Mallorca, Spain - Ultimate 3-day itinerary

December 2023, Written by Carolina

Welcome to the jewel of the Mediterranean, where turquoise waters meet golden shores, and every sunrise is a promise of adventure. Mallorca is a gorgeous island in Spain that we keep comming back in our adventures and maybe a place were we might call home one day.

[Carol]

I came here with a one-way airplane ticket in September 2023 and ended up to living here for two months. I rented a little room in a Village share house located right in the centre of the island and from there I explored in full detail the wonders Mallorca has to offer.

I noticed most people come here for a long weekend get-way. After long chats with Mallorquin friends and internal discussion, I came up with this 3-day itinerary for the perfect weekend get-away that includes city and cultural browse, beach time and mountain sceneries.

So, lets not waste more time, pack your bags and get ready to immerse yourself in the rhythm of Mallorca with my 3 day itinerary.

1^stDay – Palma

Book the night in Palma. Please note that this is a budget friendly guide using public transportation but for the 2^nd and 3^rdday it may be interesting from a time management point of view to rent a scooter instead. This can be easily done at the airport or during your first day exploring Palma.

Palma is such a groovy easy-going city that you can easily see the main attractions in one full day. I suggest starting in the old town. Go to the Mercat de l’Olivar for breakfast and stop at Noti Café for a nice cappuccino. Keep heading in the direction of the sea while you explore the old town. Cross the Plaça Major and check the architecture of the facade Can Forteza Rey. Make your way down to Can Corbella Building and then head to the sea front in the direction of Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the Seu Cathedral. There is lots to see and explore. My suggestion is to save the following list of Palma’s top sights I compiled for you and organise your day according to your priorities and pace.

You have a beach escape planned for the next day, but if you can’t wait and you want to go for a quick run away to the beach from Palma I also got you covered. You can either catch a bus on the afternoon heading to Santa Ponça Beach or even to Port de Sóller. Note that the bus service can be reduced during the evening.

Palma’s top sights are located in the Old Town, making it easily accessible by foot.

- Palma de Mallorca Cathedral – La Seu
- Royal Palace of La Almudaina
- Passeig des Born
- Can Corbella Building
- Can Forteza Rey
- Ca’n Oleza
- Plaça Major
- Mercat de l’olivar
- Follow Carrer del Colom until you reach Plaça Cort, then head to Plaça de Santa Eulalia and its stunning church.
- Parc de la Mar
- Banys Arabs (Arab Baths)
- Carrer de Sant Miquel
- Joan March Foundation museum (admission is free)

Catch the bus at Plaça d´Espanya heading to the west of Palma and visit:

- the Castell de Bellver (https://www.abc-mallorca.com/bellver-castle/)
- Santa ponca for a quick run away to the beach from Palma
- Pilar i Joan Miró Foundation (https://miromallorca.com/en/)

My favourite places to dine in the centre of Mallorca can be summed up into two general areas: 1. Restaurants in and around to the north of Plaça de Santa Eulalia (right in the centre of the old town but with some hidden gems; 2. in and around Mercat de Santa Catalina Mallorca, with new and trendy restaurants.

Food in the city centre:

Panaderia S’Estació
NOTI – COFFEE & KITCHEN (Café Noti) fof great coffee
Ca’n Joan de s’Aigo (typical/local budget breakfast and pastry)
Tierra y mar
Café Verde
Vida Meva
La Tortillería de Palma
Plaer Natural (vegetarian)
FERVOR PALMA Restaurante & Bar
Moltabarra (tapas bar and night out)
Celler de sa Premsa (budget, rustic, quality depends of how busy it is)

Plaça d’Espanya is the place you get all transports for the rest of the island. If you have a car, it is also the closest car park (underground) to the central of the old town of Palma.

2^ndDay – Valldemossa and Deià

Book the night either in Sóller or in Palma, depending on if you choose 3rd Day – Sóller or Alternative 3rd Day – Cala Pi. If you rent a scooter I would suggest staying in Soller because with your own transportation it is much easy to get to either destinations.

