Some of our favorite days in Spain were spent exploring the Balearic Island of Mallorca. I’ve never been anywhere quite like Mallorca, where the mountains touch the sea and time seems to slow down. The island is spotted with olive and orange groves, lemon trees, sheep, and quaint mountain and seaside towns.
Here is my travel guide to one of the prettiest places we’ve visited.
Hotel: We stayed at Ca’s Xorc in the mountains of Sóller. The place was so stunning, I dedicated a separate post to our time there. You can find that here.
Mallorca restaurant tip: Make dinner reservations in advance. Many places have limited availability, and if you wait until 8 p.m., you probably won’t get a table.
Palma de Mallorca
Restaurant: Bodega Morey
Asher and I rented a car at the airport and immediately drove to Palma to explore. Palma de Mallorca is the major city on the island, welcoming lots of tourists to its beach and historic area. We explored the town with gelato in hand and admired the cathedral and Plaza Mayor.
When it came time for lunch, we stumbled across Bodega Morey, a lively little joint serving tapas and a good time. The restaurant, decorated in vintage nautical items, was filled with the sound of laughter and clinks of almost-empty wine glasses. We sat in a corner and were led by the owner, Octavio Caballero, to pick out our tapas from the case. We tried a few different authentic tapas, including artichoke covered in cheese and an anchovy — my favorite! This is a must-try when visiting Palma.
Sóller
Restaurants: Barretes Restaurant and Luna36
Sóller was our home base on the island, specifically Ca’s Xorc luxury retreat, where we ate dinner at Barretes Restaurant. You can read more about our time at the hotel and restaurant here.
Ca’s Xorc was about 20 minutes from Sóller, so we spent a lot of time wandering through this unique town. The abundance of citrus groves placed Sóller on the map and brought wealth to that region of the island. Now, it’s one of Mallorca’s most famous towns, known for the train that runs through the city’s center at the Sant Bartomeu Church.
Right around the corner from the church is Luna36, the perfect place for a romantic dinner. Between the atmosphere, the food and the owners, Luna36 was one of our most memorable restaurant experiences. We opted for the creamed rice with vegetables, the Amberjack fish, bread with zucchini soup shots and crème brûlée. Be sure to make a reservation.
Port de Sóller
Port de Sóller is a charming port village located a hop, skip and a jump from the city center of Sóller. Here, the buildings are built into the mountains, and boats line the water’s edge. We took in the sunset across the sea while indulging in chocolate and pistachio gelato.
Deià
Restaurant: Ca’s Patró March
Deià is one of Mallorca’s most talked about towns, and after visiting, we understand why. The houses are perched on the side of the mountains and the streets are beautifully lined with stone buildings.
After exploring the town, we grabbed lunch at Ca’s Patró March at Cala Deià. This seaside shack serves fresh seafood (we ordered the whole sea bass) with a beautiful view of the Balearic Sea.
Cala Figuera
Restaurant: Bar Cala
Cala Figuera is my favorite town in all of Mallorca! We had planned to spend our day swimming at Caló des Moro, but due to the tumultuous sea, we had to change course. And that is how we found this seaside town, sprinkled with fishing boats and very few tourists.
We spent our time weaving through the port and eating a slow lunch at Bar Cala, complete with a view of the sea and seafood paella, of course.
Fornalutx
Restaurant: Can Benet by Don Pedro
Asher and I spent our last day in Fornalutx before driving the Sa Calobra (“the snake”) Road, a winding road with beautiful views through the mountains and along the coast of Mallorca.
We stopped for lunch at Can Benet by Don Pedro and ordered an array of tapas, including red fruit gazpacho, a cheese and fig jam platter, croquettes, bread and sangria. We spent our time in Fornalutx roaming the charming streets and bebopping in and out of small shops.
Valldemossa
Valldemossa is Mallorca’s highest town in elevation and might have the prettiest cityscape of all the places we visited. I found an original watercolor of Bunyola (a small town over) in one of the shops, a gem since artwork is hard to find on the island.
Estellencs and Banyalbufar
Estellencs and Banyalbufar are two more small towns that don’t have many shops and hardly any tourists. Both towns have beach access. We spent our time walking through the quiet streets before heading back to the busier places, like Sóller.
Interested in more of our Spain adventure? Check out our hotel on Mallorca or see what we did in Barcelona.
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