What to Do in Mallorca: Our Highlights + Sightseeing Map

Latest update: June 14, 2023

Mallorca? A great place to spend a party vacation! That’s what many people think. And that’s partly true, of course. But only in part. The German loved vacation island has so much more to offer.

Mallorca! It’s sun, mountains, sea, culture and cuisine, and a capital city that no longer has to hide behind other European metropolises.

So that you can get a good overview of the island, We’ll introduce to you here the 22 best sights and highlights of Mallorca.

Buy tickets for attractions in advance

Mallorca is one of the most popular destinations in Spain. So hours-long lines at the major attractions are pretty much a given.

That’s why it is definitely worth booking tickets in advance for the most famous Mallorca sights. They allow you to simply skip the line and go head straight for the entrance.

What to do in Mallorca - Sightseeing map

So that you can get a first overview of Mallorca and can see where the sights are located on the island, we’ve plotted out all the sights on a map.
You can also save the map to your computer or phone:

Click here to download the Mallorca sights map as a PDF

The Old Town of Palma

In recent years, the capital of Mallorca has developed into an equally high quality and trendy year-round destination. Barcelona’s little sister, as it’s so often called, is all grown up.

In Palma, you’ll meet creative and culture loving people from all generations and nations. There are new design hotels, modern restaurant concepts and diverse shopping opportunities.

The Old Town itself is full of sights: winding alleyways, an imposing cathedral, the Royal Palace and the palm-lined harbor promenade are ideal for a city stroll full of culture.

To a guided tour through Palma and ticket to the cathedral

In addition, Palma has excellent flight connections and can be easily reached from all German airports.

Portocolom

This is one of our favorite places in Mallorca: Portocolom. You just have to like this small port town on the east coast. Nearly no other place in Mallorca has preserved the original charm of the traditional fishing village as well as Portocolom.

To this day, many residents of Portocolom go out to sea early in the morning to throw out their nets. It’s tranquil and wonderfully calm here. Not a hint of mass tourism.

You can either relax on a small beach, book a boat ride with a typical Mallorcan Llaut, or you can treat yourself to something delicious in the many small restaurants and bars directly on the harbor.

Our tip: come to Portocolom really early in the morning, rent a stand up paddle board and paddle along the cove towards the North.

Sant Elm

Only a handful of hotels, a few restaurants and a miniature harbor: it’s almost a miracle that there’s still a town as tranquil as Sant Elm on Mallorca’s coast.

The small, almost sleepy hollow in the far west of the island has remained a quiet village across the years that’s particularly popular among the locals.

The village is not the only true haven of peace though, the beach is also dream-like and isn’t as overcrowded as many others in the area.

Our tip for the active: from Sant Elm, you can take a wonderful hike to the old Trappist monastery La Trapa. For the well signposted hike, you’ll need around 3.5 hours and should bring some stamina along.

Our tip for the less active: Sant Elm is a perfect point of departure for a trip to La Dragonera, an island off the coast. The boat ride alone is a tiny highlight.

Fishing village Cala Figuera

The fishing village of Cala Figuera on the south of the east coast near Santanyi is considered one of the most beautiful coastal towns of the island. And we can only agree with that.

Cala Figuera, with its deeply cut bay, is not only super photogenic, this spot also exudes its own special charm. Stroll along the cute harbor, past the pretty white houses and the small boats and watch the goings-on.

Our tip: It’s best to come here during the afternoon! Then you can watch how the fishing boats come back into the harbor and in the evening you can try the freshly caught fish in one of the restaurants with a view of the small bay.

Sóller

Sóller, the center of orange production and the capital of Tramuntana, is located in the northwest of Mallorca and has more than 10,000 residents. So quite large for Mallorcan standards.

The cute city with its old, tiled mansions, narrow alleyways and lively square in front of the parish church Sant Bartomeu is definitely worth a trip.

Orange groves reach into the old town, where a nostalgic streetcar made of wood connects the city of Sóller with the Port de Sóller, and exude a wonderful fragrance with their flowers.

Our tip: drink a fresh pressed orange juice from the fruits of the surrounding fields in one of the many bars and restaurants. Or try fresh orange ice cream from the Fabrica de Gelats.

Valldemossa

Valldemossa is one of the most beautiful mountain villages of the island. It became famous for its prominent guests, such as the French writer George Sand and composer Frédéric Chopin, as well as for the former Carthusian monastery. You can see the monastery’s green roof from a distance.

Valldemossa, with its almost 2,000 inhabitants, is not just one of the most beautiful towns on the northwest coast, but also by far the most visited. Up to a half-million tourists crowd through the narrow alleys here every year. You heard it right: crowd — in the truest sense of the word.

Our tip: take a little detour and drive down the switchbacks shortly before Valldemossa to Port de Valldemossa. Here, you can admire the gorgeous mountain silhouettes while swimming in the crystal clear water of the small beach.

