Hello my weasels,
Today, I’m telling you about the weekend my love and I spent in the Balearics, and more specifically in Majorca. Honestly, before we left, I had no idea what to expect and I had no idea of the landscapes I was going to discover there. So it was with great excitement that I boarded the plane from Nantes.
Volotea offers a direct flight to Palma! In less than two hours, you’ll be surrounded by the palm trees and warmth of the Balearic Islands.
What I love about these short weekends (from Friday morning to Sunday evening) is that you’re guaranteed a change of scenery, even if you’re less than two hours’ flight from France. You go from 15° to 27° and swap your jeans and sweater for shorts, a tank top and flip-flops: happiness!
On our way out of the airport, we pick up our rental car. We chose a local rental company: Centauro (for its price). We found it on a comparison site like Autoescape or BSP Auto. It’s located outside the airport, but a free shuttle bus takes you there. Just head outside the terminal, towards the buses and before a large parking lot. A yellow minibus with the rental company’s name “centauro – free service” is waiting to take you to the rental office. Another little tip for saving a few euros: almost all cell phone packages are valid for Europe, so you don’t have to buy a GPS!
We’re off on a road-trip to discover the island 🙂
From Sant Elm to Sa Calobra along the Serra de Tramuntana roads
As we only have a few days, we head straight for the west coast and the roads of the Serra de Tramuntana. This is the island of Mallorca’s main mountain range. No wonder Unesco declared it a World Heritage Site in 2011: the landscape is breathtaking.
Our first stop is a stroll through the narrow streets of Sant Elm. This small seaside resort has retained its unique village charm, with its seafront still untouched by seaside structures. The view over the bay is magical, with the island of Sa Dragonera, a nature park, just opposite. The main street along the seafront is very pleasant, with numerous sea-view restaurants, bars and small shops. Sant Elm has two beaches with translucent waters. The main one stretches along the road. It’s very well equipped, with clean, free toilets. On the right-hand side, a second, smaller beach is more discreet and a little less crowded.
After this relaxing break, we headed for the village of Valldemossa, my real favorite of the weekend 🙂 On the road to this village where time has stood still, I admire through the windows the valleys that appear like watercolors. The vegetation is incredibly lush. Situated at an altitude of 400 metres, Valldemossa has a very relaxing atmosphere. All the streets are decorated with pretty stone facades, and hanging vases with pretty plants. We take the opportunity to have a picnic in the main square of this beautiful village, and continue strolling to shoot the romantic alleyways.
As I turned a corner, I literally fell under the spell of a little hotel in the blog’s colors! It’s called Hotel Ca’s Papa. Superbly designed, cosy and with a breathtaking view over Valldemossa, it’s the perfect place for a romantic night in!
After this village, I can tell you that I really don’t regret my trip to Mallorca! This island is incredibly beautiful! It’s also very well preserved, despite years of mass tourism. Every time we arrive in one of these villages, we have to park nearby in paid parking lots: the cost isn’t high, but it helps to protect nature.
We set off again in the afternoon to reach Sóller. We pass Deià, but decide not to stop as it’s the same type of village as the one we visited earlier.
Sóller is a beautiful coastal town with a lovely square. The Orange Express, the famous tramway, links the town to the port of Sóller. It’s great to photograph, but we didn’t take the short ride, preferring to enjoy a “zumo” in Constitution Square.
The picturesque streets are home to some very nice boutiques with very cool concepts. In particular, I fell in love with“Angel Agudo, fashion & juice“, a concept store offering a beautiful clothing boutique… and a juice bar!
I also really liked the front of the“Lorena Puertolas” fashion store.
Before heading back to our hotel, we take the car to Sa Calobra cove and the Torrent de Pareis.
The road to our destination is one of the most beautiful on the island, 12km long. It winds through the Serra de Tramuntana with an impressive number of hairpin bends. Once at the top, I was impressed by the view and the endless climb 🙂
To get to the cove and its little beach, once again you leave your vehicle in a paying parking lot. At the end of the day, the good thing is that there’s plenty of space and fewer hordes of tourists! Unfortunately, Spain is synonymous with mass tourism… especially from Germany. I was surprised to hear more German spoken during my stay than Spanish!
