Summer in Mallorca: Is Mallorca expensive for tourists?
Is the Spanish island Mallorca expensive for holiday visitors?
Mallorca can be expensive – but it doesn’t have to be. Especially during peak season, prices for hotels, rental cars, and beach chairs rise noticeably, especially in popular areas like Palma or Port d’Alcúdia. At the same time, the island offers many opportunities for a stylish yet affordable vacation. In smaller towns off the beaten track, you’ll find charming little hotels and other accommodations like Airbnbs. When it comes to food, you don’t always have to go to a fine-dining restaurant: You can enjoy authentic, relatively inexpensive meals in many tapas bars or small restaurants. At weekly markets, you can discover fresh produce, Mallorcan specialties, and souvenirs for little money.
When is it cheapest to travel to Mallorca?
If you want to experience Mallorca on a budget, you should fly outside of peak season. It’s particularly cheap in late autumn, around November, and early spring, in February or March. Then the temperatures are mild and the island is pleasantly empty – and both flights and accommodation often cost only a fraction of what they cost in the summer months.
Hotels in Mallorca: Here are the accommodations you can book this summer.
These are the 5 most beautiful accommodations for a summer on the island. The top hotels, bungalows, and retreats on the most beautiful Mediterranean island.
For many, the Balearic island has lost some of its luster. Perhaps it was in the 1980s when Magaluf put a damper on its reputation (keyword: Ballermann and the party scene). In the 1990s, everyone headed next door to party on its cheeky little sister, Ibiza. But the upper classes (and the Germans) never gave up on their Mallorca holidays. This year, we should join them, because the island has so much more to offer than its party beaches. Vacationers come for the most beautiful beaches, the mountainous landscapes, the bays with sapphire-blue waters, and the villages with terracotta roofs that huddle on the hills. And for Palma, with its boulevards lined with boutiques and its winding old town full of hidden taverns and sophisticated bars.
Best Hotels in Mallorca: These Are the Most Beautiful Areas
Luxurious 5-star hotels can be found on Playa de Palma. Those seeking a little more flexibility can stay in one of the first-class beach hotels in Playa de Muro or Cala Millor, which, in addition to their idyllic locations, also offer all-inclusive options. For discerning travelers, the charming resort of Port d’Alcúdia offers a range of exclusive four-star hotels. Other places to look out for when searching for a hotel include Cala Rajada, Canyamel, Can Picafort, Colònia de Sant Jordi, Capdepera, or the Bay of Alcúdia.
Mallorca has many different faces. Directly on Playa de Palma, elegant five-star hotels with direct sea access are lined up. Despite the short distance from Palma, the atmosphere here (depending on the beach area) is considerably more relaxed and quiet. A little further east, Playa de Muro and Cala Millor invite you to spend relaxing days on flat, sandy beaches. Beach hotels and luxury hotels with all-inclusive options abound here. Port d’Alcúdia is also popular with its sheltered bays and calm waters, high-quality hotels, and charming town center. Other worthwhile destinations for your stay include Cala Ratjada, Canyamel, Cala D’Or, Colònia de Sant Jordi, and Capdepera.
Best hotel in Mallorca for: a couple’s getaway
Palma Riad, Palma
Palma is particularly well-stocked when it comes to boutique hotels, but few have such a sensual and sparkling atmosphere as this one. Located in a restored 18th-century townhouse on the atmospheric Carrer de Sant Jaume near the city center, this adults-only hotel is driven by a clear vision. Barcelona-based designer Pablo Peyra has created its own unique design hotel, each of its eleven suites. The atmosphere of velvety opulence and subdued lighting extends throughout the hotel, including the ground-floor bar and restaurant, where classic cocktails, sautéed clams, entrecote Paris, and a delightful burrata salad with flambéed figs and grilled peach are served.
Address: Carrer de Sant Jaume, 5, 07012 Palma
Price: Double room from €1,100 per night
Zel Mallorca, Palmanova
Best Hotel in Mallorca for: Party Vibes
In short, this new opening from Meliá Hotels International and co-founder Rafael Nadal is a lot of fun. It has a relaxed, casual atmosphere, comfortable sofas, and seagrass elements, befitting its location right on Palmanova’s pristine beachfront. The heart of the hotel is a spacious, open-plan area where each space flows seamlessly into the next, from the lobby to the impressive three-story dining room to a large terrace with panoramic sea views. Relaxation is the order of the day here, with two pools, a gym, a sauna, a steam room, a whirlpool, and an aromatherapy spa to zip between. Be prepared for something in the evenings, though: there’s regular live music during the week, and bass-heavy dance beats pound through the room from 7 p.m. on weekends. This is Mallorca’s party hotspot, after all. If that doesn’t appeal to you, it’s quieter outside at the Beso Beach restaurant.
Address: Carrer Duc Estremera, 16, 07181 Calvià, Balearic Islands
Price: Double room from €371 per night
Can Ferrereta, Santanyi
Andrés Soldevila Ferrer, owner of the renowned Majestic Hotel on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona, discovered his love for Mallorca while vacationing with his grandparents. Inspired by the unique blend of Barcelona style and Mallorcan architecture at the Sant Francesc Hotel in Palma, he searched for a country house in the south of the island. He found a dilapidated 17th-century mansion, which he transformed into a unique property that combines rustic minimalism with urban luxury. Relax with a spa treatment at the Sa Calma Spa or sample the modern Mediterranean cuisine of Àlvar Albaladejo’s Ocre restaurant, considered the best in the southeast of the island.
Address: Can Ferrereta, Carrer de Can Ferrereta, 12, 07650, Santanyí, Spain
Price: Double room from €760 per night
La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, Deià
Best hotel in Mallorca for: a high-quality stay
This hotel is as beautiful as it appears at first glance. The drive around exciting switchbacks, past steep slopes and narrow gorges, is worth the effort to reach chic Deià on Mallorca’s west coast. Despite the 71 rooms, an art gallery, two artists’ studios, four restaurants, two outdoor pools, tennis courts, a kids’ club, and hiking trails in the mountains, there is a pervasive sense of space and privacy. All rooms have terraces overlooking the ochre-colored town and the shimmering sea, and some have their own swimming pools – ideal for this sun-drenched valley. Inside, they are large and cool, with citrus tones and soft beds. There’s a daily boat tour along the coast, where you can spot falcons or snorkel among schools of silvery fish. But the best pastime here is the stunning view. This family hotel is ideal for active vacationers.
Address: Carrer son Canals s/n, 07179 Deià, Spain
Price: Doppelzimmer ab €717 per Nacht
Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden, Palma
Best hotel in Mallorca to enjoy Palma’s most characterful district
Like many special hotels, this one isn’t easy to find. There’s no signage, no street terrace teeming with hotel guests. Only the discreet stone archway leading from the square to a former private home, later a school run by nuns, reveals that you’ve arrived. Can Bordoy has been completely renovated by the sought-after architect couple Jaime Oliver and Paloma Hernaiz of OHLAB. Their goal was to preserve the building’s rich heritage while adding contemporary touches. There’s a shaded courtyard and a long, stone bar with a low-key reception area; a living room with beautiful vines hanging from the ceiling connects to a dining room and library overlooking the rear. The basement spa and rooftop sun terrace with 360-degree views and a glass-bottomed plunge pool are just as charming as Chef Andrés Benítez’s gourmet restaurant, Botànic, which focuses on local, organic ingredients.
Address: Carrer del Forn de la Glòria, 14, 07012 Palma, Spain
Price: Double room from €695 per night