7 best day trips from Palma de Mallorca

Day trips compared

The day trips

30 km · About 1 hour by vintage train

1.Sóller and Port de Sóller

The wooden carriages of the Sóller railway, opened in 1912, climb through tunnels and orchards in the Serra de Tramuntana to Sóller, a town of orange groves and modernist façades. A vintage tram continues to the bay of Port de Sóller.

Getting there

Sóller train from Palma, then tram to the port

Best for

First-timers, Couples, Families

18 km · About 30 minutes by bus

2.Valldemossa

A stone village in the mountains around the Carthusian monastery where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838–39. Cobbled lanes lined with potted plants lead to viewpoints over the valley.

Getting there

TIB bus from the Estació Intermodal

Best for

Couples, Culture, Quiet stays

30 km · About 45 minutes by bus

3.Deià

A honey-coloured village on a hill above the sea, long a haven for artists; the poet Robert Graves lived and is buried here, and his house is a museum. A path leads down to the rocky cove of Cala Deià.

Getting there

TIB bus via Valldemossa

Best for

Couples, Culture, Quiet stays

65 km · About 1 hour by car

4.Caves of Drach

Near Porto Cristo on the east coast, these limestone caves contain one of the largest underground lakes in Europe, where visits end with a short classical music performance from boats on the water.

Getting there

Car, organised tour or TIB bus to Porto Cristo

Best for

Families, First-timers

50 km · About 45 minutes by car

5.Es Trenc

A long, undeveloped beach of white sand and clear turquoise water backed by dunes and salt flats in the south of the island, one of Mallorca's most popular natural beaches.

Getting there

Car or summer bus to Ses Covetes or Sa Ràpita

Best for

Beach, Couples, Families

55 km · About 1 hour by bus

6.Alcúdia

Alcúdia's old town is enclosed by medieval walls, with the Roman ruins of Pollentia just outside and a long, shallow family beach at the Port d'Alcúdia a short ride away.

Getting there

TIB bus from the Estació Intermodal

Best for

Families, Culture, Beach

75 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car

7.Cap de Formentor

Mallorca's northernmost peninsula has a spectacular cliff road to a lighthouse, with viewpoints such as the Mirador d'es Colomer and the pine-fringed Formentor beach. In peak summer, private-car access to the lighthouse road has been restricted, with shuttle buses from Port de Pollença.

Getting there

Car, or bus to Port de Pollença then seasonal shuttle

Best for

Couples, First-timers

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• TIB buses to popular villages fill up in summer; board at the Estació Intermodal for the best chance of a seat.
• The vintage Sóller train runs from its own station near Plaça d'Espanya through the mountains to Sóller, and SFM trains link the Estació Intermodal with Inca, Sa Pobla and Manacor.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask