The reality of road tripping around Mallorca
You’ve read all the blogs, you’ve seen all the reels, and you already have an idea of your itinerary for your Mallorca trip… but we’ll tell you the truth about how road tripping around Mallorca really is.
We set out on our road-trip with the intention to stop and tick off every town and beach that was on our list… and well, whilst we tried our best, the reality wasn’t quite like that.
We want to preface this by saying, Mallorca is beautiful. There is no denying that. But, you have to adjust your expectations for your trip… Let us explain.
We’ll take you through:
Our biggest learning from the trip
A realistic itinerary
Our main tips for your trip to Mallorca.
(And if you read to the very end, you’ll find a surprise.)
Our biggest lesson:
Accommodation booked, best places to see noted down and scheduled in, and most importantly, a Vanrell rental car organised and waiting for us on arrival at the airport.
Whilst Mallorca isn’t a big island, it is recommended to travel by car - especially if you are limited on time.
Plus, there are lots of small, windy roads which can be fun… but maybe not so much on a bus. Picture this, you’ve spent all day exploring in the hot sun and then you have to wait at a bus-stop along with a bunch of other people, and then sit on the bus for a long journey back to your hotel. Suddenly that other place that is nearby that you wanted to see, will turn into more waiting, another long bus journey… and in the end, is scratched off your list completely.
No, we’d much prefer to hop in the car, whenever we feel like it, and stop off anywhere that intrigues us, or when the light from the sun set starts to hit just right. That’s what a road trip is all about, right?
What we’re talking about, really, is having flexibility. And that’s the biggest thing we would suggest to keep in mind for your trip to Mallorca.
#1 - Flexibility within your car
Something we learnt very early on, is to pack out your car with different outfit options, and snacks.
Look, we’ll never say no to road trip snacks - but it became a bit of a necessity on our trip.
Due to traffic (we’ll come onto that in point #3), we found ourselves missing meal times, or not knowing when we’d next be able to stop for a proper meal. In these moments, the snacks really saved us from some irrational, hangry decision making.
We’d head out for the day to explore a town, or market and along the way find a cool spot for a hike, or a beach we wanted to stop at - especially as the blues of the water are literally, irresistible. We soon learnt that chucking a change of clothes in the boot of the car - trainers and workout clothes for the beautiful hikes and swim stuff and a towel for the spontaneous swims, gave us full flexibility.*
This way, you can still head out to explore for the day, or go for dinner in your nicer, holiday clothes - but you’ll just be a bit saltier (and happier) - which are the true holiday vibes.
*Just to note, please be cautious leaving things visible in your car. We did read about some cases where cars were broken into and valuables stolen. We always placed clothes (no valuables) in the boot of the car where it couldn’t be seen, and if worse comes to worst, would not be missed if our car was broken into.
#2 - Flexibility with your schedule
The great thing about driving in Mallorca, is that a lot of the parking spaces are free, or very low-cost. However…
Free parking spaces + small, quaint towns = a lot of time spent trying to find a parking space.
We had one day where we drove to 3 different spots, all within 15 or so minutes of each other, and couldn’t find a parking spot in any of them. We wasted around 2 hours just going back and forth.
So our biggest tip here is: if you’re lucky enough to find a parking spot, grab it without hesitation. If not, be prepared to move on to the next town/beach/place on your list.
Which means…
Do your research and prioritise the places you really want to see. If it’s on the list, be prepared to sacrifice time spent finding a parking spot. If it’s not on the list and you’re not super fussed? Move on to the next place. Chances are you’ll find a town/beach just as good a bit further away!
#3 - Flexibility on the road
Now, let’s touch on traffic. There are mainly two types you’ll come across: other holiday makers going to the same spot as you, and bikes…
Mallorca is known to be a haven for cyclists. And there are a lot of them. In groups. Alone. Up mountains. Down country roads… Everywhere. There is a very high chance that at least once a day, you will get stuck behind some cyclists. It goes without saying, but just be respectful of them, and give them plenty of space when overtaking etc.
Like you, the other holiday makers and road trippers have also done their research, which means they are likely heading to the same place as you, and will be waiting for the same parking space as you.
The biggest thing we learnt to miss this ‘traffic’ is to avoid being on the road at midday which is when there seemed to be the biggest rush. We aimed to arrive at a spot a bit before midday, stay for a few hours, and then get back on the road when there were less cars - so maybe plan your route with this in mind. For your non-negotiable must-see’s, arrive early to secure a parking spot, or head there a bit later in the day when there are less people around.
