Mallorca and Ibiza

[wild_turkey 3279]

Planning on going for 8-9 days in early June with the wife.

 

Ibiza would probably be 3 nights. I think that’s enough time to see the island, do a day trip over to Formentera, and of course some late night partying and show Avicii (RIP) that I’m cool. Looking at staying on the south side near Ibiza town.

 

Mallorca would then be 5-6 nights with the plan being to relax and check out good beaches. Hopefully rent a boat for a day, with or without a captain. The good beaches look scattered around and driving will take some time each day. Not sure if we should stay near Palma and just venture out each day, or split it up with 2 different locations. I generally don’t like moving hotels unless there’s a compelling reason.

 

Anyone been to either? Any recs about where to stay, hotels or restaurants, activities?

[Guest]

No, recs. I go to South Padre and Galveston.

Sorry.

[Hook1997 5486]

3 hours ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

No, recs. I go to South Padre and Galveston.

Sorry.

Some crowds call Galveston the Ibiza of the Houston area..  

[Pato del Muerto 53325]

Well, I’ve never been to Spain. 

[Kennythetiger 9584]

Thanks, Duck. One of my dad’s favorite bands. 

[VABuckeye 2481]

7 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

or split it up with 2 different locations.

This is why we did.  Three nights on the east coast where the beaches are and two nights in Palma.  We loved both.  Mallorca was a great island. 

Edited February 1 by VABuckeye

[NeverMarryAStripper 22237]

I went Ibiza in 1998 so my information might be a little out of date, but I do regret not buying the naked man with a large penis table from the market there

Edited February 1 by NeverMarryAStripper

[Stringer 1486]

We did a boat trip on Mallorca a couple of years ago and spent a night on the front end and a couple nights on the back end in Palma.  We bounced to coastal towns on the boat for the days in between.  I'll ask my friends and see if anyone remembers where we went throughout the trip.  There was a lot of booze and places were written in something called "Spanish", so I don't remember specific places we went.

[Mach 1 1677]

Hail Mary based on lack of info in the thread but we’ll be at a friend’s house in Ibiza for a few days in July. Also bouncing around other islands on a boat. Any recs for middle aged couple while teenagers go clubbing appreciated.

 

[wild_turkey 3279]

Well, I’m back and it was an excellent trip. We have a fondness for French and Italian destinations, and even though we have been to Barcelona before, we were a little unsure what to expect from this one. I’m glad we followed through on it. Spain delivered.

Ibiza first. It’s a nice island with a bohemian carefree vibe, despite the very prominent electronic music scene. Someone described it as a “choose your own adventure” type of place and I think that’s fitting. There can be a little something for everyone there.

We stayed at Hotel Riomar in Santa Eulària on the southeast part of the island. Nice hotel in a good area, a little quieter but with plenty of nearby restaurants and shops. If we ever go back, I will probably opt to stay in Ibiza Town (Eivissa) because I really loved what I saw of that area. We had dinner inside the walls of the old town one night and it was very enjoyable. The restaurant was called La Oliva and I would highly recommend it. Excellent food and drinks, good service, nice ambiance, great people watching.



We were relatively tame on nightlife. Club hours are basically 12:00-6:00 am which would’ve left us dead the next day, and at our age, we would rather enjoy the days. We did see Calvin Harris play at Ushuaia, huge outdoor club with 7,000+ people, fun experience but not something I’m itching to do again.



My favorite thing was a place called Cala Gracioneta where we spent most of a day. It’s a small cove with a beach and a great little restaurant. The overall vibe is pretty close to perfect. I would go back to Ibiza just for that, and I think there are numerous similar spots around the island.









I suspect we will return at some point. We didn’t make it to Formentera or over to see Es Vedra, somewhat due to weather. Our time was a little short because we were eager to get over to Mallorca, but I think 4-5 days would be ideal. Perhaps we’ll take our kid in a few years.

[wild_turkey 3279]

Okay, Mallorca. What a fantastic place. The only thing that would keep me from returning to Ibiza is Mallorca. It has so much to offer that I could probably spend a month there and still not be ready to leave.

We stayed the first 2 nights in Palma at a swanky and sultry hotel called Palma Riad. It will put you in the mood. I was unsure about staying in Palma because I often avoid large cities while on vacation, but Palma was incredible. There were a ton of people yet it felt so calm and laid back and peaceful. The city center is very walkable and has endless shops and restaurants, a beautiful cathedral, a huge beach, and lots of narrow alleyways that remind me of Venice. It’s a place you want to get lost in and be on an endless rotation of Aperol spritz, gelato, and tapas.










Palma has an assortment of Michelin restaurants if you like that type of thing. Sometimes we do, but we elected to pass and seek out more “normal” food, which was nothing short of exceptional. Whatever you prefer, you will eat well in this city. A couple of restaurants that I would recommend are Vandal and Mambo. Seriously good food, and compared to France, you can eat like a king for cheap in Spain.



We rented a boat one day and it was fun but the boat was a bit slow for my tastes. I probably should’ve got a bigger boat with a skipper rather than the self drive boat. Oh well, still nice to be on the water.



After Palma, we left for the hills, which I’ll write up in another post.

[wild_turkey 3279]

Last post. The southern part of Mallorca is somewhat flat, whereas the northern coast is a mountain range called Serra de Tramuntana, and that’s where we spent our last few days. We chose a small town called Valldemossa and stayed at Hotel Valldemossa, which was previously part of a monastery but now converted into a 12 room hotel. The property was recently purchased by a local boutique hotel company and they have done a fantastic job with it. The rooms are massive, each with a private terrace. Great restaurant, small pool, spa, and vineyards you can walk through.











The hotel was a 5 minute walk into town, which had a few shops and restaurants. Very simple but we ate well there and the main thing to do is relax and live at a slow pace.

It was also a good point to access other points of interest along the northern coast. We went to a town called Deià which is worthy of a few nights on a future trip.

We also drove to a place called Sa Calobra which is kind of the Mallorcan version of the Road to Hana. A scenic drive through the mountains, narrow road with lots of hairpin turns, leading down to a tiny town with a couple of cool beaches. I highly recommend this and will for sure do it again if we return.











We’ve been on a bit of a Mediterranean kick lately with Corsica, Sardinia, Saint-Tropez, Cinque Terre, Croatia, and now the Balearic Islands. I like them all for different reasons, but Mallorca lived up to the others and will be on our radar for a future trip. These have all been without our kid, but I think it would be exciting to take her as she grows older and let her experience these places with us.

Perhaps my posts will give some useful info to someone else considering a similar vacation. I’m happy to help if anyone has questions.

[VABuckeye 2481]

Next time also do the northesastern coast of Malloza.  A little bit of heaven on earth.  Tons of British biciclists but fun people to hang around with.

We also adored Palma.   If we go back we will stay at Hotel Nixe Palace.  It was spectacular.