There are lots of perks living in England, but possibly the most notable is the cheap and easy travel. When we found out we had an unexpected long weekend, we searched Sky Scanner to see where we could go for the cheapest. One of the least expensive for the particular weekend we were looking at was a place called Mallorca. Admittedly, we’d never heard of it. We saw it was one of the Balearic Islands along with Ibiza and Manorca. After doing a tiny bit of research, we decided to go. With a flight price at £30 a person, there was little to lose.
We came in with little expectations. Although, we did expect it to be warmer than England, which we discovered it would not necessarily be the case. Luckily, we were given sun all three days which is all you can really ask for when you’re trying to get through your first England winter.
To say the island of Mallorca is underrated is an understatement. Why we have not heard this on people’s travel lists full of Cinque Terre’s and Santorini’s is beyond me. Not only do you get clear blue waters with amazing hidden beaches and pretty port cities, you also get the mountains - full of hiking trails, biking, windy roads that lead to snowy mountain caps. The best part? It’s not a tourist trap.
Granted, we visited in the winter. But even after doing my own research and talking to some locals, Mallorca seems to hover relatively under the radar even in the summer.
We decided to skip staying in Palma, Mallorca’s trendy capital, and make the gorgeous mountain town of Valldemossa home base. Though much quieter than the bustling city, the pseudo Tuscany vibes, historic architecture with cobblestone streets and endless potted plants was more than worth the extra 30 minute drive.
We stayed at quite possibly my favorite AirBnb we’ve stayed in thus far. Not only was our host incredibly accommodating, but also the apartment was a stunning modern/industrial style that was clearly designed and detailed by a professional (the host’s husband) and provided a cozy patio with epic views.
The streets of Valldemossa were the upmost pleasant to have a morning stroll. Every home had a plethora of potted plants and flowers outside of their front doors, creating entire streets full of thriving plants and succulents, even propped on the walls. Those who know me or know my instagram can predict my level to stoke to add to my neutral + greenery aesthetic.
The first day out exploring the island took the windiest road out to see some cliff sides, and let me tell ya, those roads are not for the faint hearted! With 1.5 hours of hairpin turns, make sure you bring your Dremamine. But the views are well worth it. In the course of that time, we saw snow-capped mountains, clear blue waters and everything in between.
Drone shot of the roads we took up
Ryan was on a quest to find one of many gorgeous cove-beaches. We set out for one in Sa Calobra, which had towering rocks on either side of the ocean that looked like a giant natural doorway. To get to the beach - which was totally surrounded by a canyon - you had to walk through dark caves that had little natural windows that looked out to the bluest waters. Pics describe it better:
Not much is open off season, so once we were done exploring, we headed back to grab some food from a supermarket and had dinner and wine in. On the way back, we caught a pretty epic sunset.
The next day, we decided to explore the east side of the island in search of Mallorca's lighthouse, a staple of the island for good reason. The drive is less windy and more pleasant. But first, and always, coffee. Though this trip wasn't as food-focused as far as content goes, that doesn't negate the fact that Spain's food, wine, culture and cappuccinos highly compete with Italy's, and that's saying a lot (as serious Italy fans). Be sure to have breakfast and coffee at one of the many, yes, Cappuccino's when in Spain. We visited the one in Valldemossa twice.
The cliff sides on the east side were stunning. Be sure to pull over when you see parking lots on the way out to the lighthouse, as we found another amazing cove beach by hiking down from one of the pull-off sights. I don't have names, but if you type in Mallorca lighthouse, follow the directions out there and do your own exploring. You won't be disappointed!
We went out in Palma, the capital and bustling city, only once. If we were there longer we definitely would have explored the city a bit more. It's a gorgeous port city with tons to do, a very young and hip culture with the trendiest bars and vegan cafes. I know how much a good travel blogger loves the words vegan and coffee shop in the same sentence. This particular cafe was invented (pretty sure) off of a Pinterest board, so naturally I had to snap a photo, despite my lack of clean hair and makeup.
Mallorca was the first place we took our new drone out to play! My hubs put this little edit together. Can't wait to incorporate more video content in the travel blog. Enjoy!
Behind the lens
1. Though lodging is about half of the price and the tourist crowds are nonexistent in the winter, I would still very much encourage visiting Mallorca in the warmer months. We were cold most of the time, and when trying to escape England's dark and miserable weather, you can imagine the frustration of not quite being able to. We basically learned that if you really want to travel somewhere warm during the winter months, skip the entire country of Europe and head to Turks and Caicos or something.
2. DON'T FORGET ABOUT SIESTA!! Most restaurants are closed between about 2-5PM, and then a lot of markets, especially in the winter, close around 7:30PM. This requires you to plan, because if you don't you'll be very hangry!!
Where to next?
Xx,
Jenna