Similarly, around sunset the roads were a bit quieter. Normally, the holiday makers are finishing their day on the beach and heading back to their hotels to get ready to go out for dinner. So if you can catch that sweet spot - after everyone has driven back to their hotels and before they go out for dinner - you’re on to something!
Now, in saying all that, we do want to share with you our itinerary for the trip, with our honest opinions about whether those spots you’ve read about on other blogs are really worth it or not.
Our itinerary:
We had 5 days of road-tripping planned, not including our arrival and departure day. But due to other work commitments, it ended up only really being 4 days. Despite this we still felt like we saw a lot of the island and didn’t miss out on too much.
We picked up the Vanrell rental car directly from the airport. The pick-up was very smooth (they even have a video on their Instagram showing how to find their rental desk). We had already decided not to stop in Palma at all as we were on a tight schedule and really wanted to see a bit more of the island outside of the centre. So we were straight off to check into our hotel on the other side of the island (Alcúdia).
Day 1: Alcúdia
Plan: Port d’Alcúdia, Emrita de la Victoria, Alcúdia Old Town.
Port d’Alcúdia:
We set off walking all along the stretch of coastline from Platja de Muro all the way to the port. Whilst the water is not as vivid and blue as pictures you’ve probably seen of Mallorca, the long beach and the water is still stunning and looked very tropical.
As you enter the port, there are many bars and restaurants right by the beach - there was definitely a more family and relaxed vibe in this area.
Emrita de la Victoria:
We then walked back, hopped in the car and made our way to Emrita de la Victoria along beautiful, curvy, scenic roads.
This would definitely be a spot to consider if you’re looking for some quiet, hidden beaches, or less busy hikes to do - in fact, this was the only day that wasn’t so busy.
Alcúdia Old Town:
We found it a bit odd that the rest of Alcúdia was set apart from the old town, but had read online that it was still worth a visit. And it definitely was.
The old town, surrounded by old ruins, was full of character and felt very charming. There were lots of mini squares and restaurants, shops and little roads you could get lost just wandering around. Well worth coming here for lunchtime or dinner.
Day 2: Market & road trip day
Plan: Sineu, Sa Foradada, Valdemossa, Deia, Cala Deia, Soller, Port Soller, Fornalutx, Sa Calobra, Lluc, Pollenca, Cala Figuera, Formentor.
Reality: Sineu, Sa Foradad, Deia, Soller, Sa Calobra, Cap de Formentor.
Sineu:
We woke up and headed into Sineu to check out the market. There are a lot of market stalls, passing through different squares and streets to walk through. We grabbed an ensaimada (traditional Mallorcan pastry) and listened to some live music.
Here comes the disclaimer: it was a nice enough market, but once again, it’s a small town which meant there was a lot of traffic heading in and out of the town, and not many parking spaces. If you’re not too fussed about this market specifically, we would recommend giving it a miss and looking up a market in a different town that has less tourist attention.
Sa Foradada:
This was a viewpoint we’d read about in other blogs, but to be honest, it was nothing spectacular. Unless you’re planning on hiking down and around the peninsula, it’s not really worth stopping for in our opinion.
Deia (& Valdemossa):
Set in the hills, this looked like a really nice town to stop in for a bit of a mooch or lunch. Here there is one road in and out of the town, so traffic comes right down to a standstill, and parking spaces were very minimal. We would have liked to have stopped here, but time was dragging on. If you visit, we’d recommend coming early in the morning.
Similarly, Valdemossa looks cute and is somewhere we wouldn’t have minded to explore, but with our busy schedule, and it being a bit out of the way we decided to skip it.
Soller & Port de Soller:
Next up was the town of Soller which you’ve likely seen photos of, even if you don’t realise. It’s the town with the tram going through the main square. But we hate to say it, that’s about all there is going on in the town. There seems to be 2 streets to roam around, the main square - and that’s it.
This was actually the day we spent around 2 hours going between Soller and the port trying to find a parking spot. We discovered you can only get so far into the Port de Soller, before the road is closed off. There is a car-park there, so technically you could walk into the Port, but of course, it was full.
Honestly, we would have skipped this completely if we weren’t getting desperately hungry and needing to stop for a very late lunch. In our opinion it would be better to spend more time in Deia or Valdemossa, or afterwards in Fornalutx.*
*We drove through Petra and this looked like it could be a nice alternative with small streets, cafes and restaurants. Again, just to drive home the point that most of these towns have something interesting to see and nice places to eat and drink - so just move on if you can’t find somewhere to park.