Valldemossa:

Early rise and catch a bus from estació Intermodal near Plaza de España to Valldemossa. The schedules available in google maps are exact but make sure to be at the station early and having a spot in the queue in front of the selected bus row at least 30 min in advance. Yes, the buses can get pretty full, and the bus driver will only allow sited spots to be occupied, leaving the remaining space for the passengers that will be picked up in the route’s stations. The bus row number is available in several big tv screens spread out through the station. Take a look at bus essentials bellow to get to know how to travel on a bus in Mallorca.

The drive to Valldemossa (15-20 min) is pretty special particularly pretty when the bus enters the Tramuntana National park leaving the mallorcan plains behind. The landscape of the mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the sight of the little town at the dawn or at dusk makes you feel you are living inside of a movie with perfect golden light staged scenario. Perched on a hilltop, surrounded by terraced terrain, Valldemossa was named after the area’s original Moorish landowner, Muza. When you get to Valldemossa it is likely things are still opening up with most business opening doors at 10 am. Go for a walk through the car-free cobbled alleys and maybe have a morning coffee at the best coffeeshop in town – Barbaflorida Cafè (the best barista coffee in town).

Don’t rush and simply stroll Valldemossa’s enigmatic cobbled streets and find what this historical town has to offer.

To visit:

Valldemossa’s Real Cartuja (Royal Carthusian Monastery)
Chopin museum
Valldemossa’s street market takes place every Sunday morning.

For Brunch or Lunch, I strongly recommend:

QuitaPenas (reservation needed)
Barbaflorida Cafè
Ca’n Cerdà
Forn i Pastisseria Ca’n Molinas
Es Taller Valldemossa (reservation needed)

FOR HIKERS AND ADVENTURERS: If you are a hiker like me, after visiting Valldemossa town in the early morning, you can hike to Deià via section 6 of the famous Route GR221 “La Ruta de Pedra en Sec”. It is a 3 to 4h hike from Valldemossa to Deià (easy hike). For lunch take a bocadillo (Spanish sandwich with Jamon) from “Pastisseria” bakery in town before you head off on your hike and enjoy it on the top of the mountains with stunning scenery of the cliffs and the Mediterranean. The hike is mainly shaded going up and down the mountains but on the top it is recommended sun protection and a hat. When you get to Deià, depending on the time and your tiredness, you can either visit the town or continue the hike down to Cala Deià (see below for more info on the trail to the cala) and reward yourself with a dive into the crystal blue waters. Enjoy the beach and rest your legs for the rest of the afternoon.

Deià:

After lunch catch the bus to Déia at the same bus stop where you got out in the morning. The ride is again an experience in itself and you can see the cliffy scenery filled by the Tramontana forest. Deià is a charming little village that can get quite busy in summer months. There are a lot of boutique shops and fine dining to discover but for me what is more interesting is that like Valldemossa, Deià is a town of artists, writers and compositors. The most famous is Robert Graves, and there is a house museum open to visit. For fine dining, Belmond Hotel, mirador de sa Foradada Restaurant and Es Moli Hotel have the best reputation plus beautiful views.

To visit:

La Casa de Robert Gaves
Son Marroig
Mirador de l’Església
Deià has also a small weekly market on Wednesdays

For food and drinks , I strongly recommend:

Sa Fonda

Head down to Cala de Deià for a swim. It is an easy 10/15 min walk from Deià. The trail is not visible in google but it is super easy to find. Search camí cala Deià on google maps or this address and go until that point on the map. The track is signed and used by locals.

When you get to Cala de Deià is nice and the waters are super blue. My favourite part is the far opposite part of the cala’s entry.

