Brightsun’s Worldwide Weekend Pocket Guides: Majorca, Spain

This month in our blog series, Brightsun MD Deepak recommends a weekend break to Palma Mallorca, with recommendations on where to visit, stay, dine, and more.

With weather to suit for almost 10 months of the year, Palma is an island gem of Spain. Bubbling with authentic Spanish character, you can find new and old here with the city walls of Majorca, and I recommend that you try and experience both, and extend your weekend by a couple of days – it's well worth it.

In terms of accommodation, I would base your stay in Palma City and choose to stay in a small boutique hotel. Don’t expect much of a room size, but if you follow the reviews then you are likely to get the service to make your trip enjoyable. The centre of Palma is bustling with shops and restaurants and is also close to the historic must-see places. Two of these are the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and next door within 5 minutes' walk is La Seu Cathedral.

In the city centre there is an abundance of independently owned restaurants. While in Spain you must have tapas so I would recommend if you fancy somewhere lively in the evening, the Restaurant Beatnik & Market Palma gives you a selection of great cocktails, with many food dishes ranging from burgers to paella.

If you have a lazy Sunday morning and have taken accommodation without breakfast, then try out LILI’S Brunch & Cocktails - you can watch the world go here whilst sitting on a paved street enjoying some of the best granola or an egg dish called ‘ball on the green’. This place can be accessed through Carrer De Can Veri.

Don’t leave the city centre without visiting some of the many varied art galleries scattered virtually in every street. The art ranges from pop art to sculptures to traditional oil paintings.

Palma is not only about the capital. It's best to hire a car for a day or two and venture out. Try to get an automatic car as Palma is hilly and you will find you are accelerating for 30 seconds and braking the next 30 seconds.

If you are looking for a scenic route, then I recommend taking the MA1110 to Valldemossa. This town is perched in the Tramauntana Mountains, and is secluded even though it's only a 30-minute drive away. You will find monasteries, museums, cobbled market squares, and amazing local food.

Then continuing north on the ME10 you will get to Deia, which can only be described as the most perfect, picturesque coastal village. Here you can stretch your legs and grab some lunch. This is very easy as there is only 1 main road with restaurants dotted on either side. I would try Sebastian, Mediterranean restaurants, or you can grab a sandwich and a drink from any of the coffee shops nearby. Many of the shops here sell local handicrafts, as well as expensive Spanish pearls (which are more reasonably priced than in Palma’s city centre).

If you are brave and want to carry on further, then move up to Soller. This is a much larger town full of historic streets. It may seem a little quiet here until you make your way to Plaza de la Constitución. This is where the entire town has congregated, and is lit up by restaurants, live music, and occasional street performers. Don’t expect fine dining, just great fresh food, great culture, and restaurants with great value for money. The square is normally lively till about 22:30pm on most days when the weather allows.

The west and south of the Balearic Island of Mallorca bring a different landscape, and a different experience, but that’s for the next blog.

Take a weekend trip to this gorgeous island hotspot and be prepared for cobbled narrow streets which give so much character to the historic buildings. And don’t forget to take some time to relax on the beautiful beaches of which Majorca is famed!

For enquiries on Majorca holidays, contact the Brightsun team on 0208 819 1111.