My Mallorca – and what I would do differently now
Honesty first: my Mallorca goes back a while. In the late nineties I was on the island several times to play golf, around Pollença, invited through the golf magazine I published at the time. I barely remember the hotels – but three things all the more: the beautiful courses between sea and mountains, a hospitality I have rarely experienced, and the food. Palma with its cathedral and old town impressed me then and still does in every photo today.
What I learned planning my return: Mallorca has two faces, and in winter you only see the beautiful one. The big resorts at Playa de Palma, Magaluf and Cala Millor close from October to April. The part of the island that lives all year – Palma, the Tramuntana villages, the north around Pollença and the south-east around Santanyí – then belongs to the locals and the few who know.
Weather from November to March
In November it is around 19 degrees by day and 9 at night, with a good five hours of sunshine and about six rainy days – mostly short, heavy showers between sunny spells. The sea is 18 to 19 degrees; a quick swim on calm days is fine. December and January stay at 15 to 16 degrees by day; February brings the almond blossom and the first warm days. The driest area is the south around Santanyí and Colònia de Sant Jordi, the wettest the Tramuntana – but with the finest hiking scenery.
What stays open in winter – my four corners
Sóller and Port de Sóller. The orange valley in the Tramuntana, linked by the old wooden train from Palma and the tram to the harbour. Boutique hotels and fincas are open all year, the trails to Deià and Fornalutx start at the door. My first base when I return.
Pollença and the north. My old golfing territory: Pollença with its Sunday market and the Calvary steps, Port de Pollença with the pine promenade, Cap de Formentor beyond. Alcúdia and its old town stay open, not all the big beach hotels on the bay do.
Santanyí and Colònia de Sant Jordi. The driest corner of the island: Santanyí with its Wednesday and Saturday market, the coves Llombards and Caló des Moro, the natural beach Es Trenc and the salt pans. Many holiday flats, few hotel beds – an advantage in winter.
Palma. The cathedral, the old town with its patios, the Mercat de l'Olivar, the harbour quarter Santa Catalina with its restaurants – Palma is a real city of 400,000 people and works twelve months a year. Ideal for two or three days at the start or end of the trip.
What I would avoid: Playa de Palma, Magaluf, Cala Millor and Cala d'Or between November and April – everything there really is closed.
How I book Mallorca in winter
Flights from Zurich and Basel run daily in winter, often under 100 francs. Without a hire car little works outside Palma – in winter it is cheap and there is no queue at the airport. Fincas and holiday flats often cost half the summer price from November to March; hotels in Sóller, Pollença and Palma are open all year.
My tips for Mallorca in winter
- Choose a base in the north or south-east, not at Playa de Palma – everything there is closed in winter.
- Pick up a hire car at the airport: it costs little in winter, and the finest spots are not reachable by bus.
- Cap de Formentor: the road is open to cars in winter – in summer you may only go up by shuttle bus.
- Plan the markets: Sunday Pollença, Wednesday and Saturday Santanyí, Thursday Inca – no crowds in winter.
- Showers are short and heavy – bring a rain jacket, an hour later the sun is back.
- Almond blossom: late January to mid-February, finest inland around Sineu, Selva and Bunyola.
Your tips – Mallorca away from the resorts
I collect here what you recommend: small hotels, fincas, restaurants and places that are open in winter and worth it. Every tip appears with a first name. I add the first replies to my Facebook call as they come in.
Your Mallorca tip
Do you know a place, a finca or a restaurant on Mallorca that is open in winter and worth it? Tell me – I check the tips and add the best ones here with your first name.