To reach the cove, it’s fun to walk through passages cut into the rock and lit by bluish spotlights installed on the ground. On the beach, don’t expect to find fine sand – it’s just pebbles – but you’ll have no trouble putting your towel down and taking a nap.
I won’t tell you the name of the hotel we stayed in on our first night, as it’s up for sale as the owner no longer wishes to welcome the public. On the other hand, the restaurant where we dined was typical and I recommend it: it’s Sa Tafona De Camari. It offers a wide range of local specialties and tasty barbecued meats. Avoid the desserts, though, as they’re nothing special.
From Palma to Cape Formentor
The next day, so as not to spend all day in the car again, we set off to discover Palma. But before that, we spend the morning in an open-air shopping mall: Fan Mallorca Shopping. Yes, as soon as there’s a Primark around, we’ve got to pop in 🙂 Can’t wait to see them in Nantes!
I found a lot of nice things for the blog: notebooks and a multi-colored pen, but I also found a small pair of mules and a case for my cell phone.
Yes, I was able to invest in some cute new cases, because right next door to our favorite store, we discovered“Media Markt”, a sort of gigantic Boulanger or Darty, offering high-tech products at hyper-attractive prices. I snapped up a Gold Pink Samsung S7 for just 400 euros!
On my way out of the store, I come across a small store selling phone covers: la casa de las carcasas. There’s a huge choice, and even for the S7, the saleswoman shows me around fifty models! I settled on one that made reference to “Alice in Wonderland”, of which I’m a fan. What luck to find this little model designed by the talented Natacha Birds for the DDP brand!
After all that shopping, it’s time to set off for Palma! We leave the car in the mall parking lot, which is free of charge, and take the n°31 bus into the city center. One-way tickets cost €1.50.
On arrival, we take a small shopping street, Calle Sindica, which leads to the pleasant Place Major.
Then, before heading off to the Cathedral, we stop for lunch. On Trip Advisor, a small restaurant run by a Frenchman has us salivating: the Abrakadabra Bar. Situated between Place Major and the Cathedral, this little bar with its original decor is run by Daniel. As a brasserie, it serves homemade flammekueches, accompanied by sangria (half a liter per person!). We have a great time and head out to continue our walk.
Arriving at the square, we stop at the foot of the cathedral to admire its architecture. Set right next to the “Parc de la Mar”, this religious edifice is considered the fourth most beautiful church in the world. No wonder it’s one of the symbols of Majorca!
In the evening, we drive back to our Air BnB at Alvaro’s in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar. His house is rustic, breakfast is not provided and you share a bathroom with the other occupants. But Alvaro is a charming host. Even if he doesn’t speak French, he understands it very well! To relax, a very pleasant swimming pool is at our disposal. For dinner, we try out a little restaurant: the Can Pedro bar and grill, recommended by Alvaro. We’re not disappointed! The paella we order is to die for. The waiting time proves that it’s made with fresh produce. The desserts are equally delicious. Especially the almond granita recommended by the waiter.
On our last day, we head for Cape Formentor. This is the northern cape of the island, where the Cabo Formentor lookout is located. A breathtaking landscape awaits you. The view of majestic cliffs and the sea is breathtaking.
After this viewpoint, we head for the beach and port of Pollença. This spot is also known as Cala Pi de la Posada. The water is translucent, and before getting back on the plane, a siesta under the parasols is much appreciated.
With the plane scheduled for late evening, we take one last look at Palma, its port, its restaurants, its ice cream and its warmth. I’d also recommend a trip to the higher parts of the city to discover the“Castell de Bellver“.
The castle is a particularly imposing, massive circular building, surrounded by three towers and topped by a keep. From the terrace, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the bay and mountains.
So, did you weasels like my weekend? Tempted to buy a ticket to Spain? If you’d like to post a comment on my article, don’t hesitate, I’d love to hear from you.
Kisses and see you soon for new adventures 🙂
