I have fallen in love with Mallorca

[PacificDogwod]

Just back from holiday there, first time on any Balearic Island for all of us.

I just loved it.
I am now looking at holiday lets for the October school week

How did I not know about this magical island??

I also found a wonderful property available to buy for a mere 5.8 million Euros . V nice it is too. I may start playing the lottery….

So pleased to read this as I'm going to Mallorca for the first time next week. Not looking forward to the flight though for reasons mentioned above. It's Flybe from Southampton, hope it won't be full of drunk people going to Magaluf.

We do camping in…. Scotland! Well, we used to, then kids got too big and too vociferous in their objections to it

I would actually like to try a family-friendly hotel with lots of kids' clubs and stuff. I'd try it once and never again if it was awful - because it might just be marvellous for our multitudes of offspring. But DH is NOT having it - even the 5* luxury we were exposed to did not change his mind.

Another Pollensa lover here - have been on many villa holidays around Pollensa and Puerto Pollensa. Parents have just got back from a week at the Illa D'Or which they love.
Love the market in Pollensa and stopping for a drink and pastry in the square. Years ago we always used to see Jon Pertwee there, he lived nearby.
Palma is gorgeous - and getting the train from there up to Soller, then the tiny little train down to the port is a brilliant day out.

only you might not be far from me if your flying from s'ton!
I fly from gatwick in a few weeks - at 6am!

We saw Jon Pertwee in Puerto Pollensa too many years ago. More recently my mum came rushing back to the apartment very red faced saying "you'll never guess who I've just seen." Without looking up from my paper I said "John Torode from Masterchef" my mum couldn't believe I had guessed but I see him every year usually near the sports shop strangely enough. I guess he has a place nearby. He must have good taste. He's single now isn't he

Not single, dating Lisa Faulkner, oh well DH will have to do

We fly from Bournemouth, flights are nice and early so we avoid the drunk Shagaluf crowd!

Nice thing about the island is that nowhere is that far from the airport. We fly at about nine, stop at Eroski in Inca for supplies and we're at the villa by lunchtime.

I'm convinced I saw Dame Joan Collins in Puerto Pollensa once but it may have just been an incredibly well dressed ex pat!

Heading there in august for a week, staying in Bunyola, inland not far from the mountains. I was a bit worried i wasn't going to like it so much, but am feeling fully reassured now! We have a car for the week, what are the absolute don't miss places? I'll be with 3 kids btw.

Good news, MNHQ have been in touch and they are happy to move the thread whoever it goes a bit quiet - so it can stay for all to see in Chat and be moved for its preservation for posterity to Shorthaul later - win-win!

Bunyola is a really good base - I don't know what the town is like (we only drove through, but it's close to Palma/airport and you'll have easy access to the Tramuntura mountain range which is beautiful.

As I said upthread, we enjoyed the glass museum/glass blowing in Algaida, Port d'Antratx, Petra, Deia and Port de Soller, Valdemossa is gorgeous (not sure how much your teens are into visiting monasteries and royal palaces, but plenty of shops and stuff there too).

Some of the road are hairy - honestly, the road from Valdmossa to Port de Valdemossa saw me with my heart in my mouth the entire way. But it was well worth it IMO, spectacular views and sunsets
The beach I mentioned upthread was not in Deia at all - sorry - but in Banyalbufar, lovely village, v authentic looking, some nice restaurants etc.
Lots of lovely olive groves everywhere.

allthemadmen - def Port de Soller. Totally in love with the place.

I have young son so Deia not really suitable for him but v sophisticated and beautiful for a grown up holiday.

We flew Ryanair from Edinburgh - the times were better than Easyjet

Oh damn you!

Now I want to go and everything is booked up or way out of my budget Does anyone know the Palma Bellver Hotel. Would have preferred other places but is Palma nice or too busy/touristy/Magaluf-ish?

Pollensa looks fabulous and I'm sure my DD 16 would love it. Soller looks great but maybe not so much for her to do there? Aaaah, I really want to go wails

Draylon, having been to the Canaries in the last 2 years, I actually commented to DH how pleasantly surprised I was that there was a lot less half finished huge developments on Mallorca compared to Lanzarote and Fuertoventura.
Having said that, we were a bit off the beaten track and spent very little time near the larger developments in Palma and around its bay, so the picture may be different elsewhere.

