Places to visit in Majorca and Minorca
The Joan Miro Foundation Majorca
Near the fashionable town of Andraitx, 3 miles (5 km) west of Palma, is this cultural complex built on the site of the famed artist's former studio. Before Miro's death in 1983, he and his wife, Pilar, created a foundation to ensure that his workplace would continue to be used. The foundation mounts changing exhibits from its permanent collection of 5,000 works, including paintings, sculpture, collages, etchings, and lithographs. Some of the artist's correspondence, photographs, and personal possessions are also displayed.
The Valldemosa Carthusian Monastery Majorca
Set in the mountains 11 miles (18 km) north of Palma, this monastery was founded during the 14th century, although the present buildings are from the 17th and 18th centuries. After the Carthusian monks were expelled during a period of anti-clericalism in the 18th century, its cells were rented out to guests, including Frederic Chopin and George Sand, who spent the winter of 1838-39 here (two cells have been converted into small museums of Chopin and Sand memorabilia).
The Claustro de Santa Maria (Cloister of St. Mary) offers beautiful views, and the neoclassical church is decorated with frescoes by Francisco Goya's brother-in-law, an intricately carved choir stall, and rich tapestries. It also features a lovely, well tended garden area and a preserved 18th-century pharmacy. Closed Sundays. Admission charge.
Deia Majorca Spain
This lovely old village (Deya in Spanish) enjoys an enchanting setting perched loftlike over the sea and backed by evergreen mountains 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Palma. Its natural beauty lured a number of talented people who made it an artists' and writers' colony the poet Robert Graves, who lived here until his death in 1985, was probably its most famous long-term resident. He is now buried in the local cemetery, which also has a splendid view of the area. There is also a small archaeology museum with Neolithic artifacts.
Soller Majorca
Almond, lemon, and orange groves surround this town, the largest on the western side of the island, 19 miles (30 km) north of Palma. Like many a settlement on Majorca, the threat of attack from the sea caused it to grow up a few miles inland from its port, Port de Soller, which sits 3 miles (5 km) from the valley on a round, sheltered, beach-lined bay and has become a thriving resort center.
Soller itself has little to see except for San Bartolome, a turn-of-the-century modernista church designed by a pupil of Gaudi, that is among the most elaborate on the island. Most visitors arrive aboard the turn of the century narrow-gauge railroad train from Palma, a wonderfully scenic ride (see Train, above), then continue via an extension down to the port for the beach or a bite to eat.
Cape Formentor
The road from Puerto de Pollensa to Cabo de Formentor follows the spine of the Sierra de Tramuntana out to sea and provides stunning vistas, particularly at the Mirador d'Es Colomer and at the Formentor lighthouse (not open to the public) at the end of the peninsula.
The Art Caves Majorca
These extensive caverns are perhaps the most beautiful of the many on the island, yet they are the least visited. They were first explored thoroughly during the 19th century and are said to have inspired Jules Verne to write Journey to the Center of the Earth but were known as long ago as the 13th century, when they served as a hiding place for Moors after the Reconquest. Open daily. Admission charge. On the east coast of the island at Cabo Vermeil, 6 miles (10 km) east of Arta.
The Dragons Caves Majorca
The largest of Majorca's caves are just over a mile long and contain a subterranean lake in addition to four chambers full of fanciful formations in limestone. Visits are guided (English language tours are possible) and include a concert by musicians in a boat at the end of the tour. Be warned: The crowds are ridiculous during the summer months. Open daily. Admission charge. On the east coast of Majorca, just south of Porto Cristo.
Minorca car hire
Minorca car hire is available directly from the airport, but if you want to explore the island by hire car, pre-book your car rentals for the best deals, offers and promotions available online.
Minorca The second largest of the Balearic Islands is the eastern-most of the group and also the island farthest from the Spanish mainland. Minorca, which measures about 30 miles from east to west and between 6 and 12 miles north to south, is relatively flat hilly plateau with its highest point, Monte Toro, rising just over 1,000 feet in the island's center.
The absence of a mountain range such as the one on Majorca means that Minorca is without some of the larger island's spectacular scenery. Yet its outline is rugged and irregular, resulting in roughly 125 miles of coastline blessed with countless small coves and beautiful beaches. More and more tourists are beginning to appreciate Minorca's pleasures, but they haven't inundated the island yet, and agriculture and dairy products remain major industries, along with the making of shoes and costume jewelry.