Sa Calobra (& Fornalutx):
Back in the car after some much needed food. We passed Fornaltux which actually looked a lot quieter than Soller, and just as nice.
From here there is pretty much one road to take that goes through various Mirador Embassament de Cuber & Mirador des Gorg Blau. This was a quick pit stop to stretch the legs, snap a photo and move on - not much more, but it was quiet and there were hardly any people which was nice.
Again, if you have googled pictures of Mallorca, you’ve seen this road. You know, the long, and windy one? The one where all car commercials look like they should be shot. Well, we had to take our car for a spin down the famous road. And it was good fun…and long.
Curiosity got the better of us and we were intrigued to see what was at the bottom of this long, twisting, turning road. Well, in our case, it seemed not a lot. The town was a bit of a ghost town - maybe because of the time of year (beginning of May), maybe because of the time of the day (early evening). Or maybe because it’s primarily targeted at cyclists and drivers who come make it down the hill and need a pit stop. We saw quite a few signs for boat trips, so could imagine this would be a nice activity, paired with a hike around, and a meal in one of the restaurants overlooking the sea.
If you do come a bit later, we suggest bringing your own picnic to be able to enjoy the road and the port at the bottom with hardly any other people there (we did it at 7pm, there were about 5 other cars on the road in total and various places to park).
Cap de Formentor:
Back in the car for our last spot of the day - the lighthouse at the edge of the island, known to be a good place to watch the sunset. Due to the parking madness in Soller, we were already tight with time and knowing that we would likely miss sunset, we decided to still go for it.
As you drive along the road, Cala Figuera peeks out, and from what we could glimpse as we drove past, it looked amazing. We have a hunch that this deserves a proper pitstop, but at that time in the day, there was no point.
The nice thing about this journey was that, at this time, there weren’t too many other cars, and there were quite a few viewpoints along the way where you could stop.
In our opinion, there is no need to go all the way to the lighthouse, save yourself the drive and stop in the thinnest part of this peninsula (just past Mirado de Es Colomer) . On one side you can look completely out to the sea, or on the other side you can look out to the bay of Pollenca and watch the lights start to come on and glimmer. That way you get the best of both.
Day 3: The South
The plan: Cala Figuera, Cala Llombards, Santyani, Cap de Ses Salines, El Caragol & Cala en Tugores, Colonia de Sant Jordi, Ses Salines, Torrent de Cala Pi.
Reality: Parc Natural de Mondragó, Cala Figuera, Cap de Ses Salines, El Caragol, Cala Pi.
At this point in the trip, we were already a bit tired of spending time looking for parking spaces, and in general just being on the go all the time. So, this was the first day where we decided to slow down the pace a bit, and actually spend time in the places we were visting.
Parc Natural de Mondragó:
There was organised parking at this spot (with a small price), so it was super easy which was a relief. After a short walk downhill, you’re greeted with stunning blue waters and a beach - but it doesn’t stop there. There is a coastal path that takes you round the corner onto another, bigger beach. This made it feel like it wasn’t too busy as people were spread out between the beaches. This is a really nice spot with greenery all around, a little beach hut with food and drinks - so perfect for a little beach day and explore.
Cala Figuera - Fishing village:
After a refreshing dip and a little lie down (you might be able to tell that we can’t stay still for too long), we were on our way to our next destination. And once again, luck appeared to be on our side that day as we found a parking space very easily.
We followed the ‘crowd’ down into the town of Figuera, passing by holidaymakers in restaurants, overlooking the small town, enjoying a laid-back lunch. Although there was a ‘crowd’ bustling around, the town still seemed very quiet and peaceful which was really nice (we almost felt like we had to whisper as we walked around).
The village is set out in a ‘U’ shape, so if you carry on walking down, you get to the water's edge and start to pass all the fishing boats and garages.
There is a viewpoint on the other side of the town called Far de la Torre which looked nice for a pre or post lunch walk.
Now this is where our opinions differ. Rebecca really enjoyed the serenity and uniqueness of this town, however, because of the way the town is set out, you do kind of follow one path down, round and back, and so Alex felt a bit like a sheep just following everyone round. You’ll have to go and see what you make of it.
Cap de Ses Salines & El Caragol:
We arrived in Cap de Ses Salines, again, had easy parking, got out of the car, and within 5 minutes we were back in the car heading to our next destination. We didn’t understand how there were so many cars, but no people around, as all we had seen was an unextraodinary lighthouse on a pretty unspectacular coastline.
