10 Best Things to do on Mallorca with Kids
|
This post is by our 10-year old with a little help from Mom on the wording and links
Hi, I’m 10 years old and have recently moved to the other side of the world after spending my entire life in California. I relocated with my mom, dad, two older sisters, and big dog, Mo.
We are exploring the world, but currently live in Spain on the island of Mallorca. It is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain. They speak Spanish and it has a population of approximately 950,000 people. There is one large city, Palma, but the rest of the island is made up of little towns and villages where everyone is very friendly. This was my first time in Mallorca, and I am having a lot of fun exploring.
I really love the island because there is so much to do! Mallorca has mountains and is surrounded by the ocean, so you can do a lot of things out in nature, which is my favorite way to spend time. There are also some other really fun activities on the island that are great for kids.
We landed in Mallorca in the middle of summer and have had many adventures. Here are a few of my personal favorites…
1. Swimming
There are so many beautiful beaches and coves to swim in on the island of Mallorca. I couldn’t believe how turquoise blue and warm the water was. You can see fish swimming and sea urchins in the clear water. One of my favorite swimming spots is Three Fingers Bay in the southwest of the island. It has three separate bays, and each is unique. I always bring a mask, snorkel and a net because collecting and looking at shells is one of my favorite things to do. You can jump off the rocks into the water, which my sisters and I did. There are also rock structures with caverns on one side of the bay that you can explore. You could spend all day there and keep discovering new things!.
2. Ocean Caving
We went on a tour of underground caves called the Caves of Drach which was so cool. The caves are in a town called Porto Cristo which is a really pretty part of the island. The caves surround an underground lake which is amazing. I had never seen an underground lake and so I was really impressed. They play classical music during the tour and it feels like you are on a different planet. This tour is better for younger kids and is easy for families to access.
But I also recommend another caving trip that is good if you are a bit older (and a bit braver). This trip is called Cava del Coloms and is super cool and I loved it. You start by walking about 30 minutes to the cave entrance along the beach and then you dive underwater into these really cool caves. You have to wear helmets and a safety vest and the guides are really smart and explain a lot about how the caves are formed and their history. I am really into nature so this for sure was one of the coolest things I did on the island of Mallorca. If you have teenagers or kids over 12 I highly recommend this.
3. Sailing Lessons
I love boats, and Mallorca is home to thousands of them from all over the world. There are ports and bays across the island where you may see small fishing boats and some of the world’s largest yachts and cruise ships. There are also a lot of sailboats. I have been on a couple of smaller boats when fishing with my dad in California, but I had never been on a sailing boat. We signed up for a sailing lesson with my dad and sister at a sailing school.
You arrive at a harbor that has a sailing center and they have a lot of smaller sailing boats. We got a short tour and boarded one of the boats with a nice instructor. It was a sunny day, with a calm breeze and warm ocean water. You go out on the water and get a beautiful view of the island from the boat. The water is so clear that you can also see fish swimming underneath you.
The instructor taught us everything we needed to know about sailing, including the different parts of the sailboat and some important words like starboard, port, gybing, and tacking. Sailing is interesting to learn and study because you have to think about not just steering the boat, but the weather conditions as well. The instructor made it simple and let us practice tacking and directing the boat. The wind rose up on the way in for the day, and we could feel the boat moving much faster due to the sails. We are going to do more lessons, and eventually they allow you to go out in your own tiny boat with other kids. I recommend the experience to anyone who enjoys boats or wants to learn to sail!
4. Go-Karting
There are several Go-Karting places in Mallorca! I was a little nervous because I had never driven a car before. However, it doesn’t matter where you start because you can improve quickly regardless of your level. I went with some friends and my family and it was really exciting. It takes about twenty minutes to complete the course, and you go faster and faster with every lap. I finally got the hang of it after a few rounds; it was so much fun. If I could, I’d go drive every day!
5. Bike Rides
Riding bikes around the long path that goes all along the beachfront in Mallorca is a fun way to spend the day. I have a bike, but you can also rent them or get a scooter. There is a long trail that goes all along the coast starting at the big cathedral in Palma.
