Where to stay in Mallorca: the 6 areas to know in 2026
In Mallorca, the island changes face every fifteen kilometres. The same bay can line up rows of hotel blocks, while at the tip of the headland a cove has not a single building. Choosing your base means choosing between the mountains around Sóller, the city of Palma, and two kinds of coast: resorts built in rows, and ports that have kept the scale of a village.
Your budget follows the season more than the area: $79* is enough outside summer for a hostal in Palma's old town, while in July and August you will pay $210 to $360* for a good four-star hotel. The grand houses of the Tramuntana go beyond $680*. Six areas follow, from Palma to the coves of the south-east.
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Come early in the morning, otherwise you won't even have a spot to put your towel.
One base or several?
Two bases are better than one as soon as you stay a week: the island takes an hour and a quarter to cross, but the coves of the east and the trails of the west are not done from the same hotel.
- A long weekend: A single base, in Palma: the old town, then a day in Sóller by train and another in Valldemossa.
- One week: Two bases: three nights in Palma or Sóller for the city and the mountains, then four in the north or the south-east for the sea.
- Ten days: Three bases: Sóller, then Pollença or Cala Ratjada, then the south-east coves. You go round the island without retracing your steps.
How much driving between two bases?
Times are by car, not counting summer traffic jams at the entrance to resorts. In the Tramuntana, the road never stops turning: allow plenty of time.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Airport → Palma | 20 min | 11 km |
| Palma → Sóller | 35 min | 25 km through the tunnel |
| Palma → Deià | 45 min | 30 km of mountain road |
| Palma → Port d'Andratx | 35 min | 34 km |
| Palma → Pollença | 45 min | 54 km by motorway |
| Palma → Alcúdia | 45 min | 54 km |
| Palma → Cala d'Or | 1 hr | 64 km |
| Palma → Porto Cristo | 1 hr | 63 km |
| Palma → Cala Ratjada | 1 hr 15 | 80 km |
| Sóller → Pollença | 1 hr | 62 km, across the plain |
| Pollença → Cala Ratjada | 1 hr | 53 km |
| Cala Ratjada → Cala d'Or | 55 min | 52 km |
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 Mallorca
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Palma The old town, the harbour and the seafront, as far as Playa de Palma
for a first visit, a long weekend, and going out at night
A real city, with lanes of honey-coloured stone, hidden courtyards and the cathedral set on the harbour. Everything is on foot, and the Sóller train leaves from the centre. In the evening, the terraces of La Llotja and Santa Catalina stay full until late. The downside: no proper beach in the centre, and a car that is useless in the old town.
But let's be honest, people come here for the partying and the nightclubs.
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Sant Francesc Hotel Singular Luxury
A mansion in the old town, with an inner courtyard and a rooftop pool looking out over the bell towers.
Hotel Cort Mid-range
On Plaça de Cort, facing the town hall and its centuries-old olive tree, with a terrace and a small plunge pool for guests only.
Hostal Pons city.oudormir_tier_economique
In an old Mallorcan house in the old town, with a patio and a terrace: simple rooms, no television, two streets from everything.
Pros
- Restaurants, museums and nightlife on foot
- The airport twenty minutes away, and the Sóller train in the centre
Cons
- No beach for a full day in the old town
- Scarce parking and restricted traffic
Sóller and the Tramuntana The Sóller valley, its port, and the mountain villages from Deià to Valldemossa
for hiking, stone villages and sunsets over the sea
A valley of orange groves closed off by the mountains, and a horseshoe harbour at the end of the tram line. Sóller keeps its square, its church and its cafés; Deià and Valldemossa cling to the slopes, half an hour of bends away. The GR 221 trails start at the door. The downside: few sandy beaches, and slow roads to reach the east.
the port, which is lively with plenty of shops, restaurants, and boat excursion departures.
The towns in this area
Where to stay in this area
La Residencia Luxury
Above Deià, among the olive trees of the Tramuntana, with a heated pool and the El Olivo restaurant.
Hotel Esplendido Mid-range
On the seafront at Port de Sóller, just across the tram tracks: two outdoor pools, one of them adults only, and a spa.
Hotel El Guía city.oudormir_tier_economique
A traditional house a minute from the square in Sóller, with a restaurant serving local food and rooms facing the mountains.
Pros
- Tramuntana trails starting from your hotel
- Palma half an hour away, or an hour by train
Cons
- Few sandy beaches
- At least an hour's drive to the east coast
Pollença and Alcúdia The bays of Pollença and Alcúdia, their old towns and the Formentor peninsula
for families, long sandy beaches and Cap de Formentor
Two shallow sandy bays where children can wade a long way out. Pollença and Alcúdia each have an old town a few kilometres from their port, with town walls or a calvary, and a weekly market day. Cap de Formentor begins at the end of the promenade. The downside: three quarters of an hour to Palma, and very family-oriented ports in the evening.