Fianlly, around 5 pm it is time to pack up and head to final destination of the day Sóller. The climb back to the main road from cala de Deià takes around 45 min, you can hitchhike back because there is always a kind soul that will spare a sit for you (I did it tons of times, just make sure to take the sand off and wrap yourself in a towel beforehand). Alternatively, walk the way back of the walking track (avoid walking the way up the car road because is a longer way with less shade).

PLEASE NOTE: If you are going with alternative 3rd day below, you should catch a bus back to Palma instead of going to Sóller. Both towns are easy to get to from Deià with buses until as late as 7pm – make sure of the bus timetable beforehand.

3^rd Day – Sóller

Book the night in Palma since it is the best loction to depart from and head to the airport the following day.

Sóller is one of the most beautiful villages in Mallorca surrounded by orange plantations. My suggestion is to spend a slow morning in Sóller, go to the botanic gardens and watch the famous rustic train cross the main Plaza and then head down to Port de Sóller (10 min on a bus) to relax on the beach (Platja den Repic) during the afternoon. The 3rd day is a day to relax, so I am keeping the bus drives short and the moments in the beach longer. For a cultural experience, don’t forget to walk around and explore the center of Sóller, consider visiting the museums or check out the nearby picturesque village of Fornalutx.

Port the Sóller is mainly a balnear location, but it is well worth walking the waterfront from Platja den Repic until Plaça de Santa Catarina.

To visit:

Plaza de la Constitución (Main square)
Jardí Botànic (Botanic gardens)
Ferrocarril de Sóller crossing the Plaza de la Constitución – departs from Palma at 10.30 and 18.45. It takes a 1 hour-long scenic route through the mountains.
Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals (Balearic Museum of Natural Sciences)
Can Prunera Museo Modernista ia an art museum that houses a fine permanent collection of art including Kandinksy, Picasso, Warhol, local artists Miquel Barceló and Francesca Martí.
The picturesque village of Fornalutx is very close by (less than 10 min by bus) and also well worth seeing.

For food in Sóller:

Mercat-Municipal
Ca’n Llimona
Forn de Barri
FORN SANT CRISTO (Sóller)

Alternative 3^rd Day – Day Trip Cala Pi

Waking up either in Soler or in Palma head to the bus station (in Sóller catch the direct bus in Cetre (61009); in Palma catch the bus in Estació Intermodal). The Cala we are heading it is on the south of the island so by bus it will take some time to reach the destination, however I can assure you it is well worth the drive. This is a very famous and beautiful beach that can get busy during the summer months. The earlier you get there the better you can enjoy it for yourself. The trip to the beach from Palma is composed of 3 buses (about 2.5 hours long ride in total). Make sure you plan in advance the schedule of your return since the reception in the cala is poor.

In alternative to the bus, you can rent a scooter for the day. Even though logistically more complicated, it gives you independence to be able to do more in the last day. I strongly recommend that if you are comfortable riding a motorbike.

When you get there make sure you save a spot on the sand and maybe consider looking for a shade since the sun is very strong in Mallorca specially during the summer months. Bring picnic food for the day and enjoy the relaxing day. Food is also available in a restaurant nearby although the prices can be higher than normal due to location and seasonality.

How to travel by bus in Mallorca

Mallorcan Public transport essentials

When entering a bus, the driver is likely to ask your final destination. If they don’t allow you on the bus on any occasion and you don’t understand why due to language barrier, it is likely because there is a more direct bus available likely departing soon or short after his time of current departure. Trust the bus drivers, they deal with managing a great influx of tourists every day.
It is always better to pay with contactless card and you can use the same card to pay the trip up to 5 people. The advantages are it is 40% cheaper to pay with card that with cash and the price per person will decrease each time you tap a new entrée in the bus.
You always have to tap the same amount of time in the exit machine just before getting out of the bus (i.a. 5 people got in – 5 taps in -5 taps out of the bus), otherwise you are charged the value of the bus trip till its end destination.
The aircon is not super-efficient in the bus so get a hand fan that will keep you nice and refreshed during the generally overcrowded trips.