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21 Incredible Places to Visit in Mallorca by Car (2024)
Ahhhhh the salty air, sandy beaches, and rays of warm sun heating the windshield – Mallorca is an incredible place to explore by car!
From the stunning coastal beaches and towns to the dreamy mountain villages, incredible lookouts, and ancient historical sites, there is SO much to see on this Balearic island that you might be feeling overwhelmed with planning how to see it all. Don’t worry – we got you!
In this post, we’ve gathered the 21 most incredible places to visit in Mallorca by car based on our own road trip adventure that we did when we visited Mallorca. These were our favorite spots to drive to with our rental car, along with some pro tips you should know to make the most of your visit to that location.
Once you see the list, you can get our insight on how many days to spend in Mallorca and then choose which spots are the most interesting to you guys as a couple. From there, you can make a road trip to Mallorca plan that hits all the spots that will make your trip perfect for you! Let’s get into it with a quick video of some of the highlights that I, Taylor, made for ya!
1. Palma
NOTE: Palma is the best place to rent a car in Mallorca and we always recommend Discover Cars. Click here to check prices and locations of rental cars during your trip!
Most likely, you will be picking up your rental car in Palma and using it as a home base for your stay in Mallorca, so you will be visiting in any way. If you do decide to use one of the quieter, more romantic villages such as Banyalbufar as a home base (which we 10/10 recommend you do!) then you will still want to set aside time to explore Palma
Palma de Mallorca is Mallorca’s capital and largest and busiest city. We recommend parking your car in the city center and walking around Palma to check out the main sites. It’s easier to park once and walk because parking in Palma is honestly a bit of a nightmare and you’ll waste A LOT of time if you try to drive between all the must-see spots that are only a couple minutes walk apart!
PRO TIP:
we parked at the SABA parking garage on Plaça de Sant Antoni, just off the main street in Palma. You can’t miss it! It’s a little spendy, especially if you park overnight, but the location is so convenient that it’s the best place to park to explore Palma for a bit!
Palma gets very busy and touristy, especially during the summer, so be prepared to be wall-to-wall people! However, you will find incredible restaurants, lots of bars, shopping, and more in Palma! A few things you should check out on your stop are:
- Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma – the Gothic Roman Catholic Cathedral in the center of the old town. You literally cannot miss it as it’s huge! It’s also very beautiful!
- Royal Palace of La Almudaina – Built in the 14th century, this is where the Spanish king and queen stay when they visit Mallorca.
- Passeig Del Born – A super beautiful and elegant street with lots of luxury designer stores! Great for the couple who wants to shop or buy some Spanish souvenirs!
- Port of Palma de Mallorca – one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean and home to the Playa de Palma! You could spend some time lying on the beach or strolling the boardwalk with gelato from Gelato Boutique Paseo Marítimo, which we found to be the best gelato near the waterfront!
- La Rambla- A paved avenue that extends between Teatre Principal and the intersection of Calle de los Olmos, Vía Roma, and Calle Barón de Pinopar. It is little known by tourists, so it makes a great walk in the city!
- Panadería S’ Estació – Oh my gosh we loved this little bakery close to Plaça Espana! They have the best ensaïmadas and a section of the floor is glass so you can see them making it. This stop is both a place to visit and something to eat!
2. Castell De Bellver
This beautiful castle is on the outskirts of Palma, so you will want to use your car to get there and get to the top as it’s quite a hill!
The caste was built in the 14th century in the Gothic style as a place for the royalty to stay. You will have to buy a ticket if you want to go inside unless you visit on a Sunday when the castle is free.
You can buy tickets and check opening times on the castle’s website.
3. Santa Catalina
Santa Catalina is becoming the hottest neighborhood in Palma. You could walk there, as it’s only about 25 minutes from the city center, or you could just plop it down as a stop on a road trip.
Either way, you will find a beautiful, artsy area full of lively restaurants and quaint cafes. It is also the home of the Mercat de Santa Catalina.
Make sure to check out Caller Fabrica which is the road with lots of restaurants and Caller Annibal has lots of cute cafes!
You’ll also want to see the windmills, which are just 5 minutes from the Mercat area.
4. Alcúdia
Another northern town is Alcúdia, which is a unique blend of ancient history and modern beach resort. What makes this village so unique is the medieval walls that circle it!
It’s a great place to explore the narrow streets with Roman ruins, museums, and amazing restaurants, or spend some time on the golden sandy beaches! It also has a great Cuttlefish and Nautical festival in April!
5. Valldemossa
You can’t do any research on places to visit without Valldemossa popping up. This dreamy and romantic town is built into the mountainside of the Serra de Tramuntana and is surrounded by beautiful hills!