Minorca history
Traces of past cultures have all but been destroyed on the island, except for the massive megalithic constructions remaining from prehistoric times. Minorca is dotted with hundreds of these stone monuments cylindrical talayots, Tshaped taulas, and shipshape navetas which are remnants of a so-called talayotic Bronze Age culture that may have begun about 2000 Be and was at its height around 1000 Be.
Scholars do not yet fully understand the origins of the civilization that raised these monuments (though it's thought that they established settlements throughout the Mediterranean and even as far north as Britain), nor have they been able to fathom the structures' exact functions. Talayots may have been watchtowers or the houses of chieftains (or the roofs or foundations of such structures).
Taulas, the form most peculiar to Minorca, may have served a religious purpose. Navetas, similar to the conical mounds of the talayots but oblong and containing chambers (like the upside-down hull of a ship, hence the name), are thought to have been communal graves. These monuments are found on both government and private land; although some of the sites are easily accessible from the road, others are not.
Mahon Minorca
The largest city on Minorca is its capital, Mao (pronounced Mahoh), a port at the eastern end of the island; its menorquin name is commonly used interchangeably with its Spanish form, Mahon (Mahohn). This is the town that gave the world mayonnaise (from salsa mahonesa ), a favorite sometimes garlicky local sauce. The second largest city and former capital, Ciutadella (Ciudadela in Spanish; population 16,000), is at the island's western extreme. The two cities are starkly different.
Mao shows the influence of eight decades of 18th century British rule in its architecture (which sports details such as sash windows and Georgian doors) and caters to predominantly English-speaking visitors. The architecture of Outadella, where Germans fill the bungalows of the tourist villages is classically Spanish. Other towns, such as Alayor, Mercadal, and Ferrerias are in the interior, along the main road that crosses the island from east to west. Fornells, at one time a fishing village and now a resort town, is on the north coast on a deeply indented bay.
Minorca Attractions
Minorca's beaches are what most visitors come to explore. All are posted with flags due to capricious currents red signals danger, yellow means caution, and green signifies safety. Son Bou and Santo Tomas, in the center of the southern shore, are the two longest beaches on the island. Cala Santa Galdana, to the west of these, is a beach in a sheltered cove with very safe and shallow waters, and Cala Blanca, a few miles soth of Ciutadella, is a tiny beach surrounded by rocky cliffs. Cala del Pilar, a deserted beach on the north side of the island, is known mainly to locals.
To reach it, turn off the main Mao-Ciutadella road about 3 miles (5 km) past Ferrerias, near the Alputzer farm. Cala Pregonda, east of Cala del Pilar, is also deserted but easier to reach. From Mercadal, take the road northwest toward Ferragut Nou, then walk the last hundred yards to the sea. Es Grao, one of the beaches closest to Mao, is very shallow, perfect for children. Drive due north from the city to the sea.
Best places to visit in Minorca
Throughout most of its history, the capital of modern Minorca was second in importance to Ciutadella. That changed during the 18th century with the arrival of the British, who found Mao's long, narrow, deep harbor and port facilities preferable to those at the other end of the island. Mao, set on a high cliff at the end of the harbor, does not have the wide avenues, majestic buildings, and treelined streets of other Spanish capitals, resembling an overgrown fishing village instead.
Among the sights is the 18th century Baroque Esgtesia de Santa Maria (St. Mary's Church), which houses an extraordinary early 19th-century organ that is one of the largest in the world and is considered to be one of the finest (it's the raison d'etre of the city's annual summer music festival). Facing the church is the 17th century Ajuntament (Town Hall), built by the island's British governor. Not far away, the marketplace built into the arcaded cloister of a former Carmelite convent is worth a morning visit; otherwise, the town is best enjoyed by wandering through its narrow streets.
At night, the port, reached by a steep, winding road called Abundancia, becomes the focus of most nightlife, with dozens of bars and restaurants in the area of the Estacion Maritima and several excellent restaurants lining the harbor toward Villacarlos. The British founded this village, southeast of Mao near the entrance to the harbor, to house the garrison of a nearby fort. Once called Georgetown, it remains even more British in atmosphere than the capital itself.
