Much as we love our home on the Costa Blanca, it’s still nice to ‘get away from it all’ occasionally, and when you’re already on Mainland Europe it can be surprisingly cheap to take a break. When my husband Tony celebrated his 75th birthday, we decided to treat ourselves to a trip to Mallorca. Tony had never been, and it’s twenty years since my last visit. With only 30 minutes flight time from Alicante to Palma, it’s not an arduous journey, either.
It’s possible to pick up some good deals on flights from Alicante to Palma, so keep an eye on flight offers. Air Berlin in particular has some good deals.
Our hotel in Playa de Palma was only 4 kilometres from the airport, and only 200 yards from the beach, the bus route into Palma and lots of shops, bars and restaurants. We found Laterooms.com much cheaper for hotels than the more well-known late availability sites, and we didn’t have to pay a penny until we checked in.
Car hire is expensive on Mallorca, although there are some deals around, so it’s a good idea to choose a resort on the bus route and close to the airport, as taxis are also pricey. Our short run to our hotel, The Palma Playa 1, cost us 15 Euro! Playa de Palma is midway between Arenal and C’an Pastilla. You can reach both resorts by bus, but we chose to walk along the seafront. The views are amazing on a clear day.
There are plenty of coach trips available, but again, they are quite expensive. We bought a guide book and travelled everywhere on the bus. Local buses into Palma run every 15 minutes, and cost just over 1 Euro per trip, but you can buy a card for 10 bus trips in the Tabacos for only 8 Euro, which is a significant saving. Once in Palma, you can travel all over the island. All the buses go from the Plaza de Espana, which is where you will also find the Tourist Office and the train station which takes you through the Tramuntana Mountains to Soller, so you’ll see plenty of the Plaza de Espana during your stay on Mallorca.
If possible, visit Palma on a Saturday morning for the Craft Market and Rastro, (car boot sale and flea market) which takes place on the Avinguda Gabriel Alomar and Villalonga ring road. The bus into Palma passes the market, which winds through part of the old town.
Palma Cathedral and the Almundaina Palace on the waterfront are must-sees. Entrance is very reasonable, but if you go on a Wednesday and take your passport, entrance to the Almundaina is free to EU citizens. You can easily spend a whole day in the area around the Cathedral, as there’s lots to see and do.
Visit the beautiful village of Puerto Christo, where you’ll find the spectacular Caves of Drach. Enjoy a boat trip on the underwater lake for a unique holiday experience.
Make sure to take a ride through the mountains. For maximum enjoyment, take a bus ride into Soller along the mountain road, then come back to Palma through the valley on the tourist train. When we were there in February, the almond blossom was at its best, but the scenery in the Soller valley is breathtaking all year round.
I hope I’ve given you some ideas to make the most of your stay in Mallorca. Try and visit soon and tell them Sandra sent you!