Bagel, I think a 16 yo would find plenty to do in Soller

We have still not booked anything for October, but, on the upside, I am now spending time looking at Menorcan sandals

I've done it! Booked a week at the Hotel Los Geranios Wish I'd taken the plunge and booked 2 days ago as flights had gone up massively in the meantime, but hey ho.

Found out there's a dive school so DD can go for a dive (hopefully not too expensive), I'd love to go kayaking one day as well. There are so many positive reviews for the area, and the hotel, I'm SO looking forward to it.

Thank you Pacific for starting this thread. It's a completely new destination to me. After many, many years of going to the same few places, I am very excited (can you tell!)

Bagel Has your DD done coasteering? DS(14) loves coasteering and there's a company in Port Soller that arranges it. It's top of his list (well, cliff diving is but I think that makes me too nervous to let him do!) for our holiday there next summer.

Cliff jumping, not cliff diving! He's not getting to do either one anyway!

Noofly In a lot of the little coves, there's often elevated rocky sections at the sides of the bay, maybe 4-10 feet? above the water where you can often see people jumping in perfectly safely.

Cala Llombards and Cala Mondrago are two that I've seen but these are on the east coast so a long way from Port Soller - not extreme but loads of fun - just look out for others doing it and maybe have a swim by to check under the water for piece of mind. I wish we had done more of it when we were there but the rocks were quite uncomfortable on my feet - I need to get rock shoes? before next time.

Barbara Sorry,, I mean 12m cliff jumping! The company that does canyoning also does cliff jumping (3-12m). That's what DS wants to do. Last year in Turkey we went canyoning and he got to jump 10m into a deep pool at the end. That was OK because it was into still water, but there's something about jumping from a height into the sea that scares the living daylights out of me. I'm happy for him to do little jumps, there's no way he's going on the organised cliff jumping excursion!

Re DEIA what am I doing wrong, every time been its jam packed with cars, the village seems to rest on the main busy road, so have to dodge traffic to get anywhere, I never found a square or a heart to it, but just restaurants along the road!

I believe there is a teeny stone beach with nice restaurant somewhere, never made it there.
what am I missing!

So pleased to have found this thread!
DH and I are looking for a short break without DD in September for anniversary and I really am set on Mallorca. He is looking at Greece! I went to mallorca a lot as a kid/teen and loved it there. We did lots of driving around and it's so beautiful, I feel like it would be the best place for us to go-not far to fly from local airport, affordable and I'd feel comfortable wondering around and exploring leisurely. He thinks it's all like magaluf!
Any recommendations for luxurious hotels in pretty settings with good beaches/nice walks? I've mainly stayed in Alcudia and Palmanova and can't remember what all the pretty places we visited were called. Is Soller the gorgeous place up in the hills?

DD hasn't done cliff jumping nofly. She was in the Scouts for a year and has been on other activity holidays so she's done abseiling, kayaking, hiking etc. I'll have to ask her! I've found a kayak hire place where you can do a guided trip to some caves and things for the day. Definitely want to do that one day

superb I'm sure you'd find some ultra-cheap flights in September. That's what attracted me as well, much cheaper than flying to Greece etc. We've got a hotel right on the beach in Puerto de Soller, Soller is further up in the hills with a scenic tram going in between them, which we'll try out!

Anybody got restaurant recommendations for Puerto de Soller? We won't be hiring a car so need to be in the town. Also, have a late flight back from Palma - are there any must-sees in Palma we should try and visit on our last day?

superbfairywren the Illa D'Or in Puerto Pollensa is where I would go in your shoes. It is right at the end of the Pine Walk, beautiful views over the bay.

Oh my, I've just looked at Illa D'Or, that looks marvellous!

I'm just not sure that that level of refinement could cope with us and our 4 boys….

Still looking for the idea villa which is isolated (DH) but within walking distance of market/shops/pub (me), in the mountains (DH) but close to the beach (me), heated swimming pool (boys) and various other impossible demands.

This does not really tick any of my our boxes, but it looks gorgeous.