Where to stay in this area
Son Brull Hotel & Spa Luxury
A former country estate outside Pollença, among the vines, with a spa and an indoor pool.
Hotel Illa d'Or Mid-range
On the bay of Port de Pollença, along the Pine Walk, with views over the water at sunset.
Can Tem Mid-range
A seventeenth-century house on a pedestrian street in Alcúdia's walled old town: every room different, furnished with antiques.
Pros
- The gentlest beaches on the island for children
- Formentor and its coves at the end of the road
Cons
- Three quarters of an hour from Palma and the airport
- Quiet evenings, little nightlife
The east coast From Cala Ratjada to Porto Cristo, via Canyamel, Cala Millor and Son Servera
for coves, caves and a base facing the sunrise
Sandy coves among the pines, and the largest caves on the island. Cala Ratjada keeps a real harbour and lively streets in the evening; further south, Cala Millor lines up big hotels along a long beach, and Porto Cristo opens onto the Drach caves. The downside: an hour and a quarter to Palma, and resorts built in rows.
Where to stay in this area
Cap Vermell Grand Hotel Luxury
A hotel village on the hills above Canyamel, with a spa, pools and several restaurants, and terraces facing the sea.
Petit Hotel Ses Rotges Mid-range
Adults only, in a Mallorcan-style house near the seafront in Cala Ratjada, with breakfast served in the courtyard.
Hostal Cas Bombu city.oudormir_tier_economique
Run by the same family since 1885, a few steps from the harbour in Cala Ratjada. In the evening, you will hear the nightlife next door.
Pros
- The sandy coves of Cala Agulla and Cala Varques
- The Drach caves at Porto Cristo
Cons
- An hour and a quarter from Palma
- Rows of big hotels at Cala Millor
The south-east coves Cala d'Or, Santanyí, Cala Figuera and Colònia de Sant Jordi, as far as Es Trenc beach
for the finest coves and turquoise water
The postcard coast: narrow coves between two headlands, clear water, and Cala d'Or with its white houses. At Cala Figuera, the boats still come home to a fishing harbour, and the long beach of Es Trenc has no buildings on it. The downside: an hour from Palma, and coves taken by storm before ten in the morning in summer.
this resort town has quite a lot of charm, with its little narrow streets and small, picturesque white houses
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Apartamentos Cala Santanyi Mid-range
Above the cove of Cala Santanyí, with direct beach access, a pool and studios for families.
Hotel Santanyi Port Mid-range
A renovated four-star hotel in the heart of Cala Figuera, five minutes' walk from the fishing harbour, with an outdoor pool.
Hostal Restaurante Playa city.oudormir_tier_economique
A family-run hostal on the waterfront at Colònia de Sant Jordi, with balconies over the sea and a restaurant.
Pros
- The clearest coves on the island
- Ports that have stayed village-sized
Cons
- An hour's drive to Palma
- Coves packed from early morning in July and August
The south-west: Calvià and Andratx The Calvià coast, from Portals Nous to Santa Ponsa, and Port d'Andratx
for marinas, golf and being close to Palma
A coast cut into small bays, a quarter of an hour from Palma. Puerto Portals and Port Adriano line up the yachts, Santa Ponsa and Palmanova the family beaches. At the far end, Port d'Andratx keeps its houses on the hillside. The downside: Magaluf, in the middle, runs to the rhythm of partygoers in summer.
Where to stay in this area
Hospes Maricel y Spa Luxury
A 1940s palace on the water's edge at Cas Català, between Palma and Portals, with a spa.
Mon Port Hotel & Spa Mid-range
About ten minutes' walk from the quays of Port d'Andratx, with a spa and a pool.
Pros
- Palma and the airport less than half an hour away
- Marinas and family beaches
Cons
- Magaluf and its nightlife in the middle of the coast
- A heavily built-up coast
Our tips for booking the right place
- Look at the resort before the hotel: Two hotels ten kilometres apart can have nothing in common: one looks onto a row of Cala Millor apartment blocks, the other onto a fishing harbour. Before you book, open the map and look at the street around it, not just the pool.
- Book July and August in winter: In high summer the island is full and prices double compared with May. If your dates are fixed, book before spring, car included: the rental fleet runs out too.
- Pick the north with children: The bays of Pollença and Alcúdia shelve gently for dozens of metres, and the water stays calm. The south-east coves are prettier, but narrow, rocky and full from the morning.
- Check parking in Palma and Sóller: In Palma's old town, as in the centre of Sóller, parking is a headache. If you hire a car, choose a hotel with parking, or leave it in a public car park while you stay in town.
- Magaluf and the far end of Playa de Palma towards S'Arenal if you want peace and quiet: nights there are noisy all summer.
- Booking in the north or east for a stay centred on Palma: every round trip costs an hour and a half on the road.
- Choosing a big east-coast resort to hike in the Tramuntana: an hour's drive before every walk.
- Taking a hotel without parking in Palma's old town if you hire a car.
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