Mallorca Spain

Mallorca’s Southeast Coast – Home to Some of Its (and the World’s) Most Beautiful Beaches

After enjoying the Palma area and exploring the north/west coast of Mallorca, we moved on to our 2nd stop, Cala d’Or, a great location to explore the leeward side of Mallorca. The southeast coast is dotted with beautiful coves and beaches (I think there are over 100), many of which require a bit of a hike to get to, while others are easily accessible by car.

Alua Soul Hotel – Cala d’Or

We stayed at the Alua Soul Hotel in Cala d’Or, and we were not disappointed. The hotel property surrounds a small cove (Cala Egos, to which the public also has access) and is in a perfect location for exploring this beautiful part of Mallorca.

*Cala Egos – this is the view from our room at the Alua Soul Hotel – I think I could have stayed here forever!*

*Cala d’Or has lots of shops and restaurants, this particular shopping/restaurant area was very close to our hotel.*

Cala d’Or is a major boat harbor and tourist hub (although it did not feel all that crowded – the hotels and condos are spread out and tucked behind the various hills and coves). If you get tired of the beach, there are lots of other things to do here, such as renting ATV’s, going on fishing or sailing expeditions and many other activities to keep you and your family or friends entertained!

Mondragó Park

Near Cala d’Or is Mondrago Park (Parc natural de Mondragó). This nature park has lots of parking (fee required), wide beaches, snack vendors and restrooms. The beaches and shallow water are great for families. There are two beach areas connected by a trail (just a 5 minute walk between the two beaches). Speaking of families, let me point out that these are “European” beaches, which means you will likely encounter some topless sunbathers, as with most beaches in Mallorca (or any Mediterranean island for that matter). However, the protocol is that everyone covers up at the snack bars, going to/from the restroom, beach, etc.

*If you’re after a little more solitude, this little cove is also in *Mondragó Park*.*

Cala des Moro

This is perhaps the most famous (and beautiful?) beach and cove on Mallorca. Arrive early (like by 8 or 9 am) to enjoy a quieter beach experience and to find parking. You walk south from the parking area off the main road through a small residential neighborhood and just keep working your way to the coastline. It’s about a 20 minute walk/hike from the parking area to the beach – be prepared for a steep descent/ascent into/out of the cove. Just follow the crowd. At the top of the cove, there was an enterprising drink/snack vendor. I will say this is one of the most scenic beaches I’ve ever seen. The water is warm and the color is about the prettiest turquoise shade possible.

Other Beautiful Beaches

Further up the coast from Cala d’Or, the coves & beaches just keep on coming….here are two other examples that are near Porto Cristo, 28 km (17 miles) north of Cala d’Or and easily accessible by car (parking is next to the beach in both cases). Porto Cristo is the home of Cuevas del Drach (Drach Caves) which I will share more about in my next post!

Cala Anguila

Cala Mendia

No matter where you choose to stay while in Mallorca, be sure to visit the south/east coast of this beautiful island.

Beyond Palma – Touring Western Mallorca – Part 1

From our base in Palma, we did a couple of day trips through the western part of Mallorca. The north/western shore of Mallorca is rugged and this mountainous area (known as the Serra de Tramuntana), is Mallorca’s “backbone”, with narrow winding roads, steep hills, dramatic coastline and several quaint medieval villages. As mentioned in my Overview of Mallorca, bicyclists are everywhere – some are just out for fun while others do serious training here.

*Mallorca’s dramatic western coastline.*

Andraxt and Port Andraxt

Andraxt was our first stop along the southwest coast from Palma. We skipped the touristy and trendy Magaluf area, (a short distance from Palma), and decided to check out the quieter southwestern end of the island. As with a number of coastal towns on Mallorca, the town of Andraxt and its port share the same name and are just a few kilometers apart. Hundreds of years ago, the inland town separated from the port provided some protection against raids by pirates. Andraxt and Port Andraxt is one such example. It was interesting to see the difference between the two – Port Andraxt is the modern tourist hub with sleek yachts in the harbor and the old town of Andraxt is nestled in the hills and feels like it’s from a completely different era.

*Above – Port Andraxt, lined with shops and restaurants, and moorage for boats.*

*The old town of Andraxt with Port Andraxt in the distance – it was very difficult to find a place to get a photo of the town and port!*

St. Elm Beach

Not far from Andraxt was St. Elm Beach, about a 45 minute drive from Palma. St. Elm is a small resort town at the very tip of southwestern Mallorca. We spent a couple hours enjoying the scenery and beach here. There was a small car park just across the street from the main beach and behind the beach is a line of restaurants and shops facing the beautiful bay, with the uninhabited islet of El Pantaleu just offshore.

