Villas in Mallorca

As such a well-established holiday destination, Mallorca offers a wide variety of activities, excursions and local amenities. From aqua parks and nature trails, to sea life centres, safari parks and adventure playgrounds – there’s something to entertain everyone. Popular sports on the island include cycling, trekking, swimming, sailing and waterskiing.

Adults and children alike will love exploring the island’s fantastic illuminated caves filled with stalactites. Choose from a vast selection of day trips, whether you want to explore the coastline or the awe-inspiring mountain range.

The Balearic Islands provide excellent shopping and Mallorca is no exception. Full of popular shops and local markets, there’s everything you need – and more. The lively shopping streets of Palma are home to a wide range of outlets selling shoes, leather goods, clothes, pottery and ceramics. Handicrafts such as embroidery, basketwork, hand-painted plates and high-quality simulated pearls are also widely associated with this region. The best places to find these treasures are the weekly markets, while modern shopping malls, like Festival Park near Sa Cabaneta, offer the latest fashions.

The island boasts an extraordinary selection of beaches and coves, ranging from vast expanses of fine white sand to pebbly shorelines and warm blue seas.

The main tourist resorts of Puerto Pollensa and Alcudia are large and sandy, with good beach facilities for families. Along the southern shoreline, a mass of pretty, sandy coves are quiet, peaceful and sheltered by high cliffs. The closest island to heaven on earth for swimmers, sun-seekers and water sports enthusiasts, Mallorca’s sunny climate and beautiful Mediterranean surroundings are simply stunning.

Mallorca is an island incredibly proud of its heritage, with much of its famous history and culture found in the capital, Palma. Highlights include the cathedral and royal palace - once the residence of the island’s early kings. From its narrow medieval streets, you can explore grand mansions and the magnificent Gothic cathedral.

Traditional villages are filled with colonial houses and cobblestone streets. The Deià valley, occupied by humans since prehistoric times, is also home to a sprawling monastery, ancient churches and many museums.

• Go market shopping in Pollensa on Sunday morning and at The Sineu on Wednesdays, where you’ll find everything from fresh produce to dolls for sale as you wander around its steep narrow streets and alleys.

• Take a guided walking or cycling tour in the Sierra de Tramuntana Mountains for fantastic views, the scent of wild herbs and an away-from-it-all experience. Guides can advise on sensible precautions to take.

• Take a boat trip to Formentor or around the beaches of the south, stopping off for a secluded swim or lazy lunch.

• Visit Valldemossa and the mountain-top monastery where Chopin and George Sand famously attempted to find an idyllic romantic hideaway.

• Take the vintage electric train ride through the mountains from Palma to Soller, or the old tram down to the port.

• Take an after dinner stroll along Pine Walk in Puerto Pollensa and watch the sun set over the bay.

• Soak up the fiery Fiesta atmosphere and join in with the live music, colourful costume and non-stop dancing.

• Take coffee in the art nouveau Fundacio La Caixa art gallery in Palma, visit the magnificent Gothic cathedral or explore the ancient Arab Quarter.