There are 2 large car parks so park your car and explore the village for a little while. Some of the top things to see in the village are The Royal Carthusian Monastery and Jardins Rei Joan Carles.
It’s also perfect to not plan to see anything and just stroll around the village together. There are endless little streets to get lost in!
6. Deiá
Another dreamy little village is Deiá, and it’s a must-see no matter how many days you have in Mallorca. It’s quite similar to Valldemossa except parking is harder to come by so make sure you leave extra time for that. It’s also VERY popular with tourists and traffic can get backed up!
Deiá has been popular among famous artists and writers so there are many art galleries and shops to explore. There is also a restaurant called El Olivio that has one of the most beautiful settings we have ever seen. They don’t take reservations from tourists and it’s hard to get into!
INSIDER TIP:
there are free hidden public bathrooms at the start of the road “Carrer de Robert graves” You can Google public toilet and it’ll pop up. It’s hard to find public bathrooms so this is a good stop too!
7. Mirador Sa Foradada
This suggestion comes with a caveat: while this viewpoint for sunset is GORGEOUS, it is also one of the most crowded places we’ve ever been in our lives, as seen below.
If you happen to be around Deiá for sunset, then Mirador Sa Foradad is just a 10-minute drive and it’s worth checking out IF you can get there at least one hour before sunset. There is a restaurant called Chill Out Sa Foradada where you can sit and get food/wine to watch the sunset. But, it gets SO SO busy that it’s not enjoyable if you get there too late and can’t sit.
We recommend doing your sunset watching at the other places to visit on this list.
8. Sóller & Port of Sóller
Sóller is a beautiful town inside a valley known as the “Valley of Oranges” and it’s known for its amazing citrus! The town has the same sandstone-colored buildings with green shutters and tons of adorable streets to get lost in.
Plaça Constitució, the main square of Sóller has lots of restaurants and cafes. However, most of them are very “touristy” so we recommend eating outside the square. Honestly, just got ice cream for lunch because we had the best ice cream of our life at Mr. McCoys Island Ices ice-cream which is just outside the center. They use fresh fruit and have original flavors like Mallorcan orange and saffron or Mallorcan lemon and bergamot. I die.
You can also check out the Port of Sóller with tons of charming cafes and a few beaches.
PRO TIP:
You could drive from Sóller to the Port of Sóller but we recommend taking the antique train. It’s only 30 minutes and under $10 and goes through beautiful citrus and olive groves.
9. Fornalutx
Overlooking the valley of Sóller, you find another gorgeous and traditional village in the Tramuntana Mountain Range. This one is often referred to as the “prettiest village in Spain” and it’s a great place to wander for an hour or so.
10. Jardines de Alfabia
This beautiful garden shows the arab influence on Mallorca over the years. Inside the gardens, you will find tons of tropical plants and flowers along with beautiful, serene walkways, a small house museum, and a little restaurant. It’s a stunning place to see for a few hours and stopping for some fresh cake is a great thing to do as a couple!
You can buy tickets online here.
11. Banyalbufar
Most tourists visit Valldemossa, Deiá, and Sóller and skip Banyalbufar which is a huge miss. It’s another charming little town of only 500 people on the West Coast that is built more into the hill than others. This gives you incredible views of the mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. It has ancient terraced hillsides down into the sea which are gorgeous!
12. Ses Salines
Ses Salines means “source of salt” and this is a small inland town near the south coast of Mallorca known for its salt production. This charming town is less visited but is home to many great restaurants and cafes and is near the popular Es Trenc beach.
13. Mirador Es Pontás
This is THE best place in Mallorca to watch the sunset in Mallorca and one of the best places to visit in Mallorca by Car. Es Pontás is a natural rock formation in the water that has the middle cut out. It even has a rope swing hanging down that people play on, and you can cliff jump around it.
To get to the mirador, you have to park in VERY small parking down then walk where it says “residents only” (don’t worry, you’re fine!) The walk down is very steep and rocky so don’t be dumb and wear sandals like I did because I have scars to prove it!
It’s a very popular sunset spot so try to get there early!
14. Santanyi
Another beautiful town right by the Es Pontás that feels very bohemian and secluded. There isn’t a lot to here but who doesn’t want to see as many dreamy little Mallorca villages as possible right?
PRO TIP:
While this village is sleepy, it becomes a lot more lively on Saturdays and Wednesdays when there is a huge market! Try to time your road trip to stop here on one of those days!
15. Torre Nova (New tower)
We accidentally stumbled across this looking for Es Pontás! This old observation tour dates back to 1577 and is now a popular spot for hiking. However, we found the view over the Mediterranean to be insanely beautiful and this spot is so secluded!
To get there, park near the Sa Torre Nova on Google Maps and walk down the path marked for residents only and you will see it pretty quickly!
