Welcome to Mallorca! I'm Jake James and I'm going to show you how spending just two days
of your holiday out the resort could make it so much better. What comes into your mind
when you hear the name Mallorca? If you’re from the UK like me, there’s a pretty good
chance that we all picture it in a similar way. Magaluf and package holidays. But that’s
an image that is so unfair, because this wonderful island has so much more to give. Mallorca
is a part of Spain - more specifically, it’s the largest of the Balearic islands. Its location
in the Mediterranean means that the sun shines all year round. Many come to Mallorca for
the glow of its white sandy beaches. Mallorca has a population of around 900,000 people
- but 28 million people pass through Mallorca’s main airport every year, roughly equivalent
to a third of the UK population. Mallorca’s landscape
is dominated by two mountain ranges - Serra de Tramuntana and Serra de Llevant. These
roads through the mountains are some of the most beautiful drives in the world. While
you’re here, why not enjoy those roads in an electric car? Mallorca has pledged that
by 2050, only electric vehicles will be permitted on the island, and charging points are everywhere.
Or, if you’re the one full of energy, Mallorca attracts around 150,000 cycling tourists every
year - and the mountains are mapped with dozens of hiking routes that take you all over the
island. There’s so much to see and do in Mallorca, but that image of a cheap party
holiday still exists. There’s nothing evil about treating yourself to a hassle free resort
- your holiday time is valuable, and finding a chance to relax these days is a luxury itself.
But we wanted to show you More of Mallorca. Show you how to get more out of your holiday
- and still leave you with plenty of time to get the relaxation you deserve.
Do you want to know the secret to a hassle-free start to your trip? It’s an airport lounge.
Away from the hustle and bustle you can enjoy some lunch, a few drinks and generally just
enjoy a much more chilled out atmosphere than the terminal. After boarding our plane and
enjoying a flight of maybe just over two hours, we arrived at Palma de Mallorca Airport.
So we’re off the plane, heading to pick up our checked luggage. Flight was only about
two hours, so it wasn’t too bad, but y’know. I’m 6”2” so I would have liked a bit
more leg room than RyanAir would have given me for free, but yeah!
And then after we grab our luggage, head to our transfer, which will take us to our accommodation.
Which we’ve booked in advance so the guy should be there waiting for us with a little
sign. Hop in the car, and off we go!
Booking our transfer in advance meant a door-to-door service - which was ideal for us, and saved
us so much time and stress. We’d definitely recommend it. But for now, after a long journey
it was time to get plenty of rest before the busy trip ahead. In 2011, the Tramuntana
mountain range was awarded World Heritage Status - as an area of great physical and
cultural significance. Nestled in these mountains, just a 15-20 minute drive from Palma in our
electric hire car, is a little town called Valldemossa. It’s a picturesque place - like
something from a film. When you arrive, you’re surrounded with lush greenery, wildflowers
and the fresh smell of citrus. With a population of around 2,000 people, this place is a little
sanctuary of blonde stone architecture in a sea of green. So Valldemossa is a stunning
tourist destination and you can really get like a feel of early Spanish culture here
in the architecture and there's loads of cafes and restaurants where you can get loads of
Spanish food as well but it's got a special place in the hearts of the people of Mallorca
because it's also the birthplace of Catalina Thomas who is the patron saint of Mallorca.
