12 Of The Best Things To Do In Mallorca Beyond The Stunning Beaches

When you think of Mallorca, you think of sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Mallorca is one of the more famous of Spain's beautiful islands. Indeed, as the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands, Mallorca is known of its beautiful beaches and secluded coves. But while there's no denying the coastline is a draw, Mallorca actually has so much more to offer beyond just a beach vacation, and that really what makes Mallorca worth the flight. 

The island has a long history which can be most easily observed in its capital city, Palma. Art lovers will find much to admire here, with many museums, art galleries and public art, and the natural beauty of Mallorca extends beyond the coast. The mountains of are another treasure of the island, with hiking and biking trails that should not be missed, and which require multiple days to explore. Mallorca is also home to surprisingly numerous golf courses, and of course, just like the rest of Spain, Mallorca's culinary scene is a draw on its own. Whether it's relaxation or culture, there's so much more to Mallorca than just its beaches.

This cathedral, also known as La Seu, is a Gothic cathedral in Palma that is located right next to the sea. The cathedral was first constructed in the 13th century but it was finally finished in 1630s. The cathedral features a famous stained glass "rose window" where twice a year, when the sun shines just right, you can see a reflection of this rose window just below the real one. 

Not only is the stunning cathedral itself worth the visit, there are also two important art elements inside the cathedral. The first is that the famous Antoni Gaudí worked to restore and reimagine parts of the cathedral. Unfortunately, the death of the bishop who hired him combined with arguments between the contractors resulted in Gaudí leaving the project unfinished, but you can see the baldachino he designed above the altar. The baldachino is a heptagonal crown with brass lamps hanging from it to light up the altar. 

The other art installation, created by Miguel Barceló, represents a well-known miracle of Jesus, wherein he multiplies loaves and fish. The installation is a cracked ceramic that results in a cavelike feeling, and also features skulls.

Mallorca has a long and complicated history that dates back to 1300 B.C.E. The Romans conquered the island in 123 B.C.E until 902, when the island was annexed to the Arab Islamic state the Emirate of Cordoba. In 1229 A.D., King James I annexed the island to the Kingdom of Aragon. It doesn't stop there, though, as Mallorca continued to be involved in other wars in Spain until the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. 

For those interested to learn about it, much of Mallorca's history can still be seen today around the island, and especially in Palma. There's the La Seu cathedral, which began construction in the 13th century. Traces of the period of Arab rule can be seen with Almudaina Palace, built as a fortress in the 10th century, and the beautiful Arab Baths with its vaulted ceilings. The Gothic-style Bellver Castle was built in the 14th century and is Spain's only round castle. The castle served many functions in the past, including as prison, and now houses a museum that educates visitors on the history of Palma.

The most famous hiking destinations on Mallorca is around the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, which is located on the island's north coast. It offers many hiking trails with stunning views of the island's coastline. The mountain range's hiking opportunities are quite diverse, ranging from easy day hikes to strenuous multi-day ones. The GR 221 trail is a little over 90 miles and takes multiple days to complete, but it's an epic hike that lets you see the best parts of Mallorca. Of course, not everyone has the energy or time to commit to such a long hike. Thankfully, there are plenty of scenic short hikes as well, including a waterfall hike in Biniaraix.

Some trails also take hikers to remote beaches, like Caló des Moro or the 30-minute hike from the town of Deià to its beach at Cala Deià. You can also hike up to Castell d'Alaro, a stone castle ruin dating back to the 10th century, passing by olive groves on the way. These are just a handful of the many trails you can find in Mallorca. Regardless of where you're staying on the island, you're bound to find a hiking trail with beautiful vistas. 

Surrealist artist Joan Miró was born in Barcelona in 1893, but Palma, the capital city of Mallorca, was his adoptive city. He frequently traveled to Mallorca as a child, got married in Palma, and spent the last 27 years of his life there until his death at the age of 90. It was in Palma that he had the studio of his dreams, a minimalist structure designed by the architect Josep Lluís Sert. Miró's wife, Pilar Juncosa, later donated the studio along with other land and artworks in order to start the foundation. The headquarters building was built by architect Rafael Moneo on the donated land in 1992. 

Admirers of his work can now visit Fundació Joan Miró, which is now a museum honoring Miró's work and incorporates his old studio as well as the new headquarters building. The foundation itself was originally Miró's idea, and the intent was to encourage young artists to experiment with modern art. Today, the foundation is a museum with a collection of around 7,000 works both by Joan Miró and other relevant artists, displayed in rotating exhibits. 

The beauty of Mallorca doesn't just live above the surface, but underground as well. Namely, the four interconnected caves that are collectively called the Caves of Drach. The caves are located in the town of Porto Cristo, a charming fishing village on the eastern side of the island. The best part of these caves, though, may be Lake Martel that hides in these caves and in particular, the fact that you can ride a boat on the lake. Lake Martel is considered to be one of the largest underground lakes in the world and was named after the French cave explorer, E. A. Martel, who created a schematic plan of the caves. 

A tour of the caves even includes a 10-minute concert on the lake, after which you can cross Lake Martel by boat. You can also cross by walking on a bridge, which some people opt to do to avoid the line to get on the boat, but it's a fun opportunity to ride a boat on an underground lake. The cave tour itself is around an hour long, but if you don't have the transportation to get to Porto Cristo, there several tour operators that offer bus tours to the caves.  

As a popular island destination, naturally Mallorca now has its share of luxury hotels, both on the coast and further inland. If you have the budget to splurge, there's nothing quite like coming back after a full day of excursions to a beautiful room with comfortable bedding, or waking up to a great breakfast and heading down for a spa treatment. Even the hotels without direct beach access have pools you can lounge next to. Whether it's a modern hotel with an ocean view, or a charming farmhouse in the mountains, there's something for every type of vibe in Mallorca. 

