I am going to start off by saying before I booked this trip, I had never even heard of Mallorca. I only picked this location because it was one of the cheapest places to fly to during the 4th of July weekend, which I had off for work. When I saw it, I was like cool I will go there, never even looking on a map of where it was or what there was to do. I thought it would be a great location for a long weekend because if I ended up not liking it, I would only be there a few days versus wasting a long trip on it.
Afterward, my coworkers informed it me it is basically the Cancun for Germans. I got a bit nervous because I tend to hate the touristy, party spots. I don’t go on trips to drink which seemed like this is the kind of place people go to do just that. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s just not my type of trip. I was like oh great, what did I get myself into now!
However, after some research, I realized there seemed to be a lot more to the island then just Palma and the resort spots! Though my research I found a lot of it does require a car, which I did not have the option to rent but there is still lots you can do!
This blog will be a three-day itinerary for what to do around Palma and the island without a car. I have to say after this trip, I fell in love with Mallorca. I definitely want to visit again as there is so much more to the island than just drinking.
My trip actually started out with a bunch of young German guys and another group of girls all chugging drinks at our gate before our flight. They were drinking the whole time on the flight so I have to admit, I was nervous once again for what the trip would be like! My hostel did end up being a bit more of a party hostel than I anticipated and I got zero sleep each night because of it so do be careful of where you book. The hostel was amazing and the staff was beyond awesome, but sadly my roommates in my room were not. The city was also a bit more expensive than what I was expecting and I was shocked when I saw the price of some things.
Day 1- Explore Palma
Ok yes, you have to dedicate some time in Palma. It does have some beautiful spots so you can not write it off entirely. I stayed away from the party scene and had a great time exploring! My plane landed and I got to my hostel around 2:30 pm (stupid plane delay) so I didn’t have quite a full day to explore as I had planned. However, you can still see a good portion of Palma if you commit to lots of walking! Here is a list of spots to check out for day 1:
Walk down Paseo Marítimo
My hostel was between the city centre and the Bellver Castle, so I had no choice but to walk down the marina, but boy is it lovely. The road is filled with restaurants, hotels, clubs and bars, and of course lots of shopping. Next to the bay is a walking and cycling path. You can get a lovely view of the boats and yachts as well as getting a breeze off the water which was a relief in the July heat.
Get your GOT on at Bellver Castle
Ok, I could not find any information that Game of Thrones was filmed in Mallorca, but I swear there was inspiration here or that it secretly was filmed in Palma! The castle looked like the same castle where Daenerys dragons are being held in the Land of the Undying. While this is said to be filmed at Minčeta Tower in Croatia, I not convinced!
It is one of the few circular castles in Europe and it is 4 euros to enter. It is worth it alone for the view of Palma. Make sure you check the website for hours as the hours posted on Google were wrong and I almost didn’t go because of it. If you enter heading from the Marina you can walk through the forest, which does have paved stairs. I actually did this my last day as I did not have time the first day.
See the old city walls at Pont de la Riera
If you are walking from the castle into the city, you will walk right past this point. This bridge connects the old city with the Parc de Sa Feixina. Here you can see the old walls along with the canal. You can follow the canal up or head towards the cathedral from here.
Admire Conselleria de Serveis Socials I Cooperació, Consolat de Mar, and Lonja de Mallorca
As you walk along the marina on the interior opposite of the water, you will come across these buildings. The first two are government buildings and the third is an old gothic building. I originally thought it was a church but it is not. They are all nice buildings and you pass them nonetheless.
Relax at La Seu Cathedral
Also known as the Palma Cathedral, you can not miss this nor should you. The cathedral was built on the old city walls and took around 600 years to build. It is one of the tallest gothic cathedrals in Europe and is right next to the Royal Palace of La Almudaina. You can sit and relax above the Parc de la Mar, or grab a cool drink in the shade. When I went, there was a sign on one of the entrances “guided tours only” so I was under the impression that I could not go in at that time, sadly I was mistaken and I was quite upset.
Explore the Royal Palace of La Almudaina
Sometimes referred to as the Alcazar of Palma, this is located next to the cathedral. You can walk around the outside, the gardens, and part of the courtyards for free. It does cost 4-6 euros if you would like to go inside. I skipped the interior as I was pressed for time and the exterior was pretty enough!
Visit the Arabs Bath
I ended up skipping this because of time constraints and overheating, but I did originally plan on visiting here. I believe it is around 4 euros to enter and the baths are from around the 10th -12th century. They are located in a garden and there are many signs pointing to here from the cathedral so you can not get lost.
Wander through Casco Antiguo
This is inevitable if you go from the cathedral to the baths. This neighborhood is located behind the cathedral and is full of narrow cobblestone streets, too narrow for cars, with gorgeous architecture lining it. I ended up doing two giants loops around this area and ended both times back at the cathedral without meaning too since the area is quite nice!