*Another view of St. Elm Beach and islet of El Pantaleu*

Banyalbufar

North and east along the coast from St. Elm is the municipality of Banyalbufar, with dramatic coastline as shown above in this post and with one of the many scenic medieval towers in Mallorca keeping watch over the coast.

Miramar Monastery

Situated between Valldemossa and Deia, this 13th century monastery is worth a visit – the views from its terraces are lovely. There’s not much left of the original monastery, but there are a few buildings, a small museum and gardens to provide an idea of what life was like for the early inhabitants – monks who were learning Eastern languages in order to take the gospel to the Moors.

*Old olive presses and other machinery at Miramar Monastery.*

*Coastline view from the garden terraces at Miramar Monastery – a fantastic peaceful setting.*

Deia

Not far from the Miramar Monastery is this little village, perched on a hilltop on the western coast of Mallorca, which has an outsized reputation as a real hot spot. In fact, it’s so busy that we could not find any place to park as we drove by the town. Deia is known for its scenic setting, quaint streets, magnetic star power (lots of music and movie stars have hung out here), and beautiful cove and beach. Traffic was stop and go along the road passing near the town, everyone was looking for a parking spot, just like us. We really wanted to stop and I did a couple passes by the town, but the tiny car parks were continually full. The road is so narrow with cliffs on both sides that you cannot pull off the side of the road. We gave up and just took this picture out of the car window! Maybe you’ll have better luck. Perhaps later in the season or another time of day would have been better (we were there in early September).

In my next post, we’ll explore the villages of Valldemossa and Sóller, two other very beautiful and historic towns on Mallorca’s western coast.

Mallorca (Majorca) and Menorca (Minorca) – Spain’s Well-Kept Secret Islands (at least from Americans)

My wife and I love exploring the Mediterranean’s host of magical islands for so many reasons, but as of 2022, we had not yet visited Spain’s share of these islands and so we decided to take a September trip to Mallorca and Menorca (with few days in Barcelona on our way home). September was a perfect time to go – the water was still warm and the days long enough to allow plenty of exploring, with fewer tourists than might be found in July or August. United Airlines started offering seasonal direct service to Palma, Mallorca from Newark, NJ in the summer of 2022. I think that was a fabulous decision, even though locals may not agree!

In this post, I’ll provide a short overview of these two islands and in future posts go into more detail on each.

Why Mallorca and Menorca?

As mentioned above, we love the Mediterranean – the beautiful coastlines, ancient and medieval-era historical sites, incredible beaches and the variety of cultures and languages to be found throughout the region. We also love that these (Mallorca and Menorca) islands don’t really seem to be on US tourists’ European vacation maps yet, at least not to the same degree as a London, Paris or Rome.

*One of the many beautiful coves on the island of Mallorca. Like many of these coves, it takes a little hiking to get here.*

However, please don’t think that the islands are void of tourists – that’s hardly the case. Car parks for the most accessible beautiful beaches and coves fill up fast – you have to get there early (or arrive late in the day) if you want a convenient parking spot. It seems that most of the tourists to these islands come from Germany and the UK, although cruise ships also visit Palma. Cycling on the narrow winding roads through the mountains of Mallorca is a favorite pastime in addition to hiking, 4 wheeling, and of course all kinds of water sports.

*When driving in Mallorca, one needs to be careful of the cyclists sharing the road.*

Even with all the tourists, it’s still possible to visit little towns on both islands and pretty much be the only tourists in sight.

*The scenic town of Arta in the northeast corner of Mallorca – few tourists here.*

Mallorca and Menorca are quite different from one another. Mallorca is larger, more mountainous, with a significantly larger population (about half of which live in the Palma area) and caters to more tourists, who tend to stay put in specific regions of the island. Menorca is smaller in size and population with fewer tourists, and feels more rural. Both islands offer stunningly clear turquoise water, incredible coves and beaches – some of the prettiest anywhere on the planet – and interesting historical sites and towns.

*Torre d’ en Galmes, one of Menorca’s many prehistoric ruins.*

Where are Mallorca and Menorca?

Mallorca and Menorca are two of the three primary Balearic islands, belonging to Spain, the other being Ibiza. Ibiza has a reputation as a real “party” island and we preferred a bit different experience. Plus, as stated above, we could fly directly to Palma from the US. Mallorca and Menorca are close together geographically and it’s easy to get from one island to the other (just a 30 minute flight), or by taking a longer ferry ride.

Mallorca and Menorca are in the western Mediterranean Sea. It is a short flight from Barcelona to Mallorca or Menorca – about an hour (approximately 158 miles or 255 km). We flew to Barcelona from Menorca for a few days at the end of our stay and then directly from Barcelona to Washington, D.C.

Be on the lookout for many more posts to come about these beautiful islands!

The Independent Tourist

Travel Locations and Tips for Independent Travelers