INSIDER TIP:
There is a secret path to the right of the tower that goes down to Cala Santanyi.
16. Cala Santanyi
This was our favorite beach. It snuggled into a cover surrounded by cliffs and trees which makes the water look even more blue! When we visited in October, it was also very quiet and it seemed like local Spanish were vacationing there, not just a bunch of tourists – you know the ones that say “Majorca” instead of “Mallorca“. 😅 This may be different in the busy Summer months though!
17. Cala Figuera
This charming fishing village dates back to the 14th century and has charming white-painted houses. It’s a great place to wander the streets and grab some food and has a different vibe than the small mountain villages for a nice change of scenery.
18. Port de Pollenca
Best known as a resort town, this quaint small town in the north of Mallorca has crystal-clear water, beautiful beaches, and lots of charming restaurants and cafes!
This is a great place to visit in the morning if you can get there in time for sunrise!
19. Port d’Andratx
Andratx doesn’t make many people’s lists of places to visit in Mallorca and we don’t know why! This gorgeous fishing village is known to be one of the classiest vacation spots on the island and it’s littered with yachts. It’s also said that the villages you see on the hillsides are owned by the celebrities!
Insider tip: this was an amazing place where we watched the sunset. Not only was it gorgeous, but there are tons of restaurants perfectly positioned towards the sunset so it’s a great stop for a glass of wine and a view at the end of one of your driving days.
20. Cap de Formentor with lighthouse
On the northern tip of Mallorca, you will find Cap De Formentor which literally means “end of Formentor.” The mountainous road to get here is gorgeous and ends with a lighthouse that is a VERY popular spot for sunset and rightly so!
NOTE: Getting to the lighthouse is very tricky in the Summer because the road is closed between 10 am and 7 pm. You want to try to get there early and wait so that you can be first in line when it opens at 7 pm!
21. Mirador es Colomer
You will find this lookout on the way to the Cap de Formentor lighthouse above and is another super popular spot for the sunset. The lookout is high on a cliff which gives you panoramic views of the Serra Tramuntana and the ocean! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
And super romantic if you get there before everyone else does!
All The Places to Visit on a Map
Here are all the 21 places to visit on a map so that you can plan your road trip itinerary when visiting Mallorca.
Recommended Road Trip Itinerary
While this post is not intended to be an exact itinerary, as we have that on our week in Mallorca itinerary, it’s more the places you should use as stopping points on your own itinerary, I want to help you figure out how to plan your days.
Based on our own experience driving to these locations, here are some suggestions of what would be “doable” to plan to see in one day. From there, you can choose how many days you want to plan a Mallorca road trip for:
1 Day – Palma, Santa Catalina, Castell Belver
1 Day – Valldemossa, Banyalbufar, Port D’Andratx
1 Day – Sóller & Port of Sóller, Jardines de Alfabia, Fornalutx, Deiá, Mirador Sa Foradada.
1 Day – Cala Figuera, Santanyí, Cala Santanyi, Torre Nova (New tower), Mirador Es Pontás, Ses Salines
1 Day – Port de Pollenca, Alcúdia, Mirador es Colomer, Cap de Formentor.
These are pretty full days! If you don’t have 5 days, feel free to choose what groupings spark your interest the most based on the descriptions above and make your own bucket list itinerary
>> Click here to check out rental cars and prices around Mallorca for your itinerary <<
FAQ About The Places to Visit in Mallorca by Car
What is the most beautiful road in Mallorca?
The most beautiful road in Mallorca is the Ma-10. This road winds through mountains on cliffs that overlook the blue Mediterranean Sea, which provides stunning views.
What is the most scenic part of Mallorca?
The most scenic part of Mallorca is driving through the Serra Tramuntana Mountain range and the small villages that line the hillsides.
When is the best time to explore Mallorca by car?
The best time to explore Mallorca by car is in the spring or fall. These are considered the “shoulder seasons” and you will find fewer tourists clogging up the already small roads.
Is it easy to drive around Mallorca?
Driving around the southern part of Mallorca is easy as it has large open highways. Driving around the north and west parts of Mallorca can prove tricky as you drive through very narrow mountain roads with blind, hairpin turns.
Let’s Wrap This Up – 21 Incredible Places To Visit in Mallorca by Car
While there are endless places to see on the beautiful island, now you know all of the 21 most incredible places to visit in Mallorca by car and why it’s essential to have a car to make the most of the island! You can spend your days exploring all the different sides of the island and use this guide to ensure that you see the highlights of each area to make the most of your Spanish vacation!
After you’ve decided what to see, it’s time to move onto what to eat while you’re in Mallorca! Check out our ultimate guide on the best traditional Mallorcan food!
So, which of these places would you want to visit first?
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