To the guided day tour to Palma and Valldemossa

Deià

Away from the tourist strongholds, the island comes to rest. The idyllic mountain village Deià, which everyone always raves about, is just such a place.

Surrounded by olive, lemon and almond trees, there’s no trace of huge hotels at the foot of the Es Teix Mountain. Quite the contrary: small, exclusive boutique hotels attract Mallorca vacationers to the small town of 800 inhabitants year after year.

The galleries of the artist village are a must for all art enthusiasts. In spite of all the hype, Deià has luckily maintained its charm to this day. It’s best to come and see it for yourself.

Our tip: be sure to drive from Valldemossa to Deià. The winding route is one of the most beautiful and most interesting.

Cuevas de Artà

Mallorca conceals a geological treasure underground: fantastic cave formations that were discovered by chance and only a few of which have been made accessible to visitors.

The Cuevas de Artà, for example. These caves, situated some 40 meters high above the coast, are among the major attractions of the island, though they aren’t as heavily visited as the caves at Porto Cristo.

The Cuevas de Artà include stalactites with strange shapes and extraordinary proportions, such as the Reina de las Columnas which is truly a Queen of the Columns with a height of over 20 meters.

Dragon Caves in Porto Cristo

Near the port town of Porto Cristo, in the east of Mallorca, are the largest and probably best known caves of the island: the Cuevas del Drach. At 1,200 meters long and 25 meters deep, they’re Mallorca’s largest accessible stalactite caves.

Lake Martel is 117 meters long, 30 meters wide and up to 14 meters deep. During visits to the caves, it serves as a backdrop for classical music concerts where musicians play their instruments on illuminated boats.

Our tip: you should go either really early or really late. It’s not so crowded then and you’ll still get a parking space. Even better: you park in the center of Porto Cristo, explore this nice little place, which usually gets little attention, and then walk around fifteen minutes to the caves.

Alternatively, you can also visit the caves in combination with a half-day tour through the north of Mallorca. During the tour, you’ll also visit a pearl factory.

To the half-day tour to the Dragon Caves and pearl factory

Cap de Formentor

Jagged rocks, wide views and blue sea. The best known and most visited lookout point of Mallorca is without a doubt Mirador Es Colomer at Cap de Formentor. This lookout point is on a narrow promontory that extends far into the sea in the northeast of the island.

The island council blocked access for general car traffic to the northernmost tip of Mallorca from the middle of June to the middle of September from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. If you’d like to go to Cap de Formentor during the day, you can visit it with shuttle busses from Port de Pollença (round trip costs around 3 euros).

Even though this lookout point is no longer an insider tip, you should definitely drive the coastal route with its many switchbacks up to the lighthouse. In good weather, the view even extends to Menorca, the neighboring island 40 kilometers away, and is really breathtaking.

Our tip: pack your swimsuit, the long white sandy beach Playa de Formentor is practically on the way.

You can also book a boat tour from Alcudia to Cap de Formentor. On the tour, you’ll sail on a boat with underwater windows along the rugged coast and stop for a swim at the beach of Cala Figuera.

To the boat tour to Cap de Formentor with a swimming stop

Cúber Reservoir

Sometimes it seems like you’re in Patagonia, and then hints of Alpine landscapes or Scandinavian fjords will also come to mind.

Whoever takes this path feels as if they were on a trip around the world through the most beautiful natural landscapes: in the middle of the Tramuntana Mountains below the Puig Major, the highest mountain on the island, lies the Cúber Reservoir.

This spot is a perfect retreat for anyone who’d like to experience Mallorca’s nature and enjoy absolute stillness. A small path leads around the lake.

Animal lovers will also get their money’s worth here: sheep and donkeys like to accompany walkers part of the way.

Serra de Tramuntana

The northwest of the island, from Calvia to Pollenca, is all about the wild Tramuntana Mountains. The Serra de Tramuntana, as it’s officially called, is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011 and protects Mallorca from the cold north winds.

The mountain range is also an oasis for hikers: rugged rocky landscapes and breathtaking views as well as small hidden coves are the rewards for all sporty vacationers.

If you prefer it more relaxed, just take the panoramic road MA-10 from Andratx to Pollenca. It runs right through the northwest, past small mountain villages such as Banyalbufar, Fornalutx and Deià, as well as along Cúber Reservoir and the orange town of Sóller.

From Palma, you can book a guided hiking tour with a picnic through the Serra de Tramuntana.

Tour through the Serra de Tramuntana with a picnic

Botanicactus

There are spikes as far as the eye can see here! In the very south of the island, on the edge of the tiny town of Ses Salines, you can find the largest botanical garden of Europe.

You might ask yourself: why also go to a botanical garden when there’s already one cactus after the next on Mallorca? That’s true, but at the Botanicactus, the diverse cacti and succulents green and bloom across more than 150,000 square meters.

