IntroductionI’m always thinking ahead to my next vacation and was trying to find a nice trip for my birthday. So when I saw this deal for Palma Mallorca a long time ago, I jumped at the chance! I had always wanted to explore Spain more. It wasn’t the typical place you would visit, and Palma didn’t disappoint.
I liked the slower pace and the balanced lifestyle, where it was easy to be within proximity of the hustle and the calm. I also loved the beaches! If you’re looking for more of a relaxed, off the beaten path spot, Palma’s for you. Getting around was easy. You’ll see that most guides recommend renting a car, which I would agree with if you plan to stay longer. Renting a car will allow you to see more isolated parts of the island. However, since I was only there for 4-5 days I opted to just rely on public transit which was perfectly sufficient. Upon landing at the airport and heading outside, the easiest way to get to the city center is to take the A1 bus. It’s €5 cash or card, and just follow the signs towards the bus rank. To get around Palma itself, that bus network is called EMT. You can either pay cash (€2/ride) or go to the bus stop at Plaça d'Espanya to get a 10-ride card for €15 or pay for a single ride with the card. Most of the buses will stop by Plaça d'Espanya. This is by far the more convenient option to get around and I found the buses to be reliable. However, if you want to take a day trip out to Sóller, Valldemossa, or Deia (alluded to later on in the guide), the easiest way is to take the regional buses (TIB). The buses towards that direction all start at Plaça d'Espanya but you will have to take the escalator down into the bus depot where you’ll have to find which lane your bus is in. The regional buses charge you based on distance, so I would recommend just tapping on and off with your contactless credit card. Google Maps will give you the right direction in terms of the route and bus number. The bus either goes towards the Port de Soller or the Port de Soller via Valldemossa (kind of like a circle). Make sure you keep an eye out on when the bus arrives and leaves. Sometimes you’ll have to wait a while until the next bus comes, and towards the end of the day it gets a bit hectic since all the day trippers are heading back to Palma. If you were doing a speed run, I would say that you can do Soller, Valldemossa, and Deia on 2 separate day trips. I would not recommend doing all 3 in one day since you’ll feel rushed. I stayed at the Boc Hostels - City, which I thought was a great stay. The hostel had lots of common spaces that were spread out, which I appreciated. The beds were also somewhat capsule style with your own locker. Most of the hostel had automatic lights, which was kind of nice, kind of annoying. But I really liked how it was very clean. Also, when my locker ran out of battery, the front desk just moved me to a different room which I appreciated! Overall, Palma was a great place to visit and I’ll definitely be back soon!
Nature
food
Attractions
Just passing by
day tripsSoller / Valldemossa
When you do these day trips, it’s easiest to think of your path as a circle, since the bus routes run in a way where you can go from Soller to Deia to Valldemossa and vice versa. To go to Soller, you can take the train which gives antique vibes and is super cute but it costs a lot. I just wanted a picture of the train, which you can get at the train station in Palma. There was also a huge queue to get on. The bus is the better way to go. How I did it was I took the bus to the Port of Soller first, and walked around there for a bit. Then, I took the bus back to Soller, walked around there and ate lunch and then took the bus to Valldemossa. For all these towns, personally I don’t think you need to take a whole day to see each town since they’re very small and compact. But, it is definitely worth your time to slow down and just enjoy the atmosphere!
You’ll want to set aside a little more time for Deià because it’s going to be more walking. Walking to the beach takes a good half hour one way, and I would say it’s worth the walk! There are two beachside restaurants that serve seafood. I tried Ca’s Patró March, but if you’re on a budget I would bring a small picnic and eat on the rocks. Then, I walked back to Deià and enjoyed the town! It’s very picturesque so you’ll want to make time and take it all in. Deià
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