Head towards Convent de Santa Clare
This church and convent were established in the 12th century. I came across this wandering the streets. It advertised they do wine tastings as well which is a bonus! I stopped briefly here for a photo and continued on my way.
Stop at a few Ca’n
If you look at google maps, you will see a bunch of different places listed with “Ca’n” or “Can”. I am still not entirely sure what that exactly means, but all these places had beautiful entrance ways so I am sure it is related to that!
Detour to Sant Francesc Church
As someone who is not the least bit religious, I do love the architecture in cathedral and churches and usually make a detour to one. This isn’t the most impressive in Palma but if you are in the area, it is worth a quick detour and stop.
Take a gelato break at Parròquia de Santa Eulàlia
At this point, I was getting real close to overheating. This church is next to a nice shady square with a few coffee shops and gelato shops. It is a perfect stop to stop and rest for a minute while admiring the nice church!
Wonder at the Unique Trees
Ok seriously though, the trees are really cool! I kept taking pictures of them because I loved them so much. I really enjoyed that the city had so much nice green spots. You don’t always get that and green spots to me are really important to de-stress after being in a busy city all day.
Gaze at Gaudi Art Nouveau building in Plaza del Mercat
I completely stumbled upon these building and I was surprised I didn’t see anyone mention these buildings in my research about what to see and do in Palma. These buildings are awesome and definitely worth a stop. Also, this has another shady square to grab (more) gelato, since there is no such thing as too much gelato! Also, there is another church here – Església de Sant Felip Neri worth mentioning.
Get your government on at the Parlament de Ies Illes Balears
You can get a tour of this building and I had every intention too, but by the time I got there I was too tired and ended up passing on the tour. From what I saw online, the interior looked lovely.
Shop till drop along the Borne
Also known as the “Golden Mile”, this has all the shopping you could want. While many of the shops were well out of my price range, the street is with trees and bench and is a good place to rest if you need a break.
End the day with a rooftop drink… or several
Once you walk along the Borne, you end up back near the Royal Palace aka you did a giant loop of the city. At this point, it was quite late in the day and I realized I had not eaten yet, so naturally I decided to grab a drink and not food. I head back along the marina and got a drink first along there and then at my hostel which had a rooftop terrace. It was time to rest my feet as I grabbed quick food nearby.
There are still other cool sights around the city which I did other days. Such as relaxing at Plaza Espana (just putting it out there that they have a taco bell cough cough), chilling in the Parc de les Estacions, Jardin de la Misericordia (which has more unique trees), Notaria San Miguel, and so much more. There are also a few museums around the city. I usually love museums but I simply did not have the time.
Day 2 – Out of Palma – Valldemossa, Deia, Soller, and Port of Soller by Bus
You can get to all of these locations by public bus and I should also mention busses have air conditioners, thankfully! The cities are smaller but absolutely gorgeous!! The cities are located relatively close to each other, with the port being around 50 minutes away by express bus. Trust me, after a long day, you want that slight rest period on a cool bus! Also, I recommend sitting on the left side the whole way as the side has the best views! The bus is very scenic the whole way so you can enjoy the ocean and the mountains on the way.
You also take the same bus, bus 210, for all the cities, which makes it easier to navigate. It is also posted online and you can check buses on google as well. There are other buses you can take, which I did as well but line 210 is the bus you will want to keep an eye out. Also, be aware the bus was late every time. The first few times I was running back sweating to make sure I didn’t miss the bus and it didn’t show up for 10-15 minutes. So if you think you may be right on time or a minute or two late, it will most likely be ok!
Palma to Valldemossa – Around 2.50 euros – 30 minutes bus
You leave Palma from Estació Intermodal which is located between Plaza Espana and Parc de les Estacions. I was a bit confused at first because the bus station is actually underground. You will see escalators going down so follow that and the signs to the bus station. You will then want to grab bus 210. There are boards displaying time and bus inside the station as well.
Valldemossa was home to Chopin for a bit and they have a church and museum for him. It was quite pricey so I only took pictures and walked around the garden. There is also a tower you can walk up for 3 euros. I recommend it as it has beautiful views of the city. The stairs are steep and narrow so do you be careful! From there you can walk around the city. I think this was my favorite city. It was just so picturesque and the streets are amazing! I went early so there weren’t many tourists there and I spent my time just wandering around the city. Near the bus stop is also shopping and restaurants if you get hungry. The city is quite hilly so make sure you have lots of water.
Valldemossa to Deià – Around 2 euros – 17-minute bus
I actually grabbed bus 452 instead of 210. Do check google for bus times just in case because I don’t think this bus runs all the time. This is a gorgeous quick drive. You get to see a lot of the coast from here. It is also very windy so be prepared for that as the bus driver had to jam on the breaks a lot since it is 1.5 lanes and often had to have cars back up to let the bus pass!