But if you’re more captivated by the landscape than the history, and who could blame you,
the Tramuntana mountains surrounding Valldemossa are covered with a network of well-signed
hiking trails leading to surrounding villages. The countryside around Valldemossa is stunning
and taking a hike is the perfect way to see it. But if you are gonna do it - be clever,
right? Make sure you stay hydrated, take plenty of water, and suncream as well because these
hikes can get long, very sunny. And the last thing you want on your holiday is to be sunburned,
dehydrated and... ratty. So be clever! Some of these hikes can take up to five hours - but
if you're short on time like we were, you can just walk until you're satisfied then
head back down to Valldemossa. So at most the car parks we've been to so far actually
have charging stations in them as well so you shouldn't fear about getting an electric
car cuz you can we have to charge it wherever you go. Each of Mallorca’s small, scattered
towns has an authenticity that’s hard to find nearer the coast - and the town of Sóller
is no different. So the name of the town pronounced so-yer but it’s spelled ‘soller’. In
case need that for your sat-nav. S-o-l-l-e-r in case you need that for your SatNav, and
that's because in Spanish a Double L sound makes something between a Y and and J like
a ‘YJUH’ which is why you’ll see Mallorca spelled with an L and also with a J because
it's called Mallorca. During the 19th century, Sóller grew rich as a major exporter of olives
and citrus fruit. This money helped the town invest into fantastic modernist architecture
and railway connections - something the town is just as famous for today as it is for delicious
oranges. The railway and the tram are an iconic part of Sóller - the bold, orange
wooden trams pass through the streets, and pedestrians stop to watch them go by. We
came to Soller in our hire car - the driving routes are beautiful, we didn’t regret it
- but we just couldn’t miss out on that famous train either. We left the car parked
safely in Sóller, and caught the wooden tram down to our next destination. The 20-minute
tram journey takes you down out of the valley that protects Sóller to the sea, and along
the cost of a quiet seaside resort town called Port de Sóller. Port de Sóller was originally
a small fishing village designed to service the main town of Sóller. The tramline that
was made to connect the sister towns is still used today for transporting supplies back
and forth - like olives, fish, and - you guessed it - oranges. So if you're looking for more
ways to eat more delicious Mallorcan oranges you can get one of these. It's called an Orange
Sóller and it's made with orange juice, ice cream and cream. You can get them down here
in Port De Sóller and also up in the main Sóller town as well. It's so nice - just
tastes so fresh. Unlike infamous resort towns like Magaluf and Palmanova to the south, Port
De Sóller came through the tourism overdevelopment stage in the 70s and 80s relatively unscathed.
But these resort towns aren’t pure evil in nature, not at all. 80% of the island’s
economy based on tourism, and some estimates suggest that Mallorcan people have the highest
standard of living in Spain. However, it’s still a good move to think cleverly about
where you’re putting your Euros while you’re here. Because the way I see it, you shouldn't
feel guilty about staying in a resort, right? That's your relaxation time. You've earned
it, you pay for it, but if you're going to spend 14 days and 14 nights as a log on a
lounger with a cocktail in your hand… it's just a waste. There's so much to do and see
out in the places you visit and you can put some money back into the local economy - why
wouldn't you, you know? Visiting local businesses directly supports the Mallorcan people, rather
than giving your money to a big brand that’s probably not based on the island. And if
you’re looking to spend an evening away from your relaxing resort, then the tranquil
Port de Sóller may be just the place. Down by the sea away from the mountains that cradle
the main town, Port de Sóller faces out from the West coast of the island, meaning there
are beautiful sunsets to enjoy. But it's also just... it's really relaxing. It's nice
and quiet down here. It might be because - you know we're here at the end of the day - but
when we were up in Sóller it was just.. erm... it was lovely but it was really busy. Like
there were loads of tourists coming in from Palma and the queues for the trains back to
Palma were really long but here it's just slower. A bit more easy going, you know? Really
nice way to end the day I think. We had dinner here as the evening rolled in, and for me
it was one of the highlights of the trip, and the perfect way to end a busy day full
of hikes, railways and exploring. I hope you’ll tune in, in just a bit for day two
where we're gonna start off in the city of Palma - which is the capital of Majorca, and
yeah. So we're gonna head back to our accommodation soon but we have so much more lined up tomorrow.
Even if you weren’t planning on visiting Palma, you'll know it because it's Mallorca’s
main airport - and this town’s also the capital of the island. So here's a few things
you might not have known about Palma. Palma de Mallorca Airport serves over 29 million
passengers per year - and will most likely be the way you reach the island on your holiday.
