We Planned Our Mallorca Trip — But We Didn’t Know These 9 Things
Our first-time Mallorca lessons about buses, beaches, mosquitoes, Palma, driving — and the little things we only discovered after arriving.
You can research a destination for months and still discover some of the most useful things only after you arrive.
That was definitely true for us in Mallorca.
We spent one week there in June 2026. And although I am very much a planner, there were still plenty of things we hadn’t thought about before we arrived.
We are not Mallorca experts. Quite the opposite. This was our first trip.
These are simply the things we genuinely wish we’d known beforehand — including a few things we’ll definitely do differently when we return.
And yes, we’re returning.
The next trip is already booked.
1. The Bus Was Easier Than Expected
One of the nicest practical surprises was Palma’s public transport.
We used local buses several times between Cala Major and central Palma. During our June 2026 trip, we paid €2 per person for a single journey.
We bought our tickets directly from the bus driver and paid by card, which made everything very easy.
The buses could get quite crowded, but somehow we always managed to find seats. We also found them clean, and — very importantly in Mallorca — the air conditioning was on.
We sometimes took taxis as well, particularly between our hotel in Cala Major and the Cathedral or marina area. We generally paid around €20–€22, although of course that’s only what we personally paid. The price will depend on your exact journey, traffic and time.
For the way we travelled, we definitely didn’t need a rental car for the entire week. We rented one for only two days when we wanted to explore farther away.
What we’d do again: use public transport for Palma and save the rental car for exploring other parts of the island.
2. “Close to the Beach” Can Still Mean Stairs
Our hotel, Hotel Joan Miró Museum, was described as being a short walk from Cala Major.
And it was.
What we hadn’t realised was that our shortcut involved quite a few steep stairs.
In the evening, we actually liked them. The views were beautiful and we took some great photos from there.
Coming back from the beach around noon, when the sun was at its strongest?
That was considerably less pleasant for us. 😄
This isn’t a criticism of the hotel or the location. The beach really was close. We simply hadn’t thought about the terrain.
So next time, when we’re looking at a hotel, we won’t only check how many minutes it is from the beach. We’ll also look at how you actually get there.
A short walk and an easy walk aren’t necessarily the same thing.
3. Ask About the Loungers Before Giving Up
When we first arrived at Cala Major, we thought we’d missed our chance of getting loungers because everything we could see looked occupied.
Instead of giving up, we asked a local.
He explained that there were different sections, so we kept looking and eventually found available loungers in Section 4.
During our June 2026 visit, we paid €25 in total for two loungers and an umbrella.
Our umbrella even had a little safe attached where we could put our phones, cards and money while we were swimming — something we’d never seen before and found very practical.
Obviously, you don’t need to rent loungers at all. But if you do want them and the first area looks full, don’t immediately assume the whole beach is booked.
Ask someone or check the other sections.
4. Yes, We Noticed the Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes love me.
Unfortunately, the feeling is not mutual.
Before our trip, I’d read that mosquitoes could be a problem in Mallorca. We’d also seen recommendations to buy repellent locally, as it might be more effective. So on our first day, we went to a pharmacy near Porto Pi and bought Relec Fuerte.
We used it when going out, particularly in the evenings, and we’d also brought a Raid plug-in from Germany for our hotel room.
And yes, we definitely noticed mosquitoes.
One evening after dinner, we wanted to take a walk around the marina. We quickly realised that wasn’t such a good idea because there were so many mosquitoes around.
We noticed them on other evenings too, particularly while eating outside.
Luckily, neither of us got a single bite during the trip.
That’s simply our experience, though. I wouldn’t promise that the products we used will work the same way for everyone.
Our practical advice is much simpler: if mosquitoes usually love you too, think about protection before you travel rather than waiting until you’re covered in bites.
5. Book the Cathedral Online
The Cathedral was one of the highlights of our trip, and this is one thing we were very happy we’d planned in advance.
We bought our tickets online before visiting.
When we arrived, there was a queue, but there was a separate line for visitors who already had online tickets, so we got inside faster.
You can check current prices, opening hours and book tickets directly through the official Mallorca Cathedral website.
