The best things to do in Mallorca fall into four areas: Palma, with its cathedral, La Seu, and Bellver Castle; the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller; the north coast at Sa Calobra and Cap de Formentor; and the coves of the east and south. Add the two excursions almost everyone does: the vintage Soller train from Palma and the Caves of Drach at Porto Cristo, with a concert on an underground lake.
Beyond sightseeing, the island is ideal for boat trips, road cycling and walking. Below you'll find each place with its official price and opening times as of October 2026. Times change with the season, so check the official website before you go.
These are Viator experiences with prices and reviews: catamaran and sailing trips around the Bay of Palma, paddleboarding and snorkelling in the coves, kayaking and day trips to Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller. Check what each one includes before you book.
Palma Cathedral, La Seu, is the one sight not to miss. Its central nave is about 44 metres high, and inside you'll see Antoni Gaudí's alterations and the chapel Miquel Barceló lined with clay. Entry is €16 including the museum and audio guide, or €25 with the rooftop terraces, open from March to November to visitors over the age of 9. Opening hours are 10:00–17:15 Monday to Friday (until 15:15 in winter) and 10:00–14:15 on Saturdays; there are no tourist visits on Sundays.
Next door are the Almudaina Palace and the Parc de Mar, whose saltwater lake reflects the cathedral, and from there the old town of palaces and convents is best explored on foot. Bellver Castle, a circular Gothic castle from the 14th century about three kilometres from the centre, houses the city history museum: €4, free on Sundays, closed on Mondays.
UNESCO listed the Tramuntana as a cultural landscape in 2011: dry-stone terraces, olive groves and stone villages clinging to the mountainside.
In Valldemossa, visit the Carthusian monastery where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent a winter. It opens Monday to Saturday, and the visit includes a piano recital of Chopin's music lasting about 15 minutes. In Deià, Ca n'Alluny, the poet Robert Graves's house, is now a museum (€10, Monday to Friday). Sóller is best explored from Plaça de la Constitució, with the church of Sant Bartomeu and the modernista façade of the Banco de Sóller, and Fornalutx sits in the same valley.
The Soller train has run since 1912 with its wooden carriages. It leaves from beside Plaça d'Espanya in Palma, takes an hour and passes under the Serra d'Alfàbia through a 2,856-metre tunnel. As of October 2026, a single costs €23 and a return €30; the combined return ticket with the tram down to Port de Sóller costs €40. The tram, dating from 1913, takes half an hour and costs €10 per journey.
The first train from Palma leaves at 10:10. With an online ticket, be at the station 30 minutes early; tickets are non-refundable, but you can change the time until 09:00 on the day. Bikes aren't allowed. A plan that works: morning train, tram to the port for lunch, then a boat along the coast to Sa Calobra.
The Caves of Drach are at Porto Cristo on the east coast. The route is nearly 1,200 metres long, takes about an hour and ends at Lake Martel with a live concert and a boat crossing of the lake, both included in the ticket. As of October 2026: adults €18.50 online and €19.50 at the ticket office, children aged 3 to 12 €11.50 online. Buying online secures your entry time. Arrive 15 minutes early, as the cave entrance is 200 metres from the car park.
The Ma-2141 down to Sa Calobra includes the Nus de sa Corbata, a 360-degree bend where the road loops under itself; the alternative is the boat from Port de Sóller. From the cove, a path through rock tunnels leads to the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis gorge, between walls up to 200 metres high. Hiking the gorge itself is another matter: the Balearic government warns of flash floods and recommends going with a guide.
You can't drive a private car to Cap de Formentor between 10:00 and 22:00 from 15 May to 18 October 2026. During those hours bus 334 runs from Alcúdia and Port de Pollença, stopping at the Mirador des Colomer, the beach and the lighthouse.
Mondragó Natural Park (Santanyí) has two coves, Cala Mondragó and s'Amarador, backed by pine woods and dunes; its car parks charge in summer. Caló des Moro, also in Santanyí, can only be reached on foot and gets very crowded in summer, so go early.
On the water you have three options: a shared catamaran or sailing trip, a skippered boat for your group, or self-drive hire. Without a licence, Spanish rules only let you take motorboats up to 5 metres and 15 hp, in daylight and within 2 nautical miles of your starting point; the Spanish navigation licence covers boats up to 6 metres. Don't anchor on seagrass (posidonia), which is protected in the Balearics.
Mallorca is a road cycling destination: the season starts in February, peaks in late April with the Mallorca 312 sportive and runs until November. Summer is all about beaches and boats, with packed coves and the Formentor road closed to cars; spring and autumn are better for the Tramuntana and cycling.
In winter the cathedral closes earlier, the terraces are shut from December to February and the Caves of Drach run four entry times a day; in return, the almond trees blossom in early February. Without a car, the TIB public transport network links Palma with the villages by bus and train.
Palma Cathedral and old town, the Tramuntana villages of Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller, the Caves of Drach and a cove on the east coast. With more time, add Sa Calobra and Cap de Formentor.
As of October 2026, Palma to Sóller costs €23 single and €30 return. With the tram to Port de Sóller, a return from Palma costs €40.
It isn't compulsory, but the adult ticket costs €1 less online and your entry time is reserved, which saves queuing in summer.
From 15 May to 18 October 2026, not between 10:00 and 22:00; bus 334 runs instead. Outside those hours and dates, the road is open to cars.
Not for motorboats up to 5 metres and 15 hp, used in daylight close to the coast. Larger boats need a Spanish navigation licence or a higher qualification, or you can hire one with a skipper.
Three days cover Palma, the Soller train and the Caves of Drach. A week adds Sa Calobra, Formentor, a day on a boat and several coves.