A Brief Guide to Wonderful Mallorca

Whether you're looking to spend lazy days at the beach, shopping til you drop or fancy a bit of sight-seeing, there's not a chance you'd be at a loss in Mallorca. There's something for every generation, every lifestyle and every need. With no time to be bored here and no reason to ponder what to do, I would recommend Mallorca to absolutely everyone. But I'm bias. I live here. It's my island. I've never made it unknown that I love it. Well, read on to make up your own mind. No doubt you'll agree....

The beauty of Mallorca is that it's small. Ok, so it's not one of those miniature islands that you walk around in a day, but with a car you can drive around it and see almost everything there is to see in a couple of days. In fact, without a car you wouldn't get to see or experience the hidden away beaches, local villages and true Mallorcan character that so much of the island has to offer.

Let me start with my favourite place in the world, and the island's capital - PALMA DE MALLORCA. What a city. Big but small enough to shop from one side of the cosmopolitan city to the other in a day. Stylish but rustic enough to see how it's tried to keep its original character. Bustling but chilled enough to not feel like you're in a capital city.

Full of chic coffee shops, trendy bars and a wide range of creative restaurants serving all different types of cuisines, there are endless things to do in Palma. And with the seafront only around 1 km away from the city centre, the air is full of the scent of salt water, making the capital even that little bit more special.

Not far from Palma are the main tourist resorts, popular especially with the Brits and Germans; the former tending to opt for places like Cala Mayor, Puerto Portals, Palmanova and Magaluf moving up the south west coast of the island, and the latter; Arenal is a huge favourite with the Germans, on the south east. All resorts have everything the stereotypical Brit or German holidaymaker is looking for. Sea, sand, plenty of cheap jugs of sangria, a never-ending selection of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, and most importantly, more hotels than you'll need even for annual visits.

But if that isn't the type of holiday you're looking for, but sea and sun do sound tempting, Soller would be the perfect choice. A thrilling but not for the light hearted drive up into the mountain range of Sierra Tramuntana and then back down the other side, winding around the bends at a careful speed, will eventually bring you to the town of Soller. The town is quaint and full of character. The square is always bustling with locals and tourists alike, and the tangy orange juice, a local produce, is not to be missed. A tram ride which runs through the town will take you the Port of Soller. A little fishing village with, again, that local feel about it.

The rickety old wooden steam train that still heads from the centre of Palma to Soller five times daily running up through the mountains, is a hit with the tourists and is well worth the trip.

Along the west coast of the island and further up than Soller, there is also so much more to see. For example, the mountain village of Valldemossa is ever popular and never a disappointment with the Mallorcan rustic feeling still present, as are less tourist invaded pueblos like Fornalutx, Banyalbufar and Deia, all worth the visit, for their quaint little beauty if nothing else.

Driving round and up to the north of the island, you'll come to the pretty towns of Pollenca and Alcudia, that are also visited by many holiday makers and inhibited by the odd brit. They´re great spots and are personally where you'll find amazing fish and seafood restaurants and will eat the best paella in the whole of Mallorca. The long beach of Alcudia stretching to Muro is white sand and blue sea galore. What bliss.

A 20-km drive from Port de Pollenca is home to Mallorca's most northerly point, Formentor. Its amazing views has scenery as dramatic as anyone could wish for, getting a glimpse of the neighbouring island of Menorca on good days. Not only is Formentor home to stunning views, but also the heavenly Formentor beach and the luxury Hotel Formentor, which opened in 1929 and has been pampering the rich and famous ever since. Ahead of the beach and hotel, there is a famously scary drive tunnelling through En Fumat mountain up the very tip of the island, Cap deFormentor, where the drive will eventually lead you to a lighthouse with the inevitable bar and shop and more stunning views. Well worth the trip to the top.

The East coast of Mallorca is an area of great beauty. It consists of hundreds of small coves stretching its entire length from Cala Ratjada in the northeast to Punta Negra on the island's most southerly tip. The greatest concentration of these quaint coves which are easily accessible lie to the south of Cala d'Or, where highlights include the national park of Mondragó and the beaches at Cala Figuera and Cala Santanyi, which have long attracted artists from around the globe. Inland from the coast, rural life continues in the small villages unperturbed by the tourism boom .The biggest tourist development is the resort of Cala Millor, which has long been a favourite for German visitors, athough plenty of British visitors also head there in the summer months. Up and coming resorts such as Calas de Mallorca are fast becoming equal favourites with holiday makers.
Practically every visitor to this coast visits Porto Cristo at some point during their stay. Not only is this a beautiful little coastal town, but is also home to the famous Caves of Drach which are one of Mallorca's main tourist attractions.

For golf enthusiasts, there are five golf courses along this coast which are all very accessible. In the central section of the coast head inland from the lovely town of Porto Colon, towards Felanitx then take the road for S'Horta. This will bring you to the Vall D'Or golf course. The other four courses are located very close to one another just inland from the northern part of the coast at Capdepera, Canyamel, Pula and Son Servera. get to Colona Saint Jordi, a few kilometres from Mallorca´s most impeccable beach. With a total area of some 1,500 hectares, the Es Trenc beach is a virgin sand bank three kilometres long. At present it is one of the most popular beaches on Mallorca, and has beautiful fine white sand with crystal clear water.

A short drive away from the what is described as some people as the second Carribbean, you´re back to the south east coast, where my guide started.

So, with something for everyone, and attractions, scenery and visions that can only be summed up as pure manmade beauty, is it now clear why I think so much of my island?

The internet is bursting with maps, more detailed guides and full lists of just about all sorts of information you need to know about Mallorca. Although until you visit the island, they are all only words........