For example, there's the adults-only beachfront El Vicenç de la Mar in the north of the island, and the family-friendly St. Regis Mardavall just southwest of Palma. For a relaxed stay for golf enthusiasts, head to Hacienda Son Antem, an Autograph Collection resort. The two-story hotel offers spacious suites larger than most one-bedroom apartments in the U.S.. with two attached golf courses and a full-service spa. 

No, Mallorca doesn't have the golf pedigree of St. Andrews, Scotland's picturesque coastal escape that serves as a historic mecca for golfers around the world. But the island is actually home to 24 golf courses spread out around the island, and the climate makes it suitable for golfing all year round. In fact, many of Mallorca's golf course were designed by famous golf architects from around the world. The oldest golf course on the island is Golf Son Vida, which was built in 1964 and is now part of Arabella Golf. 

Most of the golf courses on Mallorca offers stunning views around the island, which is part of what makes golfing here special. Some offer a lush view of the mountains while others sport ocean views. Son Antem Golf Resort, southeast of Palma, has two separate 18-hole golf course attached to their hotel, Hacienda Son Antem. The West Course is a championship course opened in 2001 with three lakes incorporated into the course.   

Beach towns are great, but the hilltop villages in Mallorca have plenty of their own charm and tend to offer a much quieter getaway than the beach resorts. Artists and writers have long been attracted to the idyllic villages for their beauty and laid back lifestyle. Valldemossa is one of most picturesque of these villages, set in the Tramuntana mountains with plenty of old world charm. It's also home to Real Cartuja, a Carthusian monastery where Chopin once spent some time. Hilltop villages like Valldemossa became possible when Arabs ruled the island and introduced the terraced irrigation method that allowed people to cultivate the hillsides.

Another famous village is Deià in the northwest part of the island, which offers beautiful views of the ocean. Deià also attracts many famous names in music to visit,like The Beatles and David Bowie. There are many more picturesque, traditional villages on the island that remain under the radar as well. The GR 221 long distance hiking trail passes through a few of them, and these towns have refuges or hostels that hikers and rest and recharge at. 

If you're not renting a car, one fun way to travel to the mountains of Mallorca is by train, and this journey is a blast from the past. An island like Mallorca may not be the first destination to come to mind for a scenic train ride in Europe, especially compared to Switzerland, but the train ride from Palma to Sóller has not only been operating since 1912 but also offers beautiful views of the almond groves, pine forests, and ancient olive trees.

On this journey, travelers can ride on the wooden train that was first launched in 1912 and connect to a tramway built in 1913 between Sóller and Port de Sóller, connecting the mountain and the sea. The train ride itself is about an hour long from Palma to Soller, and stops at Bunyola, a lovely mountain town that's also worth exploring. You can purchase tickets all the way to Sóller or just to Bunyola if you plan to stay a while. The tramway from Sóller to Port de Sóller takes about a half hour, so the whole ride there and back can easily be done in one day — unless you plan to stay a while at Bunyola. 

Any trip to Spain must also be all about the food, and that includes Mallorca. Of course, in any part of Spain it's a good idea to order what is considered to be the best ham in the world — jamón ibérico. 

Vermuterias, or vermouth bars, are also a must visit while in Spain. La Rosa Vermuteria in Palma de Mallorca is a great place for both traditional and less traditional tapas dishes, like their truffle and mushroom Spanish omelet. While Iberico hams are great, La Rosa also offers cured meats made with Mallorquin black pigs, which is a local delicacy as these pigs are native to the Balearic islands. Of course, the wines on the island are great, but be sure to stay for the vermouths as well, which are typically served as an aperitif to whet your appetite for the upcoming meal. 

Mallorca also has some dishes that stray from the traditional Spanish dishes due to the strong Arabic influence throughout Mallorca's history, like the use of raisins in the pork tenderloin dish, lomo con col. Many of the restaurants at hotels like Hacienda Son Antem also offer more modern takes of traditional Mallorcan dishes, or local ingredients like the red prawns. 

It may be surprising to learn that there are now almost 100 small wineries or bodegas on the island of Mallorca. Many of the wineries are family owned, and grow indigenous grapes like Callet as well as varieties we are more familiar with like Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Although many of the smaller wineries can also be visited by appointment, a number of wineries are open to the public via walk-ins and you can also book day tours that include pickups from your hotels. 

One of the more famous wineries is Bodega Ribas, which also happens to be the oldest winery on the island. Bodega Ribas has been a family-owned winery since 1711, operating at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains. They primarily grow grapes indigenous to Mallorca (or at least the Balearic islands), like the Manto Negro or Prensal. There are also newer wineries that have started up on the island like Son Mayol, a biodynamic wine producer that opened in 2001. Son Mayol also commits to other sustainable approaches like using gravity in their production instead of pumps, and installing solar panels for energy.

Once you've explored Mallorca's mountains, you can't help but notice all the olive trees growing around the island. Olives have been growing on Mallorca since the pre-Roman period and some of the olive trees on the island are as old as 800 years old, planted during the Arab rule. It's said that there are over 800,000 olive trees on the island, so there certainly seem to be enough olives for the whole island and more.  

Of course, you can easily taste these olives at the eateries around Mallorca, but it's also fun to go directly to the source. Agritourism is big in Mallorca's rural areas, and that includes tours of olive groves that also showcase the process of producing olive oils in the olive mills. Between October to January, you can also participate in the olive harvest. With so many olive groves on the island, there are a number of tours you can choose to book. The tours are easily accessible from the hilltop villages like Valldemossa if you happen to be staying there, but you can also book day trips that include transportation from Palma. Some tours are also combined with a visit to a winery or vineyard.