MALLORCA

With me wanting a city rich in culture, my mum wanting the best accommodation, my dad wanting a sandy beach and my sister wanting lots of shops, it’s definitely getting harder to cater for everyone on our family holiday’s. We considered everything from Santorini to the Bahamas but, being the fussy family we are, something would always put us off. This year, we wanted to stay in Europe as my dad was only able to get a week off work, and with my sister studying for her Spanish GCSE, we decided on staying in (or near) Spain. After weeks of searching around and not coming to a collective decision, my dad resulted in going on his iPad, opening up Google Maps and essentially picking a completely random place.

When I saw that he had chosen Playa De Palma, Mallorca, I did feel a little disappointed. I had prematurely judged the island and pictured it as being touristy with very little to do. But nevertheless, I love going to new places and was keen on seeing what the island had to offer... In contrast to my low expectations, this actually happened to be one of the best holidays I have ever been on (for me personally, even topping New York and Florida!).

The Balearic Island was picture perfect. From the weather, which reached highs of 39 degrees (but had a lovely breeze to keep us cool) to the polite and welcoming local Spanish residents (who made us instantly feel at home), the holiday was truly faultless.

Initially, we booked the Iberostar Playa De Palma (a 5-star, sea front hotel), but after realising that their infinity pool was only open to adults (which meant my sister wouldn’t be able to utilise the facility), we decided to stay in Iberostar Cristina (which was just a stone throw away from the previous hotel). This was a 4 star premium and we decided on going all inclusive. This meant I ate absolutely everything that came in my direction and gained a few pounds after the week (but it was totally worth it!). We stayed in a family room which consisted of two gorgeous bedrooms, a balcony and a beautiful bathroom with the best shower I have ever had the privilege of using. The staff there were so friendly (not to mention drop-dead-gorgeous) and always willing to help! Nothing was too much for them. They catered for all, from kids clubs to evening entertainment and were always there handing out cocktails and prosecco by the poolside!

The town centre was absolutely stunning. The quaint little streets were full of designer shops and cute little café’s.. The beach our hotel was situated near had white sands and a clear blue sea- they were also relatively quiet and super clean (a massive bonus if you ask me). We spent a day on the hop-on, hop-off busses (which I think is pretty standard of a holiday, to enable you to cover a lot more of the city than you would be able to do if walking). We stopped off at Bellver Castle, a circular and gothic styled building with spectacular views of the city of Palma. We also visited the Cathedral de Mallorca which is a remarkable and must see landmark if you’re in the city! But although the island was extremely peaceful and idyllic, I really do feel like one week is enough time to cover all the attractions… 

Towards the end of the week, we travelled to Sóller and visited their port (I will go into more detail about this in a future post). The journey took around an hour and a half and required taking an old, wooden style train and the local tram, but was definitely worth the splurge and travel time.

I still can't believe how much this island exceeded my expectations- I was very pleasantly surprised! There was such a unique buzz about the place and words just don’t do it any justice... The whole vibe was so relaxing and stress-free, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to stay in that area… I will definitely consider going back to the wonderful city as a weekend break!

Rikki x