Near the fashionable town of Andraitx, 3 miles (5 km) west of Palma, is this cultural complex built on the site of the famed artist's former studio. Before Miro's death in 1983, he and his wife, Pilar, created a foundation to ensure that his workplace would continue to be used. The foundation mounts changing exhibits from its permanent collection of 5,000 works, including paintings, sculpture, collages, etchings, and lithographs. Some of the artist's correspondence, photographs, and personal possessions are also displayed.
The Valldemosa Carthusian Monastery Majorca
Set in the mountains 11 miles (18 km) north of Palma, this monastery was founded during the 14th century, although the present buildings are from the 17th and 18th centuries. After the Carthusian monks were expelled during a period of anti-clericalism in the 18th century, its cells were rented out to guests, including Frederic Chopin and George Sand, who spent the winter of 1838-39 here (two cells have been converted into small museums of Chopin and Sand memorabilia).
The Claustro de Santa Maria (Cloister of St. Mary) offers beautiful views, and the neoclassical church is decorated with frescoes by Francisco Goya's brother-in-law, an intricately carved choir stall, and rich tapestries. It also features a lovely, well tended garden area and a preserved 18th-century pharmacy. Closed Sundays. Admission charge.
Deia Majorca Spain
This lovely old village (Deya in Spanish) enjoys an enchanting setting perched loftlike over the sea and backed by evergreen mountains 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Palma. Its natural beauty lured a number of talented people who made it an artists' and writers' colony the poet Robert Graves, who lived here until his death in 1985, was probably its most famous long-term resident. He is now buried in the local cemetery, which also has a splendid view of the area. There is also a small archaeology museum with Neolithic artifacts.
Soller Majorca
Almond, lemon, and orange groves surround this town, the largest on the western side of the island, 19 miles (30 km) north of Palma. Like many a settlement on Majorca, the threat of attack from the sea caused it to grow up a few miles inland from its port, Port de Soller, which sits 3 miles (5 km) from the valley on a round, sheltered, beach-lined bay and has become a thriving resort center.
Soller itself has little to see except for San Bartolome, a turn-of-the-century modernista church designed by a pupil of Gaudi, that is among the most elaborate on the island. Most visitors arrive aboard the turn of the century narrow-gauge railroad train from Palma, a wonderfully scenic ride (see Train, above), then continue via an extension down to the port for the beach or a bite to eat.
Cape Formentor
The road from Puerto de Pollensa to Cabo de Formentor follows the spine of the Sierra de Tramuntana out to sea and provides stunning vistas, particularly at the Mirador d'Es Colomer and at the Formentor lighthouse (not open to the public) at the end of the peninsula.
The Art Caves Majorca
These extensive caverns are perhaps the most beautiful of the many on the island, yet they are the least visited. They were first explored thoroughly during the 19th century and are said to have inspired Jules Verne to write Journey to the Center of the Earth but were known as long ago as the 13th century, when they served as a hiding place for Moors after the Reconquest. Open daily. Admission charge. On the east coast of the island at Cabo Vermeil, 6 miles (10 km) east of Arta.
The Dragons Caves Majorca
The largest of Majorca's caves are just over a mile long and contain a subterranean lake in addition to four chambers full of fanciful formations in limestone. Visits are guided (English language tours are possible) and include a concert by musicians in a boat at the end of the tour. Be warned: The crowds are ridiculous during the summer months. Open daily. Admission charge. On the east coast of Majorca, just south of Porto Cristo.
Minorca car hire
Minorca car hire is available directly from the airport, but if you want to explore the island by hire car, pre-book your car rentals for the best deals, offers and promotions available online.
Minorca The second largest of the Balearic Islands is the eastern-most of the group and also the island farthest from the Spanish mainland. Minorca, which measures about 30 miles from east to west and between 6 and 12 miles north to south, is relatively flat hilly plateau with its highest point, Monte Toro, rising just over 1,000 feet in the island's center.
The absence of a mountain range such as the one on Majorca means that Minorca is without some of the larger island's spectacular scenery. Yet its outline is rugged and irregular, resulting in roughly 125 miles of coastline blessed with countless small coves and beautiful beaches. More and more tourists are beginning to appreciate Minorca's pleasures, but they haven't inundated the island yet, and agriculture and dairy products remain major industries, along with the making of shoes and costume jewelry.