After some thought, and checking on Google Maps, we realised the wild beaches that were next on our list were actually quite a drive away (your navigation will try to take you through roads that are literally fenced off), and better accessible by foot. So we drove back to the lighthouse, parked up, and headed off on foot along the coast.
After about 45 minutes walking, we made it to the first wild beach (El Caragol)... and yeah, it was pretty wild. There is nothing there. We’re not sure because of the location, or just because it was a particularly windy day, but it didn’t seem swimmable at all.
If there is a calm day and you want to get away from the crowds - this could be the place to go. But be prepared to walk there, bring food and drink with you, and be prepared to go to the toilet in the wild, literally. We didn’t make it on to the second wild beach as it was another walk, or long drive in the car, but if you’re up for maybe exploring a bit of a less-known gem, these beaches could be it for you.
(We’re still a bit confused though because we definitely saw less people than we did cars, so who knows if we’re still missing something from this area?)
Cala Pi:
Last up for the day was Cala Pi. At this point it was late afternoon / early evening already, so the Cala was already emptying out. It’s a beautiful, picturesque cala, with greenery behind you, and in front of you, a little boat hut (no longer functioning), the cliff and the water. There are some steps and indents in the cliff, and some locals were having fun jumping into the water.
In general, the cala is between two ‘cliffs’, so it is quite narrow and we could imagine it gets quite busy in summer. There are a few nice restaurants and bars in the town, but otherwise it is mostly hotels and homes nearby.
Day 4: Cala Ratjada & Cala Gat
The plan & reality: Cala Ratjada, Cala Gat, Capdepera Lighthouse
This was our last full day, and after photographing an event the days before, we decided that we wanted to explore more of the local area of where we were now staying by foot.
All along the beachfront there are various restaurants, beach clubs and some smaller beaches scattered here and there. We decided to skip those beaches and instead make our way past the port to Cala Gat. It is a tiny beach, and we just about managed to find a spot for our towels. It’s a very unique and picturesque beach with a beautiful house forming part of the scene. We would say it is definitely worth visiting, even if just for a photo and a drink (there is a cafe/beach bar there), but, especially in summer, don’t expect to be able to stop there and have a ‘beach day’. For that, you’re much better heading to the earlier beaches we passed (closer to the restaurants and hotels).
Capdepera Lighthouse
From Cala Gat, you’ll reach a more residential area, if you keep following the path / road round, you’ll come out at the cliff’s edge. There is actually a marked path following the cliff round and ending up at the lighthouse.
Again, it’s not particularly magnificent when you’re there, but it’s a nice walk from Ratjada town centre.
Day 5: Ferry back to mainland Spain
Before we knew it, it was already time to leave the beautiful beaches and blue water of Mallorca behind.
The great thing about Vanrell is that they are flexible with your pick-up and drop-off locations, and the drop-off was easy. We parked up near the port, and bid farewell to our car that we’d grown fond of over the past few days. We sent a picture of the location of the car to Vanrell, and that was it - we boarded our 6 hour ferry to Barcelona.
As for the actual ferry, there was no wifi (even after we had paid for the service), and for the most part, there’s not a lot to see. But, it’s a different way to travel, and coming into the port in Barcelona was fascinating.
So, our biggest lessons from our time in the Mediterranean gem:
Rent a car! Do your research and prioritise the absolute must-see and do’s whilst you’re there…and for the rest, thanks to the car, remain flexible in your timing and route knowing that you’re going to fit in a lot less than generally what most blogs suggest (as you can see from our planned routes vs. the reality of what we did each day)
Learn from the Spaniards: sometimes the slower way of life is better than trying to squeeze everything in. We found we struck the balance of enjoying, relaxing and seeing as much as possible when we aimed to fit around 3 things in our day. Maybe a visit to a town in the morning, a stop off at some place for lunch, and then a swim in a cala in the afternoon.
If you’re a person who gets FOMO, plan a longer trip to really account for visiting everything on your list. But in general, there are so many stunning calas and unique towns to pick from, that you’re not really missing out on that one you saw from an Instagram reel/blog.
Mallorca is busy all year round, and especially in summer. Be prepared to encounter people, and cars in a lot of places. Maybe consider visiting in the shoulder seasons for this reason, but note that the water is very cold (manageable, but cold!) at this time of year.
But is it worth it?
Absolutely - look at the roads and those shades of blue!
