What to do in Mallorca

Discover a fascinating underwater world, with its beautiful fauna and flora, but also its reefs and sunken wrecks. The best diving spots are to be found in the southwest and east of the island. You can see schools of barracudas, seahorses, dolphins and sea turtles: an extraordinary spectacle and experience open to both beginners and experienced divers.

The beauty of Mallorca and its views is best appreciated from the air, so don't hesitate to take a hot air balloon ride to see the island's paradisiacal beaches and rugged landscapes. Departures take place in the morning or afternoon and are often accompanied by a glass of champagne to celebrate this unique moment. Depending on the flight and itinerary, it can take between 2 and 4 hours, but you'll definitely find it too short.

Kitesurfing can be enjoyed all year round in the north of the island of Mallorca, in the bays of Alcudia and Pollença and in the south, in the bay of Palma. The weather conditions are particularly favourable with a strong enough wind to allow you to perform all the feats. The kitesurfing schools will take you to the best spots, whatever the season.

The island of Mallorca offers an exceptional playground for climbers of all kinds. People come from all over Europe to climb Sa Gubia or Fraguel. The richness of the rugged landscapes also lends itself to more unusual activities such as caving, coasteering or psicobloc, which are practised on the water's edge. Supervised by qualified guides, you can discover and experience these new sensations in the most beautiful spots of the island.

Located in a quiet former car garage in Valldemossa, the Es Taller restaurant offers you a unique place to relax, with a musical atmosphere, friendly service and refined dishes. Chef Nicolás Gago Aubert's cuisine is well known to the people of the Serra de Tramuntana, who flock here to spend time and enjoy original dishes with a global flavour, prepared with local seasonal produce.

Open exclusively in the evening, from Tuesday to Sunday, this unique restaurant offers a committed cuisine, embodied by its chef David Rivas. There is no fixed menu here, but a menu that evolves in line with the best that nature has to offer. All the products are local, from small producers or picked directly from nature, and are used in their entirety. This means that Terrae's cuisine is as creative as it is sustainable.

You will lose all sense of time when you sit down at Patiki Beach. This beach restaurant serves simple, tasty food made from fresh, local produce. The menu is just as extensive as the dishes, which should satisfy all appetites. You will also appreciate and enjoy the relaxing setting, with lounge music and the opportunity to let the children play on the beach while waiting for the food to be served. A friendly address without a doubt.

Organised as an association with the aim of promoting seasonal produce and Mallorcan cuisine, the Ca n'Ignasi restaurant welcomes you every evening from Tuesday to Friday and for lunch and dinner on Saturdays. You won't find a better address in Inca to discover Balearic gastronomy. The hearty dishes reflect the philosophy of the place, which emphasises conviviality and a sense of sharing as well as a love of good food.

Explore the Mediterranean seabed at the Palma Aquarium and watch food being distributed, virtually meet whales in a unique 4D experience and watch sharks from a clear bottom boat. Every Friday during the summer, children are invited to participate in an incredible shark sleepover! This activity perfect for a family includes entrance to the park, dinner, overnight stay and breakfast, all supervised by qualified instructors.

Discovered completely by chance in 1945, the Campanet Caves take you back 10 million years. Located in the heart of Mount Sant Miquel, travel takes a quarter of an hour from the Bay of Alcudia, they offer visitors a spectacular setting of exceptional rock crystals. The visit is organised around galleries and rooms such as the romantic chamber, the lake chamber and the enchanted castle. The site is open every day from 10am to 4pm.

A former palace that served as the seat of the independent kingdom of Mallorca, the Alcazar of Palma is still a royal residence, occupied in the summer by the King of Spain for official festivities. Several civilisations have left their mark here, making this place an exceptional witness to the island's history. You can visit its enclosures and its beautifully decorated rooms from Thursday to Sunday, from 10am to 7pm.

Mallorca is famous for its pearls, which are made in factories open to visitors. Perfect imitations of natural pearls, Mallorca's pearls are made of glass and coated with a shell powder varnish. In Manacor, at the Perlas Orquideas factory in particular, you can admire how these pearls are created and treat yourself to a small souvenir from your trip that is typical of the island.

Just a stone's throw from the Royal Palace of the Almudaina is the other architectural gem of the Balearic capital: Mallorca Cathedral. This worthy representative of Gothic art is the second largest religious building in Spain after Seville Cathedral. Its spectacular beauty is unanimously recognised by visitors, who fall under the spell of the ornaments on the Mirador door or the majestic columns surrounding the main door. A visit is a must!

Founded in 123 BC by the consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus, this Roman city is the most important archaeological site on Majorca and the only one from that period that can be visited on the island. Pollentia can also be admired from the walls of Alcúdia, which offers an overall view of these archaeological remains gathered in three places of interest: the forum, the theatre and the atrium of three domus. Note: the visit to the site includes entry to the Pollentia Monographic Museum.

The Artá Caves are a truly impressive natural spectacle with their imposing entrance facing the sea. Located in Canyamel, on the eastern coast of the island, they consist of a succession of vast chambers decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. These rooms with evocative names (Queen's room, hell, paradise, theatre, flags...) are highlighted by a clever play of lights which underlines their incredible beauty.

Originally the royal residence of James II and then a coin factory in the 19th century, Bellver Castle stands out with its circular shape, proudly standing on top of a hill overlooking Palma de Mallorca. This 14th century castle, built in Gothic style, now houses a museum of archaeology, painting and numismatics and can be visited any day of the week except Monday.

A pretty, secluded cove named after the pine trees that surround it, Cala Pi attracts sunbathers with its turquoise waters, fine golden sand and cliffs that protect it from the wind. Visitors flock to this small beach in the south of Mallorca in summer, which is 50 metres long but wide enough not to feel cramped. However, plan to come early in the morning or late in the afternoon if you want to enjoy the peace and quiet of the place.

The main island of the Balearic Islands produces quality wine from over 2000 years of wine growing. Some 2,500 hectares of vineyards occupy Mallorca's land and determine the contours of the wine route used by all lovers of fine wines. There are several protected geographical indications (PGI Mallorca, Serra de Tramuntana-Costa Nord and Illes Balears) that you can taste and experience during your visits to the wineries along the route.