Mallorca: road trip itinerary to the west coast

We spent our holiday in Mallorca in late summer 2010. So to some of you, this guide may seem out of date at the first glance, but the opposite is true. In my opinion, the popular places to see on this island haven´t changed since our holiday. In this inspirational travel guide, you will explore 7 places on the west coast of Mallorca, the largest of four Balearic islands and popular holiday destination.

The Balearic islands

The 4 major islands – Mallorca (or Majorca), Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera – are situated off the eastern coast of Spain in the Mediterranean sea. As I mentioned above, they are popular summer destinations, since they are easily accessible from most European cities.

Where to stay

Before booking our holiday in Mallorca, we´ve been said that the area west of the capital Palma de Mallorca is more British, east German (since it is a good place for partying of young German). We decided for the “British area” in the town of Palma Nova (we really found some typical English pubs and also a bookstore with English books here). 

Beaches

We chose Mallorca for our holiday because we had heard it was famous for its beautiful beaches with white sand. Although our resort wasn´t directly next to the beach, we didn´t mind. There were lots of facilities (playground, stands with ice creams…) in the reach of the beaches of Palma Nova. Although the deckchairs and umbrellas were charged, we always found a place where to set our beach blanket and other stuff.

A west coast road trip

During our holiday, we booked a 1-day road trip around the west coast of the island. We were surprised how it was perfectly doable with our then 1-year-old son.

The Lluc Monastery

After visiting a small local leather goods factory in the town of Inca, our bus headed for the Lluc Monastery. The Lluc monastery – settled in the valley of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains – has been Mallorca’s spiritual place since 1246 (when the Mallorca was conquered by Catalan soldiers). Thousands of pilgrims head for the monastery has to see a dark wooden statue of the Black Virgin, known as La Moreneta.

The Serra de Tramuntana

After visiting the monastery, we drove through the Tramuntana mountains. We stopped not far from the summit Coll dels Reis to take some pictures of amazing meandering and sharp curves. In summer, the narrow road can be quite busy with cars and buses, so there is a special timetable set for buses when they are allowed climb up or drive down to the fishing village Sa Calobra.

Sa Calobra

The clear cyan sea and small beaches are lined with high cliffs lush with lush vegetation. You can take a walk through tunnels in the rock to a famous beach, Torrent de Pareis but be there early because once the masses of tourists arrive, its beauty disappears.

Sóller

From there, we continued for approximately forty-five minutes by boat to the Port of Soller. Here you can see (and ride) the vintage train that connects Palma and Sóller since 1912.

Deía

The village built on a hilltop is known for its famous inhabitants and visitors (e.g. the writer Robert Graves). From here, you can see how the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana drop down to the sea.

Valldemossa

Valldemossa is another village known for its famous residents – in this case, it was the famous composer Fryderyk Chopin and his lover George Sand who lived in the former monastery.

I was totally fascinated not by the Royal Charterhouse, where the famous couple resided, but by the cute streets with countless flowerpots on the walls.

Palma de Mallorca

A short trip to the capital of the island wasn´t part of the road trip, but we made it one day when it was drizzling and therefore we didn´t intend to spend it on the beach. Instead, we took a local bus and headed to Palma. It´s without any doubt that its dominant building is the Gothic cathedral La Seu built on the site of the main mosque in 1230. Next to the cathedral, you can admire the Royal Palace of La Almudaina, a former Arabian fortress.

The biggest city on the island has its charm and style. In the historic part of the city, you can admire e.g. the oldest olive tree in Mallorca or Gaudí-like facades or walk down stylish boulevard Passeig del Born.

As you could see from photos above, a holiday on Mallorca is guaranteed satisfaction not only for nature admirers but also for families with children as Mallorca is a very family-friendly destination. If you decide to spend your holiday in Mallorca, I hope you find this guide on the West Coast helpful!

Or have you already been to Mallorca? Share your experience and tips here! And don´t forget to share this guide with your friends either on Pinterest or on Facebook! 🙂