And once we were inside?
Majestic.
It’s absolutely worth seeing.
One thing surprised us, though: it was very hot and humid inside. I’m used to walking into churches and immediately feeling that cool air.
This was the opposite.
Still beautiful. Just much warmer than we expected.
6. Let Dinner Set the Route
Before our trip, I had seen plenty of perfectly organised Palma walking routes online.
That’s not really how we explored the city.
We usually had a restaurant reservation for the evening, so that became our destination rather than our entire itinerary.
Depending on where the restaurant was, we might start near the Cathedral or somewhere else in the city centre. We deliberately gave ourselves plenty of time before the reservation.
We walked.
We took photos.
We went into shops when something caught our attention.
Then we had dinner. That usually involved some sort of fish, which, by the way, was delicious.
Afterwards, we’d usually walk some more before eventually finding our bus stop and heading back to Cala Major.
And that worked really well for us.
We still saw a lot of Palma, but we never felt as though we had to march from Sight A to Sight B because somebody else’s itinerary told us to.
For maps, sights and other practical information, the official Palma tourism website is a useful starting point.
7. Don’t Just Type “Sóller” Into the GPS
This is probably the mistake that will make us laugh next time.
We usually plan a lot before travelling.
Hotels. Tickets. Restaurants. Transport.
But we are human, and we’d already booked and researched so many things for this trip that we didn’t investigate parking in Sóller.
We basically thought:
We’ll figure it out with the GPS.
Well… we didn’t. 😄
We arrived to narrow streets, lots of people and no idea where we should actually park.
After driving around for a while, Bernhard and I both reached the same conclusion:
Let’s just go somewhere else.
So we gave up and drove to Port de Sóller instead.
Next time, we won’t simply navigate to “Sóller”.
We’ll choose an actual parking location before leaving and navigate directly there.
Sometimes even planners forget to plan something.
8. Palma Aquarium Is Massive
We bought our tickets through the official Palma Aquarium website before visiting.
What we hadn’t really understood beforehand was just how big the place is.
There is a lot to see.
We particularly enjoyed the shark area and the outdoor jungle area, but eventually we reached the point where we’d simply had enough and were ready to leave.
We’re glad we experienced it, but personally, we don’t feel the need to visit again.
If you’re planning to go, we’d allow plenty of time rather than thinking of it as a quick attraction. And because admission prices and packages can change, it’s worth checking the official website before your visit rather than relying on an old price from a travel blog.
9. Reels Are Inspiration, Not an Itinerary
Before travelling, we watched plenty of Mallorca Reels.
And honestly, they were useful.
They showed us villages, beaches and viewpoints that we hadn’t known about before, and some of those places are now on our list for the next trip.
But then we’d see itineraries with several villages, beaches and viewpoints squeezed into just a few days.
Our reaction?
That looks exhausting.
We want to see some of those places too.
Just at our own pace.
We’d rather visit fewer places and actually have time to walk around, take photos, stop for something to drink or simply stay somewhere longer because we’re enjoying it.
So we’ll continue watching the Reels.
We’ll continue saving places.
We just won’t try to copy everything we see.
What Will We Do Differently Next Time?
Quite a few things.
We’ll stay closer to the beach.
We’ll research the parking before attempting Sóller again.
We’ll finally try one of Palma’s rooftop bars.
We’ll hopefully dress up and make it to that local nightclub we missed the first time.
And we’d love to explore places such as Valldemossa, Deià, Santanyí and Cala Figuera.
Will we manage all of them?
Probably not.
And that’s fine.
We’re going back to Mallorca because we want to experience more of it — not because we need to finish it.
Until next time,
Irina & Bernhard
Simply Great Escapes
Still wondering what we actually thought of Mallorca after avoiding it for years?
Our first trip changed our minds completely.
→ Read: We Thought Mallorca Wasn’t for Us — We Were Wrong
Practical note: Prices and conditions mentioned from our own experience reflect our trip in June 2026. They can change, so we recommend checking the official websites linked in the article for current prices, opening hours and booking information before your visit.