In total, you can marvel at over 1,600 plant species here from across the world. And it’s guaranteed that you won’t be able to see these otherwise on the island.

Particularly nice for everyone who arrives in the low season: the garden is open all year round. Another plus for anyone on the search for beautiful photos: Botanicactus is the perfect place for great Instagram photos.

Lluc Monastery

For Mallorcans, the Lluc Monastery (actually Monestir de Lluc), which is secluded in the Serra de Tramuntana, is the most important place of pilgrimage on the island.

Three old, still well used pilgrim paths lead here in a star formation: from Sóller, from Inca and from Pollenca. Even today, the monastery is still referred to as the spiritual center of Mallorca or the heart of the island.

The high point of a visit is the basilica with the Black Madonna. But you also shouldn’t miss the small monastery museum, the calvary and the botanical garden, home to around 200 native plant species. If you’re lucky and are at the monastery at the right time, you can experience the famous boys’ choir Blauets de Lluc, which today also includes girls, live in concert.

Our tip: spend a night in the monastery rooms of Lluc. Comfortable, absolutely reasonable in price and most definitely a special Mallorca experience.

Son Marroig/Sa Foradada

The best: from Son Marroig, the former residence of the Archduke Ludwig Salvator and today a popular wedding location, you have a magnificent view over the mountains and the sea. The perfect sunset spot.

The restaurant Sa Foradada is close by, named for the cliff with the hole opposite. Here, you can look over the chef’s shoulder. A very special dish is on the menu: traditional Mallorcan Paella. Rumor has it that it’s the best on the whole island.

There’s only one little catch: the restaurant is only reachable by foot or boat. The path begins at the Son Marroig estate. You have to first climb over a small iron gate and then walk along the path around 50 minutes to the sea. The journey is worth it!

The Sa Foradada is also popular among stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Douglas, Halle Berry and the Mallorcan tennis ace Rafael Nadal are said to have all dined here.

Monastery Santuari de Sant Salvador near Felanitx

The former monastery Santuari de Sant Salvador majestically sits atop the approximately 500 meter high mountain of the same name and is our absolute favorite lookout point in Mallorca.

After heading right shortly after the city limits of the small town of Felanitx and continuing down the road for around 7 kilometers, you’ll reach the plateau of the monastery mountain with a view of the gigantic monument Crist Rei.

From here, you can let your gaze wander across almost all of Mallorca: the east coast with its small harbor villages as well as the many small coves, as far as Alcudia in the north of the sunny island, the Tramuntana Mountains and in clear conditions, even the group of islands around Cabrera.

Our tip: pack some bread, tomatoes, salami, cheese, beer and wine and enjoy the sunset from the monastery. If you’d like, you can also stay overnight. The Petit Hotel Hostatgeria Sant Salvador is located in the monastery, with 20 double rooms and two apartments.

To the Petit Hotel Hostatgeria Sant Salvador

Es Trenc beach

This approximately 2.6 kilometer long natural beach has long been no secret, but for us it’s still one of the most beautiful beaches of the island.

Thanks to its Caribbean flair, Es Trenc is the best known beach in Mallorca, which of course has its disadvantages: it’s usually jam-packed here, especially in the high season.

It’s quite different in the low season: from October to April, the long and then often deserted sandy beach beckons you to take long walks.

Our tip: park on the less busy side of the beach, at the harbor of Sa Rapita. You can usually still get a good space here even in the high season and you won’t feel so much like you’re packed in like sardines.

If you don’t want to drive to the beach, you can also book a half-day tour on a catamaran. Then you can see the beautiful south coast of Mallorca from the water and take a snorkelling break at Es Trenc beach.

To the half-day tour on a catamaran

Playa de Formentor beach

Total Caribbean flair: the fragrance of pine in your nose, the fine white sand between your toes and the crystal clear sea is only a few steps away. It’s said that the Playa de Fermentor is one of the most beautiful beaches of the whole Mediterranean. And that may be a good thing.

It’s about a kilometer long, but at around 10 meters wide it’s quite narrow, so there aren’t too many places to lounge. The spots below the pine trees are especially popular during the summer. The same applies here as to many other beaches: getting there early is worth it!

With a parking fee of roundabout 10 euros, it’s certainly not a beach for every day. You can combine a visit here perfectly with an excursion to Cap de Formentor. It’s located halfway from Pollenca.

Alternatively, you can save the parking fee by taking a glass-bottom boat to the beach. You’ll also have a beautiful view of the other small bays you pass.

To the tour with the glass-bottom boat

Playa de Muro beach

The approximately 5 kilometer long beach Playa de Muro is located on a forested dune area in the north of Mallorca and stretches from the popular vacation resort Port d’Alcudia to Can Picafort.