My dad and I will ride along it for hours and see so many different things. You can stop and sit to watch the boats, play on the sand, jump in the water and watch the dog’s play. There are shaded areas where you can stop for a snack, or go to one of the restaurants if you want. It is a great way to see the island and spend a few hours outside.
6. Train
The train ride to Soller was one of my favorite things we did this summer. The train itself is old-fashioned and looks like it is from a different time period. The windows are open which I love because you could feel the breeze and stick your hand out. The train lasts an hour and you go through the mountains to a town named Soller.
The views are really pretty and you see fields and farms with goats and horses. My favorite part is when you go through really long tunnels that get dark and cool and all you can hear is the train on the track. I tried to hold my breath in the dark long tunnel, but it was way too long.
Once you get to Soller you get off the train and walk around a really beautiful village with old buildings and delicious places to eat. We walked to the beach and had lunch and swam in the ocean. On the train ride back you are tired from all the fun adventures and can just sit and enjoy the view. It was a a really fun day trip.
7. Jet Skis
We rented jet skis in another small town called Camp De Mar. I was too young to go by myself, so I had to go with my dad on his jet ski and my two sisters went on another one. We had to go slow at first because we were around other boats in the bay, but once we were out in the open water we went so fast! You bounce off the choppy water and you get sprayed in the face with ocean spray. My sisters went fast too, and we had a race which me and my dad won!
You can jet ski along the coastline of the island and see villages and houses on the cliffs that you wouldn’t be able to see from land. You can rent the jet skis for up to an hour and there is so much to see along the coast. This was a really fun thing to do!
8. Off-Road Quad Tours
This off road quad tour was so much fun! Not only do you get to ride around on an ATV over really cool terrain and go off-roading, but you get to jump into the crystal clear ocean water to snorkel and cool off.
I got to ride with my mom and you get to go through mud and water and we got covered in mud. You ride up to these amazing views of the island of Mallorca and we brought snacks for a picnic. If you want you can jump off cliffs into the water when you stop or you can walk to the beach and jump in to get cool.
9. Hikes
My family does a lot of hiking and there are amazing hikes all over the island with different views and challenging climbs. Mallorca has mountains called the Tramuntana Mountain Range which are surprisingly high for an island. One of my favorite hikes I did with my dad was near the north part of the island called Cami Boquer.
It was about five miles long and there were huge cliffs that go right into the ocean. It has some of the prettiest views I had ever seen. We brought a snack and jumped into the water to cool off when we were done. It was a great day.
10. Water Gun Fight
This is something that only happens one time a year during the end of the summer, but it was so much fun I had to mention it. This is a tradition that has gone on for hundreds of years and it is supposed to be a recreation of the old battles that happened on the island. Thousands of people, on two different teams wearing yellow or red meet on different sides of town.
Then thousands of people with water guns, dancing and playing music start walking towards the center of the old town of Palma. You are surrounded by really old buildings and everyone is spraying each other and having so much fun. After about thirty minutes of marching with music you meet the other team in the town square and everyone goes crazy spraying each other with water guns. Everyone is laughing and soaking wet and it was a blast!
I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of my favorite things to do on Mallorca. It is an incredible place and I will share more adventures soon!
Here are a list of the items I can’t live without while spending summer on the island of Mallorca…
- These swimming trunks are cool and have lasted through so many adventures. I like them because the dry really quickly.
- My sisters and I love this sunscreen because it smells great and is easy to put on. We always have a few of them in our beach bag.
- These are the best beach paddles for playing when you are not in the water because of how easy it is to hit back and forth.
- As I mentioned I love collecting shells so I always bring this net with me and sift through the sand and look for hours. It comes with a great mesh bag to put them in so they don’t fall out after you find them.
- This snorkel and mask is my favorite. It helps me be able to explore the clear waters and because of the way the mask is shaped you can see coral and fish all around you.