Where to stay in the Balearic Islands: the 5 areas to know in 2026
On Ibiza, our members keep coming back to the same idea, each in their own words: "people often forget to mention that the island is really pleasant", "you can do a lot more than just party", "If Ibiza is a party destination, that is not all it is", "There was life in Ibiza before it became the meeting place for jet setters". Nobody denies the nightlife: they all refuse to let it sum up the island.
The rest comes down to three remedies our members give for the crowds, each on its own scale: the season, "come outside of July and August"; the hour, "getting there early if you want some peace and quiet"; and the distance, "just head a bit further away, as you will easily find other beaches". Five areas below, on two islands, and one real question: how far from the noise do you want to sleep?
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But curiously, people often forget to mention that the island is really pleasant and it is a real pleasure to explore it during the day, provided you can manage to get out of bed
One base or several?
Two islands, a plane or a boat between them, and two separate trips: our members do not compare them, they talk about Ibiza or about Mallorca, never both. So how long you stay is decided island by island, and within Ibiza by how far you want to be from the noise.
- A long weekend: Ibiza, three nights in Dalt Vila. Our members put the castle, the cathedral, the necropolis and two museums there, two of them free, and "The atmosphere is much calmer there than in the rest of the city".
- A week: Ibiza then Sant Antoni: four nights in town, three in the northwest. It is exactly the move our member describes when they talk about wanting "a break from the drunken crowds".
- Ten days: Change islands: four nights in Palma and three in Sóller, linked by the old wooden train one member calls "A must do". Two free visits in Palma according to our members, and thirteen tunnels between the two.
- Two weeks: Add Cala d'Or, three nights in southeastern Mallorca, for the coves. And keep our member's reservation in mind: "a large part of the island is made up of big concrete hotel complexes".
How much driving between two bases?
Two airports, Ibiza and Palma, and a ferry between the islands. On the islands themselves, a car is only really needed in southeastern Mallorca: in Sóller everything is done by tram and old train, in Ibiza the old town is climbed on foot.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ibiza → Sant Antoni de Portmany | 25 min | 15 km, frequent buses |
| Sant Antoni → Cala Salada | 10 min | 5 km to the north |
| Ibiza → Cala d'Hort | 30 min | 20 km to the southwest |
| Ibiza → Palma de Mallorca | 2 hr 30 | ferry, or 40 min by plane |
| Palma → Sóller | 1 hr | old wooden train, 13 tunnels |
| Sóller → Port de Sóller | 15 min | historic tram |
| Palma → Cala d'Or | 1 hr | 65 km on the Ma-19 |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in the Balearic Islands
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Ibiza and Dalt Vila Dalt Vila, port, Figueretes, Platja d'en Bossa
The town our members talk about most, and refuse to sum up as partying
It is in the old town that our members find the other Ibiza. Of Ibiza Castle, they write: "Going up toward the old town and its castle really lets you realize that", "ramparts you can walk along while taking in a panoramic view". Ibiza Cathedral is above it, and "The atmosphere is much calmer there than in the rest of the city". Two visits are free according to our members, the Puig des Molins Punic Necropolis and the Ibiza Museum of Contemporary Art. On the beach side, our members shun the town's own: Figueretes "right in the city", en Bossa "directly under the flight path for planes".
If Ibiza is a party destination, that is not all it is.
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Mirador de Dalt Vila Luxury
Twelve rooms inside Dalt Vila itself, a Relais & Châteaux set on the ramparts our members recommend walking. The atmosphere is, according to one of them, "much calmer there than in the rest of the city", and you sleep in it.
Pros
- Two museums and a necropolis, two of them free according to our members, and all of it in the old town
- Cala d'Hort beach wins our members over, with "the side with cliffs and rocks" on one side and the sunloungers on the other
Cons
- Our members' only real warning is about behaviour: "the harassment from cheap pickup artists"
- The town beaches disappoint, one of them "directly under the flight path for planes"
Sant Antoni de Portmany and the northwest coves Sant Antoni, Cala Salada, Poniente
The instruction manual for escaping the crowds
The member who tells this area's story does not talk about the town, it talks about what is next to it, and it says so bluntly: "If at some point during your stay in Ibiza you want a break from the drunken crowds, there are little coves like Cala Salada that, while not deserted, offer a truly relaxing contrast". It describes the setting, "surrounded by hills covered in pine and scrub, opening up to crystal clear, warm water", and it gives the reason for the calm: "A bit far from the main town, which is maybe why it is so quiet, and the trip is worth it". The town itself is the opposite: sunsets and clubs.
