).
Extend your trip to Mallorca
4 days are not enough to soak all of the Mallorcan sun, history and vibes. One can add a day or two in Palma, the capital city, and explore the Eastern coast. Or relax at an all-inclusive at Alcudia Bay.
The island gets a large number of tourists from Germany and post pandemic has seen an influx of expats settling in the area. It is also home to the tennis star, Rafael Nadal, and tennis features prominently on activities here.
More Posts on Island Getaways in Europe:
20 Unique Things to do in Madeira, Portugal
Best Things to do in Hvar Croatia
Vis: The furthest inhabited island in Croatia with an interesting history
The Perfect One Day Mykonos Itinerary
Santorini Greece Itinerary: Visit the Supermodel of Greek Islands
Crete Itinerary: Family adventure and fun on the largest island in Greece
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This is a guest post by Shweta Markandeya. After 10 years of climbing the corporate ladder, Shweta decided to call it quits and just “chill” with her daughter. When not wandering on foot, she wanders in her mind by reading, writing and planning yet another trip!
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Deià village looks like a painting!
Looks stunning! Was four days sufficient or could you spend a lot longer?
We spent 2 weeks in Mallorca and absolutely loved it! Like you, we chose to stay in multiple places, to minimize the driving time. I loved the Tramuntana mountains! Nice post and beautiful pictures!
I loved Palma de Mallorca but only had a day there as we were on a cruise. This post makes me want to go back so bad! Thanks for all the tips. 🙂
We visited Mallorca on a cruise stop and I quickly fell in love with Palma. In fact, for awhile I thought I may not leave as I nearly ended up in the hospital due to an injury but that’s a different story…. I’d love to visit Deià – it looks like a fairytale town!