Excursions By Car In Mallorca: 6 Unusual Ideas
Written by Jaillan Yehia
Maps of Mallorca
Brits love nothing more than a sunny summer holiday to the Balearic Islands.
But unlike my fellow English travellers, I first fell in love with a sleepy off-season Ibiza long after the clubs had shut their doors and the crowds had vanished. I followed this with a couple of forrays to the even sleepier and smaller island of Menorca.
It wasn’t until after discovering the neighbouring islands that I finally found myself understanding the lure of Mallorca, the capital of carefree summer holidays in the Balearic Isles.
I discovered that whichever of the Balearics you visit, exploring by car can utterly transform your time on these islands from a standard seven-day fly and flop, to a food and culture filled week of full-on exploration.
So I’ve picked out 6 excursions in Mallorca by car that are worth your time while on holiday.
What Does This Post Cover?
A Must In Mallorca For Shoe Obsessives: The Camper Outlet
At first glance it seems the neighbouring island of Menorca has the monopoly on shoe shopping opportunities: the smaller Balearic Island is the birthplace of two famous types of shoes: avarcas and Pretty Ballerinas.
But Mallorca is packing a punch in the shoe stakes too, as the home of Camper; this multi-million Euro Spanish shoe empire has 400 branches worldwide but was set up by a Mallorcan cobbler and is headquartered here, meaning you’ll find the company’s factory outlet on the island.
At Recamper you can pick up huge bargains on men’s, ladies’ and children’s Camper footwear as well as accessories. Plus nearby Inca is the location of the island’s most dedicated leather goods market every Thursday – so you can always combine the two if you really love shopping on your travels.
There’s also a branch of Camper at the airport, so you can pop in and see how much you’ve saved before flying home from Palma.
Map of Camper Outlet Store Mallorca
A Must In Mallorca For Serenity Seekers: Find Your Own Unspoiled Beach
This beach in Mallorca was reminiscent of the Caribbean
I stumbled on Playa de Muro, a beautiful six kilometre long sandy beach boasting a blue flag and trendy beach club Ponderosa by accident. After taking a wrong turn at a roundabout in the north of Mallorca I ended up at this quiet stretch of sand just in time to see an amazing golden hour change the sky from blue to pink.
Escaping the crowds and stumbling on small, unspoiled and stunning beaches like this is one of the reasons I chose to rent a car in Mallorca rather than spending all my time in a resort or using taxis; finding an off the beaten track place to swim, snorkel or sunbathe has to be one of the very best things you can do on your own holiday to Mallorca.
A Must In Mallorca For Explorers and Geologists: The Drach Caves
The Baths of Diana
An incredible subterranean world on the east coast of Mallorca, the Drach Caves are one of Mallorca’s best natural attractions, so whether you’ve seen underground rock formations before or it’s your first time as a cave explorer, you’ll be equally wowed.
A host of different shapes will be pointed out to you on the tour, with intriguing names like the Baths of Diana and the Snow-Capped Mountain and you can’t pass up an opportunity to see one of the largest underground lakes in the world; Lake Martel.
The unexpected extra touch here is a classical music concert performed on stringed instruments by musicians who come floating into view aboard a boat – something about the atmosphere, the music and the setting makes this a truly magical experience and unlike anything else you can do in Mallorca, by car or otherwise.
A Must In Mallorca For Viewpoint Vultures: Cap de Formentor at Sunrise & Sunset
If you’re based near the popular Port de Pollenca this will be a shorter excursion for you, but even if you’re staying on the opposite side of the island, the views at the eastern end of Mallorca’s Formentor peninsula are well worth the drive.
Visiting in low season won’t be a problem, but roads do get busy in the summer months. Sunset and sunrise are the best times to take in this spectacular setting.
A Must In Mallorca For Market Fans: Alcudia Market
A quiet street in Alcudia on market day
Mallorca’s markets are always a great excursion, but if you have a car at your disposal you should head straight for what’s known to be the best and most atmospheric market in Mallorca, in Alcudia Old Town.
The setting for the market is hard to beat, with stalls selling everything from fresh locally-grown produce to clothing and ceramics, all strung out alongside the roman walls and on every street there’s something new to catch your eye.
The market is on Tuesdays and Sundays, and like all markets it’s best to get there early.
A Must In Mallorca For Animal Lovers: Visit And Donate To A Local Animal Sanctuary
A rescue cat at Anima, Mallorca
With all these amazing excursions, it’s easy to be fooled into thinking that everything is perfect on the beautiful on the island of Mallorca, but sadly there are many injured and abused or abandoned animals who need our help, just like anywhere else in the world.
I was privileged to visit an animal sanctuary called Anima which is run by an equine specialist and doctor, Isabel Jimenez Acquarone. She rescues horses, dogs and cats, and devotes her life to giving these animals as much happiness and comfort as possible, whatever they have been through.
Isabel self-funds the care of all the animals, and is happy to take visits and donations from anyone who is an animal lover and wants to make a difference. There are other animal charities on the island so you can always ask around about local sanctuaries nearer where you are staying if you’d like to do something to help Mallorca’s four-legged population.
Tags: Majorca, Mallorca, Spain
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