A bit far from the main town, which is maybe why it is so quiet, and the trip is worth it.
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
TRS Ibiza Hotel Luxury
Adults only, renovated in 2022, over by the Poniente promenade. Five kilometres from Cala Salada, which is exactly the distance our member recommends.
Invisa Hotel Es Pla Mid-range
174 rooms, adults only, a stone's throw from the bay. The town's seaside format, twenty minutes by car from the cove our member prefers.
Pros
- "Cala Salada is the most beautiful one I have seen", writes a member who has seen several on the island
- "The beach and the first few feet of water are sandy", they point out: rare among the island's coves
Cons
- The calm is at the cove, not in town: Sant Antoni is the other capital of Ibiza nightlife
- Cala Salada is 5 km from town: plan for the trip every day
Palma de Mallorca Historic centre, Born, port, Bellver
A monument that reminds you what the island is not
The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma made an impression on our members, and one of them says why it matters here: "This is an imposing and majestic monument that reminds us that Mallorca is not just a beach resort but also a place steeped in history". Another adds the details, "Its Gothic architecture is well crafted, with some modern additions like the interventions by Gaudi", and "the large rose window". Bellver Castle stands "overlooking the city and its bay", with a very concrete recommendation: "I would stick to a free visit on Sunday". The Juan March Foundation is free too, and on the town, our members are blunt: "people come here for the partying and the nightclubs".
This is an imposing and majestic monument that reminds us that Mallorca is not just a beach resort but also a place steeped in history.
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Boutique Hotel Can Alomar Luxury
Sixteen rooms on the Born, a five-minute walk from the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma and five hundred metres from the waterfront. Adults only, with a small pool on the terrace.
Pros
- Two free admissions according to our members: the Juan March Foundation, and Bellver "on Sunday"
- This is the station of the old Sóller train, which one member calls "A must do"
Cons
- On the town, our members do not promise culture: "people come here for the partying and the nightclubs"
- For Bellver, one member warns: "The interior is fairly basic", and the staircase from the port "is a bit long"
Sóller and the Serra de Tramuntana Port de Sóller, upper town, orange groves
A port, an upper town, and a train you have to take
One of our members describes the same mechanics, in two steps. The town: "It is made up of two parts: the port, which is lively with plenty of shops, restaurants, and boat excursion departures. Then there is the upper town, which you can reach" by tram, a tram that "goes through orchards of orange and lemon trees". And the train to Palma, worth the trip on its own: "This old wooden train goes from Soller to Palma, the capital, crossing the mountains of northern Mallorca. You pass through 13 tunnels", "the view of the mountains is spectacular and unique to Mallorca. A must do."
the view of the mountains is spectacular and unique to Mallorca. A must do.
Where to stay in this area
Gran Hotel Sóller Luxury
38 rooms in the upper town, in the heart of the Serra de Tramuntana, with a spa and an indoor pool. Five minutes from the station of the old train one member calls "A must do".
Pros
- The old train and the tram do everything, no car needed
- "You can sit at a terrace and have a lemon or orange juice", writes our member: the groves are at the foot of the town
Cons
- The port lies below: from the upper town, you go down by tram
- The port is "lively" and the upper town is reached by tram: two locations, two moods, to choose between before booking
Cala d'Or and southeastern Mallorca Cala d'Or, Cala Egos, southeastern coves
Coves, and a warning about concrete
Our member opens with a compliment and ends with an instruction: "this resort town has quite a lot of charm, with its little narrow streets and small, picturesque white houses", then "Enjoy it while you can because a large part of the island is made up of big concrete hotel complexes". On Cala Egos, his favourite, the same member describes "Fine sand, clear warm turquoise water, and plenty of different fish to watch", and he does not hide the sour note: "except that they built a hotel block on one of the rocky headlands, which ruins the scenery".
