Ten days in Mallorca

It may have been three years in the making (due to you know what) but we finally made it to Mallorca for our family holiday.

When we first booked the trip there were seven of us but with new partners added into the mix, there were almost enough of us to make our own football team. We jetted off and the ten of us were ready to soak up the sun, sangria and tapas.. but we’ll get onto that later.

In preparation for our holiday to Mallorca, otherwise known as Majorca I spent the weeks leading up to it frantically Googling the best beaches, towns, restaurants and waterparks in a bid to be prepared. Not wanting to miss out on anything over the course of ten days I was eager to see, do and eat as much as possible for the first time visiting the island, or so I thought.

Little did I know that in fact, I HAD visited the island with some girlfriends a few years back. After walking past a recognisable cocktail bar in Cala d’Or, a bike hire store, a very familiar hotel and finally the beach, where I had previously drank white wine and sunbathed on my watermelon towel it clicked that yes, I had been to Mallorca before. It’s safe to say my family found this hilarious and also typical of me, but we move on.

On this second trip to Mallorca, my family and I stayed not far from Cala d’Or in a villa complete with a scenic view of hills and fields that made you feel as though you were looking at a painting.

Although wanting to explore as much as possible and visit beaches and cute Spanish towns, because we were staying for ten days we were able to also enjoy relaxing days by the pool or afternoons at the beach, which is a must on holiday.

Portocolom

Alternating between chilled days and those more adventurous we were able to tick some beautiful places off the list. One place that stole my heart was Portocolom, a resort in Mallorca.

Portocolom had cove beaches, cliff views you could climb and explore, adorable streets to get lost in and a harbour filled with small yachts and boats. We wandered around the resort and instantly took a liking to do, particularly because it had a number of appealing restaurants that were right up our street and a relaxing coffee shop with views of the harbour where we stopped for a refreshment break.

Capdepera

Another place we visited that was high up on the list was Capdepera, a small municipality on the island. This was one of Rich’s ideas due to the castle that was situated at the top of the hill.

I must admit at first I wasn’t too keen on visiting another castle (we had previously hiked to one nearby our villa) but in the name of adventure I, of course, wasn’t going to turn down the offer for a visit. What we found and stumbled across was more than I imagined.

Capdepera is small, quiet and peaceful with barely any shops or restaurants but it was beautiful. The castle itself was very impressive with 360 views across Capdepera, you could even ring the castle bells yourself, which of course we had to do.

After a very sweaty walk around the castle, it was time for a refreshment break and some traditional Spanish food (obviously). On the way to the square where three restaurants sat bustling with people (this was the only busy area) we wandered down picturesque streets, admired the brightly coloured houses and imagined what it would be like to live in such a peaceful place so close to the sea.

Stopping for food we certainly had a feast. Opting for six tapas dishes we were in our element at how the food was both presented and tasted. From dates wrapped in bacon, potato braves, meatballs, squid, tacos and a beetroot salad - it was a heavenly spread I wish I could eat every day. This was washed down with a Café Bombón - an espresso with sweet condensed milk… amazing!

Palma

A city that was a must-visit whilst we were away was of course, Palma, the capitol of Mallorca. Visiting on the second to last day of our trip, it was better than I had imagined, we could have easily spent a whole weekend exploring. It’s well worth a weekend break if you haven’t done so already.

We started the day early in a cute cafe that Rich found where we got our caffeine fix and filled our bellies with delicious food before venturing around the city. Of course, a quick trip into Mango, Zara and Zara Home was a must.

As with the other Spanish towns we had visited, there were endless photo opportunities that had me stopping every two minutes. The small side streets were filled with colour, independent shops and steps that led to yet another beautiful and unique place, you could easily get lost in the Spanish culture here, I loved every second.

Of course, Rich fished out the best spots to try the local delicacies from bakery goods to ice cream, you really can’t visit a new city without a mini food crawl as you go. We ended the day at the Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca where we paid €9 to go inside, you can opt to pay more to make your way to the top of the cathedral for what I could imagine being the best view in Mallorca. The cathedral was beautiful and definitely worth a visit inside, the stained glass windows were nothing like I’ve ever seen before, they were magnificent.

Cala d’Or

During our holiday we frequently visited Cala d’Or as it was the closest resort to us and somewhere where we could grab a coffee or quick drink but this is more of a tourist area and so you know what to expect. I would highly recommend going off the beaten track a bit and visiting smaller Spanish towns, they’re always filled with so much character and culture that are great to explore. But Cala d’Or is a great place for a drink with endless bars to choose from.

Beaches

A trip to a Spanish island wouldn’t be complete without visiting a number of white sand beaches with crystal clear blue sea, these also provided the perfect spots for snorkeling. We visited Portocolom beach, Es Trenc (one of the most famous beaches in Mallorca), Ses Salines and Cala Sa Nau which were all as beautiful as each other.

One day we hired two boats to explore the island more which is where we found Cala Sa Nau - a great spot to snorkel with a number of fishes to dive down and admire. It wasn’t until I was in the water that I realised how much I love the sea and snorkeling, it’s safe to say I was the last to leave.

We, of course, ate some delicious food, from an array of seafood such as octopus, squid, fish and prawns to traditional dishes such as Paella, tortillas and tapas. All complemented with either sangria, a pale rose, or a glass of Spanish white wine, it really was a match made in heaven, including wine for as little as €2 a bottle (I know)!

We ended the holiday with a family relay swimming race back at the villa, complete with a diving through the ring round and a pencil jump and floating mushrooms round.. what can I say, we’re all children at heart. All before we made our way back to Palma to catch our flight back to London with plans to return to Mallorca one day soon.

Until next summer…

Family in Mallorca — Cheers from Mallorca!

Amy x