Deia is another gorgeous city. It is surrounded by mountains and uh, it is so lovely. I got the most amazing fruit from here and again, I just wandered around the city. There are small walking paths and the city is quite small so you do not need as much time here. I hear there is great hiking around here but I did not have the time to check it out. The main site to see is the Parròquia Sant Joan Baptista. This is only a few minutes walk from the bus stop and at one of the higher points of the city. It is worth a quick detour up there for the views. The bus stop is also a bench across from a car park. I wasn’t sure at first but thankfully if you get confused, you will find a large group of people waiting as well. I spent around an hour and I got to see a lot of the city as it is that small.
Deià to Soller – 1.55 euros – 25-minute bus
This also has amazing views of the city so do make sure you sit on the left side. This city was my least favorite of all, to be honest. It is one of the biggest but doesn’t have the charm of the other two. The bus station is further away from the city centre than the other cities. It seemed to be mostly shopping here which I did not like and it is not mountainous like the other cities.
The main sight to see is Església parroquial de Sant Bartomeu de Sóller. It is gorgeous and in the city centre surrounded by a square with lots of restaurant options. The church is gorgeous and next to is a nice looking bank as well. From there you can split off onto streets and walk around and window browse. I spent the least amount of time here and ended up leaving rather quickly as I decided to go to the Port instead. You can either grab the tram that looked cool which I wanted to take but I didn’t know when the next would come, or go by bus which I did.
Soller to Port de Soller – 1.50 euros – 15-minute bus
Port de Soller may be tied for my favorite city out of the ones mentioned above. It is a coastal town and I do love coastal towns. While the others are picturesque and quaint, this is hustling and bustling with boats and sunbathers. It too is gorgeous, in its own way with the port being tucked away in the mountains and the sea on the other side.
There is tons of shopping and restaurants here along with having a few main spots to check out. The bus stop was a bit further from the sea (maybe 5-10 minute walk) but as soon as walk up, there is a large sandy beach for you to relax at. The shops and food surround you along the boardwalk. Now if you aren’t completely exhausted by this point, you can walk to Faro Capgros which is supposed to have amazing views. I was far too tired by this point to make the trek. I, however, opted for the closer lookout point. If you walk up to Museu de la Mar Soller, you get rewarded with two awesome views. One view is looking out at the Port from above with the mountains in the back. If you turn the other way, you get the wide open sea with some large cliffs. I didn’t go into the museum, I ended up playing with the cat outside instead. I then headed back into the city, again through some lovely streets and wandered around for a bit before I was too tired and exhausted to head back to Palma.
Port de Soller back to Palma – 2.90 euros – 50 Express Bus – Bus 211
There are two options when you head back to Palma. You can take the 210 bus back with the scenic route which takes about 1.5 hours, or you can take the express bus 211 back through the tunnel which takes about 50 minutes. I opted for the express bus since I had already gone the scenic route. There were still a few sites around Palma I wanted to check out before I crashed like the Gaudi building and the Bellver Castle. I ended up getting a few more drinks and enjoying my hostel rooftop terrace as I could not walk anywhere else that day.
Day 3 – Slightly Outside of Pama – Relaxing Beach Day
There is no shortage of Calas, or beaches lining the island. For this day, I decided to do a tour of the local beaches slightly outside Palma. There are a few sandy beaches nearby, but I heard they are quite touristy and over packed. I went with a company called “The Happy Vans” which I found on Facebook through a travel group. They took a small group of us to some local beaches outside of Palma and it was amazing.
The guys were really cool and we got to go to beaches that had almost no one there and known mostly by local. One didn’t even have a name but it was amazing and beautiful. We went to one rocky beach and two sandy beaches. They had snorkeling gear for us, took us to a few spots to cliff jump, took us to a market to get food midday, and even took go pro pictures of us in the water. It was 40 euros for the full day and so worth it in my mind. I don’t generally like tours but this was only with like 5 other people so it was nice and not one of those overcrowded tours.
I found the beach day the last day the most relaxing. It was the perfect way to end the trip. There are of course plenty of beaches to choose from and if you do want a tour, there are plenty of bus and boat tours to choose from online. I was very happy with my choice to go with a smaller local tour! I did get very burned the last day but it was worth every moment!
I hope you enjoyed my (ideal) quick three-day itinerary for Mallorca. I think it combines the best of everything: a bit of Palma, a bit of beach, and a bit of the rest of the island. I do plan on going back to visit other parts so let me know if there is somewhere you loved that I should add to my list to visit. Or if you have any comments, please let me know! Tschuss!
AJ goes abroad 