Minorca history
Traces of past cultures have all but been destroyed on the island, except for the massive megalithic constructions remaining from prehistoric times. Minorca is dotted with hundreds of these stone monuments cylindrical talayots, Tshaped taulas, and shipshape navetas which are remnants of a so-called talayotic Bronze Age culture that may have begun about 2000 Be and was at its height around 1000 Be.
Scholars do not yet fully understand the origins of the civilization that raised these monuments (though it's thought that they established settlements throughout the Mediterranean and even as far north as Britain), nor have they been able to fathom the structures' exact functions. Talayots may have been watchtowers or the houses of chieftains (or the roofs or foundations of such structures).
Taulas, the form most peculiar to Minorca, may have served a religious purpose. Navetas, similar to the conical mounds of the talayots but oblong and containing chambers (like the upside-down hull of a ship, hence the name), are thought to have been communal graves. These monuments are found on both government and private land; although some of the sites are easily accessible from the road, others are not.
Mahon Minorca
The largest city on Minorca is its capital, Mao (pronounced Mahoh), a port at the eastern end of the island; its menorquin name is commonly used interchangeably with its Spanish form, Mahon (Mahohn). This is the town that gave the world mayonnaise (from salsa mahonesa ), a favorite sometimes garlicky local sauce. The second largest city and former capital, Ciutadella (Ciudadela in Spanish; population 16,000), is at the island's western extreme. The two cities are starkly different.
Mao shows the influence of eight decades of 18th century British rule in its architecture (which sports details such as sash windows and Georgian doors) and caters to predominantly English-speaking visitors. The architecture of Outadella, where Germans fill the bungalows of the tourist villages is classically Spanish. Other towns, such as Alayor, Mercadal, and Ferrerias are in the interior, along the main road that crosses the island from east to west. Fornells, at one time a fishing village and now a resort town, is on the north coast on a deeply indented bay.
Minorca Attractions
Minorca's beaches are what most visitors come to explore. All are posted with flags due to capricious currents red signals danger, yellow means caution, and green signifies safety. Son Bou and Santo Tomas, in the center of the southern shore, are the two longest beaches on the island. Cala Santa Galdana, to the west of these, is a beach in a sheltered cove with very safe and shallow waters, and Cala Blanca, a few miles soth of Ciutadella, is a tiny beach surrounded by rocky cliffs. Cala del Pilar, a deserted beach on the north side of the island, is known mainly to locals.
To reach it, turn off the main Mao-Ciutadella road about 3 miles (5 km) past Ferrerias, near the Alputzer farm. Cala Pregonda, east of Cala del Pilar, is also deserted but easier to reach. From Mercadal, take the road northwest toward Ferragut Nou, then walk the last hundred yards to the sea. Es Grao, one of the beaches closest to Mao, is very shallow, perfect for children. Drive due north from the city to the sea.
Best places to visit in Minorca
Throughout most of its history, the capital of modern Minorca was second in importance to Ciutadella. That changed during the 18th century with the arrival of the British, who found Mao's long, narrow, deep harbor and port facilities preferable to those at the other end of the island. Mao, set on a high cliff at the end of the harbor, does not have the wide avenues, majestic buildings, and treelined streets of other Spanish capitals, resembling an overgrown fishing village instead.
Among the sights is the 18th century Baroque Esgtesia de Santa Maria (St. Mary's Church), which houses an extraordinary early 19th-century organ that is one of the largest in the world and is considered to be one of the finest (it's the raison d'etre of the city's annual summer music festival). Facing the church is the 17th century Ajuntament (Town Hall), built by the island's British governor. Not far away, the marketplace built into the arcaded cloister of a former Carmelite convent is worth a morning visit; otherwise, the town is best enjoyed by wandering through its narrow streets.
At night, the port, reached by a steep, winding road called Abundancia, becomes the focus of most nightlife, with dozens of bars and restaurants in the area of the Estacion Maritima and several excellent restaurants lining the harbor toward Villacarlos. The British founded this village, southeast of Mao near the entrance to the harbor, to house the garrison of a nearby fort. Once called Georgetown, it remains even more British in atmosphere than the capital itself.
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