Mallorca

There are a lot of wonderful islands on the Earth. I’ve visited some of them and now I’m ready to recommend one more – Mallorca.

Summary: 7 days – 1500 km drive – rain, sun, wind, calm sea, big waves – caves, curves, sandy beaches, rocks, wild animals, orange trees, lemon trees – great food and coffee, wonderful views. Are you already curious?

First, check out my album Mallorca round and about. You can find pretty much all the important activities that you can do on the island – you can drive, bike, hike, or just relax.

However, you have to organise your stay there first. Here’s my list of recommendations.

Rent a car

There are a lot of companies offering rental cars at very good price of 6-8 euro a day. Is it too good to be true? Yes and no.

They are offering a car with full tank and expect you to return it empty. They will charge you about 80 euro for the fuel. The included taxes are the airport fee, and very basic insurance. So by booking online, you will only see a price of about 50 euro for a week. When you actually get the car your bill will be about 220 euro (that’s if you want a full insurance, second driver, and baby chair).

The important point is you pay the full tank no matter what. There is no reimbursement if you return the car with non-empty tank.

If you plan to drive a lot (more than a tank) – this is still a good deal, otherwise – check the price of companies offering another fuel policy. We used GoldCar – good price, good cars, good service.
Generally when you go to an island – my advice is – use a local company.

If you do not mind driving, you will enjoy the roads. They are in perfect condition and there’s usually no toll for tunnels, highways, etc. The only exception comes if you want to visit Soller – on the road to Soller there is the only paid tunnel, but it is worth it. The alternative is a very slow road, full of curves, I’ve tried it and do not recommend it. It seams that the road trough the tunnel is only 2km less, but counted in minutes its two times quicker to get you to your goal. The tax for the paid tunnel is about 5 euro.

Where to stay

This decision always depends on your expectation of luxury level of your vacation. There are hotels for every taste in Mallorca. I personally prefer to stay far away for the hotels and crowded areas. If you do not expect room-cleanup on a daily bases and do not mind making your own coffee in the morning, then we have the same vision. You have to choose our Finca on Mallorca – you can see the ex-clients feedback and the schedule for the house.

Here’s what you need to check carefully about your Mallorca villa:

  • Is the quoted price per villa or per person?
  • What is the charge per child?
  • Is there an internet connection? You could need it for fine-tuning of your plans, although there is wifi almost in every cafe.
  • What is included in the price? Do you need to pay extra for amenities such as the electricity (you may use airconditioner);
  • What is the fee for the end-cleaning? Normally, this is not included in the price and is about 60 euro.

Where to eat

Everything is a la carte – you can order a coffee, explain how you want it done and you will get exactly what you want. Do not forget to order fresh home-made cakes and sweets! All of them are delicious.

You should definitely try the fresh fish while you are at Mallorca. I’m vegetarian and have to stick to pasta, tapas, salads and soups. My four year-old son claimed the fish was wonderful.

Spanish cuisine is delicious, so the list of recommended dishes could be very long. Just make sure you still take only one seat on the plane ride home. One of my best memories is cup of coffee with milk, cake and unforgettable view to the mountains and the sea on Port de Soller.

Daily Shopping – if you need a cheep supermarket – Eroski is your place. You can find there everything you need for a week-long vacation, especially, if you have forgotten anything or want to cook in the finca.
Marketplace – the village market takes place on Sunday or Saturday, so check in advance which one it is. You can find there fresh fruits and vegetales, bread, nuts, cheese, even smoked pork. Do not buy fruits and vegetables in the supermarket, so check open markets and vegetable farms.
Water on Mallorca is TERRIBLE. You cannot even wash you teeth with it. Do NOT try to prepare tea or coffee with tap water – use mineral water instead.
How to plan your stay there – you will be surprised by the number of places you have to see there. Stay tuned when I cover a dozen of them in my next post!