Enjoy it while you can because a large part of the island is made up of big concrete hotel complexes
Pros
- Several coves in the same municipality, and our member gives his favourite, Cala Egos
- The lowest rates of the five areas, on the larger of the two islands
Cons
- "it gets crowded in high season", our member warns, "just like everywhere else on the island"
- No hotel to recommend here: check it is not one of the big concrete complexes
Our tips for booking the right place
- On Ibiza, our members refuse to sum the island up as partying: On Ibiza, our members agree, each in their own words, and without comparing notes. "But curiously, people often forget to mention that the island is really pleasant and it is a real pleasure to explore it during the day, provided you can manage to get out of bed". "I have been to Ibiza several times with my family, and I can confirm that you can do a lot more than just party in Ibiza." "Beaches and excursions during the day, partying at night". "While the island is known for its wild parties, there are plenty of other activities you can do." "If Ibiza is a party destination, that is not all it is." "There was life in Ibiza before it became the meeting place for jet setters." And the sharpest writes about a beach: "While I was pleasantly surprised by the island's cultural and natural heritage, this beach is a total caricature".
- A single member told the story of daytime Ibiza, and you should know it: One member has told a good part of Ibiza's story: the castle, the cathedral, the Punic necropolis, the two museums, the lighthouse and three beaches. Her tips are precise ("Plus, the visit is free" for the necropolis, "When I went there, admission was free" for the museum of contemporary art, "a beautiful walk awaits you that lasts about 40 minutes" for the lighthouse), and they hold up. But it is one person's view: read them as a detailed account, not as a ranking.
- Ibiza's beaches are not all equal, and three disappoint for three different reasons: Salinas Beach disappoints, and our members say the same thing: "Overcrowded beach, noisy, with a total over-the-top display of the "sexiest" and "most tanned" summer bodies", "It is the most popular beach in Ibiza and you can really tell". Figueretes beach leaves people lukewarm because it is "right in the city" and "always attracts a huge crowd". The one at en Bossa disappoints for an unexpected reason: "the beach is directly under the flight path for planes taking off or landing at the nearby airport". By contrast, Cala d'Hort Beach and Cala Salada win everyone over.
- Our members' only real criticism is about behaviour, not places: Our harshest member holds nothing against the island: "I knew the vibe would be festive, but I didn't expect people to let loose to the point of acting like idiots. Between the club promoters trying to pull you in, the street dealers pushing illegal stuff, and the harassment from cheap pickup artists who think they can get away with anything just because it is Ibiza..." And they end on a sentence that is not a mood but a position: "you can party, have fun, and enjoy your vacation without being disrespectful to others". When choosing a neighbourhood, that is worth knowing.
- Three remedies for the crowds, given by our members at three scales: The season first: "For a more peaceful vibe, come outside of July and August". Then the hour: "It gets really crowded during the summer. I recommend getting there early if you want some peace and quiet". And finally the distance, which is the most effective because it can be booked: "If you want some peace and quiet, just head a bit further away, as you will easily find other beaches", and on Cala Salada, "A bit far from the main town, which is maybe why it is so quiet, and the trip is worth it". One member generalizes for Mallorca: "it gets crowded in high season", "just like everywhere else on the island".
- The old Sóller train, the only activity our members treat as essential: On Sóller, our member ends the same way twice. "From the station, you can take an old wooden train that goes through the mountains to reach Palma", and "Spectacular views!" Then, separately: "This old wooden train goes from Soller to Palma, the capital, crossing the mountains of northern Mallorca. You pass through 13 tunnels, including one that is several hundred meters long and nice and cool. Above all, the view of the mountains is spectacular and unique to Mallorca. A must do." It is an unreserved "A must do", and it replaces a car between the two towns.
- Booking on Salinas Beach for the quiet: our members call it "Overcrowded" and "the most popular beach in Ibiza".
- Taking a room on Playa d'en Bossa without knowing it: one member warns that it is "directly under the flight path for planes" from the nearby airport.
- Coming to Ibiza in July or August hoping for quiet: our members give the opposite instruction, "come outside of July and August".
- Paying admission to Bellver Castle without checking the day: one member writes "I would stick to a free visit on Sunday".
- Choosing Cala d'Or without reading our member's reservation about the "big concrete hotel complexes" over a large part of the island.
FAQ: where to stay in the Balearic Islands
Ibiza or Mallorca?
Where to stay in Ibiza without the party?
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Things to do in the Balearic Islands
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Where to stay in Mallorca
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