Since the beach here runs far and flat into the sea, it’s particularly popular among families with small kids. Warning to everyone without kids: it can get very noisy at times. Just before Can Picafort it gets a little quieter though.

Our tip: even though we are not a huge beach club fan and prefer small beach shacks, the beach club Ponderosa Beach is really great. Enjoy delicious food with your toes in the sand. A little drawback: you have to dig deeper into your pockets. But a cheaper alternative isn’t far: there are tasty snacks right next door at Oma & Opa.

By the way: If you feel like a bit of action and variety, coasteering on the coast of Alcudia is just right for you. Here, swimming and climbing are combined and you experience many different adventures: abseiling from cliffs, climbing along rocks or swimming through caves.

To the Coasteering excursion

Cala Varques cove

Until even a few years ago, Cala Varques (pronounced Cala Barques) was a total insider tip. Only a few tourists knew about this great Cow Cove, which owes its name to the four-legged visitors that show up on the beach every now and then.

Today it’s unfortunately no longer a secret, but it’s still great. The cove is a paradise for sailors, climbers and nature enthusiasts. Best you come early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when most tourists disappear into their hotels and the beach is slowly taken over by the local hippies.

Small drawback: since 2018, you unfortunately can no longer drive right to the beach, and instead have to park at a parking lot and then walk around 30 minutes to the cove.

Our tip: from Cala Romantica there’s a great hike to Cala Varques. It takes around twice as long as the journey from the parking lot, but is all the more beautiful for that.

You can also book a guided Glass-Bottom catamaran tour along the East Coast to Cala Varques.

To the catamaran trip to Cala Varques

Sa Calobra cove

You can only get to the cove of Sa Calobra by boat from Port de Sóller or via a 14 kilometer long and narrow road with a lot of switchbacks. Especially during the summer there’s quite a lot of traffic, and you have to continually make room for busses and cyclists.

To the boat trip to the bay of Sa Calobra

We would rather come here in the low season. Not only because the roads are much emptier then, but also because the cove itself is much more enjoyable. In the summer, it’s almost impossible to get a good spot there.

Even if that all doesn’t sound too positive, the place is amazingly beautiful and swimming between the steep cliffs is really an experience. The somewhat difficult journey is definitely worth it.

Red Lightning: historical train from Palma to Sóller

It’s one of the hallmarks of Mallorca: the train from Palma to Sóller, also called the Red Lightning or the Orange Express. Since 1912, it runs daily from the train station at Placa de Espana in Palma to Sóller in the northwest of the island.

Anyone expecting a train behind this fast-paced name that rushes along the 28 kilometer route through the Serra Tramuntana at high speed would be mistaken. The nostalgic train takes its time and only arrives in Sóller after almost an hour ride through almond, orange and olive groves, dark tunnels and deep ravines.

The fun isn’t so cheap at 25 euros for a round trip. But it’s definitely worth it. Very important: don’t forget your camera, the train even runs a little slower in some places.

Our tip: from Sóller, continue by street tram to Port de Sóller. If you’re already in the area, you should definitely see the little port town.

You can also kill two birds with one stone and visit all the great mountain villages in the area in one day. You can do this with a guided day tour with the Red Lightning from Palma. Besides Sóller and Port de Sóller, you’ll also visit Valldemossa and Deía.

To the guided day tour with the Red Lightning to Sóller

General tips on sightseeing in Mallorca

Before you start with your Mallorca sightseeing tour, we have a few general tips for visiting the highlights in Mallorca.

#1 Book a rental car

Discovering Mallorca is definitely best done with a rental car. In particular, you’ll reach the small fishing villages and the secluded beaches most comfortably by car.

At the airport of Palma, but also inside the city, there are multiple rental car providers. To book a rental car you’ll simply need a valid driver’s license, an ID and a credit card.

Our tips for booking a rental car: Don’t wait too long to book a rental car. They’re particularly popular in Mallorca and so the shorter in advance you book, the more expensive the price. It’s best to get a small car – we can guarantee that it’s no fun maneuvering the narrow alleys and streets of the island with a huge limousine.

#2 Travel in the off-peak season

It’s universally known that Mallorca is very crowded in the summer. From June to the end of August, the beaches, hotels, restaurants, vista points and sights are packed.

If you’d like to do yourself, and also the island, a favor, then it’s better to visit Mallorca in the off-peak season. It’s often really nice in April/May, as well as in September/October, but the winter months also have their charm.

#3 Book a guided tour

If you don’t have any desire to drive, you can still discover the island with a guided tour. There are numerous day tours from Palma that take you by bus, car or train to the nicest spots on the island. These are the most interesting:

Winery tour through the island interior of Mallorca
Island tour by bus, train, tram and boat
Tramuntana tour with historic railway

Those were our 22 most beautiful sights in Mallorca

Do you know them already or can you recommend some more? Then we look forward to your comments!