We Thought Mallorca Wasn’t for Us — We Were Wrong

Our first trip to Mallorca changed our minds completely. From Cala Major and golden-hour walks in Palma to a failed attempt at visiting Sóller, this is how we discovered the island our way.

We Saw No Reason to Go

For years, Mallorca simply wasn’t on our list.

Living in Germany, so much of what we saw on television was connected to Ballermann, Schlager music, wild parties and nightlife. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It just isn’t how we like to travel.

I remember thinking: “I see no need to go there.”

Even Bernhard had never been to Mallorca, which is perhaps slightly unusual for a German. And he wasn’t particularly curious either.

But gradually, something changed. We started seeing documentaries showing a completely different side of the island. Then came the social media videos: beautiful beaches, Palma’s architecture, little villages, restaurants, rooftops and quieter corners.

Eventually we looked at each other and thought: we have to experience it ourselves.

So in June 2026, we did.

And just so we’re clear: we are still more rooftop bar than Ballermann.

We were reminded of that while driving around the island when we accidentally discovered a radio station aimed at German tourists playing Ballermann music. We found it hilarious. No offence to anyone who loves it — it is just very much not us.

One Week, No Race

We based ourselves in Palma for a week with a deliberately simple plan: explore Palma, spend some time at the beach and rent a car for two days to see a little more of the island.

Before the trip, I had watched Reels showing people squeezing four or five villages, several beaches and viewpoints into what looked like about five minutes.

I felt tired just watching them.

No, thank you.

We wanted to see Mallorca, but we also wanted to actually enjoy being there.

We flew from Munich to Palma with Lufthansa and rented a car for only two days rather than the entire week.

Our hotel was Hotel Joan Miró Museum in Cala Major. We liked it, but after climbing the stairs between the hotel area and the beach in the June heat, we quickly knew one thing: next time, we wanted a shorter walk to the sea.

Mallorca Won Us Here

We’re actually not typical beach people. Neither of us is interested in getting a tan, and with our sensitive skin, spending hours baking in the sun is definitely not our idea of fun.

But Cala Major was different.

We walked around, swam a lot and took far too many photos — especially around the rock walls where the waves crashed against them. The water was still fresh and cool in June, the weather wasn’t unbearably hot yet, and I remember simply feeling happy to be there.

We paid €25 in total for two loungers and an umbrella during our June 2026 visit. Our umbrella even had a little safe attached, which was handy for our phones, cards and money while we were swimming.

Most people seemed determined to capture every bit of sun they could. No judgement — but my poor skin could never take it.

Our loungers were basically our little base in the shade.

And they were also where we ate lunch.

Bernhard’s Wrap Runs

Our beach lunches became one of those little routines you don’t plan.

Almost every day, Bernhard walked to nearby Avocadoo Café and came back with wraps for us. We would sit under our umbrella, eat them on the loungers and look out at the water.

Nothing fancy.

But I remember those lunches.

Between swimming, taking photos, watching the waves and Bernhard arriving with our food, Cala Major became a surprisingly big part of why we fell for Mallorca.

Palma After Five

During the day we had the beach. In the evenings, we had Palma.

We went into the city almost every evening for dinner — sometimes around the marina, other times in the centre — and tried different restaurants throughout the week.

But dinner was only part of it.

We loved walking through Palma before and after eating, taking photos, looking at the architecture and simply enjoying the city.

The evenings had this lovely breeze after the heat of the day. Around the marina, there was also a very distinctive sulphur-like smell from the sea. Not exactly the romantic “scent of the Mediterranean” you might expect me to write here, but that’s what we remember!

Another small thing surprised us: shops such as Zara were still open around 21:00.

Coming from Germany, we were definitely not used to that.

And yes, Palma’s Zara was impressive enough that I took pictures.

For planning and general information about the city, the official Palma tourism website is useful.

Chasing the Golden Glow

The place we kept returning to was the Cathedral.

Not once. Several times.

We especially loved going there around 19:00–20:00, when the evening light gave the enormous building this beautiful golden glow. Some of our favourite photos from Mallorca came from those evenings.

Bernhard particularly loved the sheer size of the Cathedral and its architecture.

We also went inside, and it really is massive.

At the time of our trip, we paid €11 per person for standard admission. We booked ahead, and we would do the same again.

You can check current prices, visiting hours and tickets directly on the official Mallorca Cathedral website.

Sóller? Not Today.

Then came our attempt to visit Sóller.

It was high on our list, so when we had the rental car, off we went.

And then we tried to park.

Sóller was extremely crowded. We drove around trying to find somewhere to leave the car until eventually we both came to the same conclusion:

Let’s just go somewhere else.

There was no point spending more of the day circling around looking for a parking space.

So we headed to Port de Sóller instead.

We saw the historic tram, walked around and took some photos.

Was it the wonderful spontaneous alternative that turned our failed plan into the best day of the holiday?

No. 😄

It was hot. There wasn’t enough shade. And after a while, we were ready to leave.

We would still try Sóller again. Next time, however, I’ll know exactly where we’re trying to park before we set off.

Interesting Once

We also visited Palma Aquarium.

There is a lot to see, and we particularly enjoyed some of the marine displays and the sharks. But eventually we had seen enough and were ready to go.

Looking back, we’re glad we experienced it, but neither of us feels the need to return.

If you’re planning a visit, I would check the official website beforehand for current admission prices and opening hours.

Born on a Sunday

I love planning. It helps me enormously before a trip. But sometimes my mind is already jumping ahead to what comes next, what might go wrong or whether we’re following the plan.

Bernhard is much better at just being where he is.

And when I start worrying, he has one particular response:

“I was born on a Sunday. Nothing can go wrong.”

He actually was born on a Sunday. His mother used to say this to him in German when he was growing up, and now he says it to me.

I’m still not entirely convinced by his logic. 😂

But I admire the attitude.

Already Planning Round Two

And there will be a next time.

We were already talking about returning while we were still in Mallorca.

We would love to rent a car again and explore more of the island — places such as Valldemossa, Deià, Santanyí and Cala Figuera are on our list.

How many will we actually see?

I have absolutely no idea.

And this time, we’re not setting ourselves an unrealistic target.

If we manage several day trips without exhausting ourselves, wonderful. If we see fewer places and spend more time enjoying them, also wonderful.

And if we somehow end up back in Palma exploring different rooftops and discovering more of the city instead?

We’re perfectly okay with that too.

Because that was probably our biggest discovery on our first trip: there isn’t just one Mallorca.

There’s the Mallorca we had seen on German television. There’s the beach Mallorca. There’s historic Palma, the marina, mountain villages, little coves, restaurants, rooftops — and undoubtedly a lot we still know nothing about.

Maybe next time we’ll even go and have a look at Ballermann out of curiosity.

Although I’m fairly certain we’ll still be heading for a rooftop afterwards.

We went to Mallorca wondering whether we would like it.

We came home already knowing we wanted to return.

And yes — the next trip is already booked.

Irina & Bernhard
Simply Great Escapes

Going to Mallorca for the first time? We learned a few things we wish we’d known before we arrived — including buses, beach loungers, mosquitoes and one very frustrating attempt to park in Sóller.

→ We Planned Our Mallorca Trip — But We Didn’t Know These 9 Things

Practical note: Prices and conditions mentioned in this article reflect our trip in June 2026 unless otherwise stated. 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.