Palma was founded thousands of years ago as a Roman camp on the island, but today, the
urban area of Palma is home to 550,000 people - which is over half of this island’s total
population. But as big and impressive as this city is, Palma does a wonderful job of preserving
an intimate feeling of Mallorcan culture. It’s in the old town streets, it’s in
the insanely delicious orange juice, and it’s in the amazing food. There’s just so much
to try - even if you’re in a rush, do try to nip into a bakery and pick up some delicious
pastries. Like an ensaiimada which is a kind of Mallorcan pastry that comes with all kinds
of sweet fillings. This one is chocolate. But for our breakfast, rather than just chase
my sweet tooth, we thought we’d go with something a little healthier. Now normally
I’m an English Breakfast kind of guy - I love a fry up to give me the energy for the
day ahead. But I thought I’d try something a little different this morning - a vegetarian
bagel restaurant called, Bagel! In Bagel, the ingredients are locally sourced and the
bagels are cooked on-site fresh every day. The location, smack bang in the middle of
Palma Old Town, means it’s a great place to visit for a quick bite while you’re exploring
the city. I can't overstate how good the food was. It was absolutely delicious and
I think that going to places that are not only locally sourced, but also vegan and vegetarian,
is a good way to get out of your comfort zone. You know, vegetarian food is so much better
for the environment. It's good for your health as well to sometimes spend a little bit of
time away from the red meats and processed meats. So finding somewhere that's locally
sourced and preferably vegetarian or vegan to try something new is definitely something
I'd recommend! Palma has no shortage of trendy, cool little restaurants, cafés and stores.
If a vegetarian bagel restaurant isn’t your style, then there’s still plenty of other
places that might tickle your fancy. You’ll find plenty of them in one of Palma’s most
stylish neighbourhoods - Santa Catalina. It
might sound familiar - this historic fishing neighborhood shares its name with Saint Catalina
Thomas, who we mentioned yesterday was born in Valldemossa. If you’re a foodie, you’ll
want for nothing in Santa Catalina. But if you’re not quite ready for a sit down meal,
try the Mercat de Santa Catalina, Palma’s oldest food market. There are grocers selling
locally sourced produce like they have for generations, but the building is outlined
by really cool bars and restaurants and I’d quite happily have spent the afternoon there
trying everything - but time was getting on, and we had more places to visit before the
day was through. Look to the west from Palma, and you’ll see ancient towers peeking out
above the greenery that blankets the mountain side - Castel de Bellver, or Bellver Castle.
So even if you're not - you know - a big nerd for history and culture like I am when you're
on holiday, you should still come up here because you haven't seen Palma until you've
seen it from up there. The view of Palma from the castle is renowned for being absolutely
stunning - in fact, the name of the castle, Bellver, means ‘lovely view’ in Catalan.
This would have been the perfect place to watch as the afternoon sun lowered in the
sky, but we had somewhere else we wanted to see before the day was through. The Port
of Palma is the biggest port in the Balearic Islands. The port serves all kinds - commercial
cargo, recreational sailing, fishing, and private boat hire included - you can expect
to see many enormous, luxurious cruise ships docked here. The wealth of facilities and
attractions here have lead it to become one of the most important cruise ports in the
entire Mediterranean. The harbor is a really lovely part of Palma. As
you can see, you get some pretty gorgeous sunsets. There's loads of bars and restaurants
around here as well that give you some really great views out onto the water. So if you're
thinking of a way to end a day, end it at the harbor. Mallorca is full of life - but
as evening arrives in the harbour, the scorching sun mixes perfectly with the cool sea air
- and it’s impossible not to unwind. It was the perfect place to end our trip. So
it's the end of our time together. And I hope if you take one thing away from this guide
that it's that - you know - it only takes two days of your time to just get so much
more out of your holiday. Just two days away from the pool and the cocktail, which we know
not to feel guilty about, you've earned your relaxation. But it's such a small investment
of your time to just get out into Mallorca and see how much it has to offer. You know?
Just do so much more, see so much more. It really is a fantastic place and you're not
seeing the best of it if you just stay inside the walls of your resort. So I hope that you've
enjoyed this guide as much as I enjoyed making it, and I hope that you have a really awesome
holiday in Mallorca. My name is Jake James and I'll see you soon. Have you been to Mallorca
before? Let us know what you thought - and if we missed anything about Mallorca that
you loved then we’d love to hear about it, let us know in the comments below. You’ll
find loads more travel guides like this on our channel from locations all over the world.
And again, thanks for watching, I hope you enjoyed. Bye!