Majorca Holiday Guide

The Spanish island of Majorca, with its unbeatable climate, heavenly beaches and most earthly nightlife is not surprisingly a hugely popular destination for Mediterranean holidays in Spain. However, there must surely be a few Brits who haven’t made the journey yet, and many of those who have been, they may have missed some of the best parts of this stunning island. Majorca has much more to offer than beaches, bars and fabulous snorkelling waters, although these are certainly available in abundance.

Lolling on the beach is sublime, but when you’ve lolled all you can, try a little sightseeing from horseback. There are several places where you can hire a horse; the largest is a 900,000 square metre ranch in the middle of unspoiled forest and stunning unspoilt countryside.

Whether you’re a skilled rider or never expected to get within whinnying distance of a horse, you will be matched with an appropriate mount, and there is just no better way to enjoy the views of both sea and countryside. There will an English-speaking guide to keep you on the trail, and when you get back to the ranch you will probably be met with a really fine barbeque, music and line dancing to top off your experience.

If you prefer to stay closer to the ground, another great activity is cycling. The two mountain ranges on the island provide some seriously challenging slopes and the scenery is well worth the effort.

Bicycles are a great means of transportation for the flat lands, and they cost a good bit less than a motor vehicle, plus you have the benefit of healthy exercise that raises the spirits and whets the appetite. For those who really enjoy cycling, Majorca is an absolutely ideal location, and a bicycle tour of the island could be the most rewarding and exhilarating experience you’ve ever had.

You can hire a top-of-the-line road or mountain bike in Palma and join a tour or go exploring on your own. If you take the ‘high road’ this can be an adventure of a week or more, just to hit a few highlights.

Getting to some of the lovely old villages such as Alaro and Orient, which are not found on most tourist maps, is not too strenuous, and you can stop for a drink and soak up the sights and smells of the forest. For ‘real’ cyclists, the Tramuntana mountain range offers a mile-high climb with scenery to match, but it’s not for the faint of heart or sinew.

The town of Pollensa is known as the cycling hub of the island, with a highly professional British-owned bike shop called Pro Cycle Hire, and a great diversity of terrain near at hand.

From here you have a lot of choices; one of the most challenging is the road to Formentor and the lighthouse at the northernmost tip of the island. If you need to take a break and rest, the tree-lined beach at El Patxet makes an ideal stopover.

From the mountain town of Soller, there are guided mountain bike tours where a guide really is indispensable because the tracks are often unmarked.

From flat coastal roads to mountain tracks, and from city streets to sleepy towns and rolling farmland, Majorca invites you to see ‘the other side’ from the inside.