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If you’ve been playing along with our Winter Shipyards series, you’ll know we’re covering the common places crew tend to get ‘stuck’ in winter. Places like Tuscany, Liguria and Provence. Awful, just awful. Being stuck for months in places that ‘normal’ people love to visit on holidays.
We get it though. When it’s frosty on deck in the mornings, the beach clubs are closed and the sea is winter-cold, these gorgeous places can feel a little less enticing.
But there is always fun to be had; if you just step off the passerelle.
In this article, we’ll be showing you all the wonderful things to do on Majorca in the winter.
Luckily, Palma remains a vibrant city in the winter with plenty of sightseeing, shopping and eating to fit in, but in this winter guide to Mallorca we’ll be taking you beyond — up into the hills, along the coast, and out into the islands to explore.
Majorca is known for its gentle winter climate, so while there are spells of cold —and occasional snow— you should also get a fair amount of glorious winter sunshine and even some occasional t-shirt weather! If you’re a keen walker or biker (or just don’t particularly like crowds), this is an ideal time to explore the Balearics.
By the time we’re done, you should be almost feeling jealous of yourself, getting to spend your winter in such a splendid place.
Let’s go!
For a hike that offers some of the best scenery Mallorca has to offer, take the Torrent de Pareis Gorge walk, which leads from Escorca to the coast. It’s challenging, and takes about 5 hours, but the views make it oh-so-worth-it. Other great Majorca walks include the 3-hour east coast hike from Cala Romantica to Cala Varques. Breathe in that crisp winter air and feel the crunch of your boots on the path.
If you have not taken the train to Soller yet, now is your chance. Sit back as the vintage wooden train rattles north through the Tramuntana mountains, across aqueducts and through dark, noisy tunnels nearly 3kms long! Spend a day exploring the art nouveau architecture of sunny Soller, a valley town made rich from its surrounding citrus and olive groves, or take a tram 15 minutes down to the lovely Port of Soller.
Note that the Soller train does not run in January.
There are more than 70 bodegas on Mallorca, so you can make your slow, increasingly tipsy way between them, exploring the towns and landscapes of Mallorca as you go. There’s an official Wine Route for the Binissalem DO in the centre of the island, but you can also make your own route. Vins Nadal is certainly one winery worth visiting. You’ll definitely need a driver for this day out.
In reality, most yacht crew will only ever get to see Ibiza, Menorca and Formentara when they have guests on. Looking longingly at shore from an anchorage, or running to get an ice-cream in Ibiza on a break.
Now is your chance to correct that. Sleepy Menorca becomes even sleepier and magnificent for walking, while Ibiza unsurprisingly retains a bit of a winter vibe, with some club action as well as boutique shopping, spas and all the good stuff.
Don’t forget Bohemian, beautiful Formentera as a winter destination though. The local government is actively trying to encourage winter tourism, so many of the beach bars and restaurants must remain open by law. A weekend on Formentara in winter can be spent exploring the island by motorbike, stopping at windmills and salt ponds and near deserted beaches of spectacular beauty. And then settling in for a late lunch in a beach bar, soaking up the winter sun before heading to a beautiful hotel by the sea and clambering into a big double bed. Bliss!
If you work on deck in the winter-time and Palma’s having one of its rainy winter spells, there’s no better antidote than a day in one of Majorca’s excellent spas. Sink into a warm magnesium pool and spend the day being massaged, scrubbed and rejuvenated of all your winter blues.
Golfers, rejoice. You have been stranded, for an entire winter, on an island with some of the best golf courses in Europe. Live your golfing dream among the vineyards and olive groves at Golf Son Gaul, one of Europe’s top 100 courses, or head to the spectacular Trent Jones Jr Course at Club de Golf Alcanada, where you will be tested by strong sea breezes and a devilishly tricky first hole. Other quality courses on the island include Golf Park Puntiro and the three quality courses at Arabella Golf Trifecta. With golfing opportunities like this, you’ve got no excuse not to lower that handicap.
A whole winter is definitely enough time to build a new skill, whether that’s learning Spanish, tennis, or taking a Catalan cooking class. Book yourself into a hilltop auberge for a weekend to write that manuscript or sketch the mountains, do a yoga retreat or find someone to teach you guitar. Majorca also has some fabulous dance schools and clubs for learning to dance.
A winter shipyard period is the best time to get started on that ‘if only I had time’ project. To be fair, it’s the only time!
Rent a jeep and take the steep, windy road down to Sa Colabra for a day road trip that will stick in the memory. Take a picnic to have on the beach on a sunny day and revel in the life you’re living! You can also take the jeep up to Randa for incredible views of the island.
The roads are a lot quieter in winter so you can really slow down and enjoy, and there’s plenty of rugged, bumpy roads on the island that you’ll have fun with in the Jeep.
Take a walk in the wintry olive groves and lunch at the Lamb Restaurant.
An iconic yacht crew experience, this is one that must be ticked off in your metaphorical ‘yachting passport’. Sure, you can just go for lunch, but the walk up to the castle, with those incredible views in the bracing winter mountain air, is one to remember. This day out is frankly more pleasant in winter than summer!
Pull the lycra on and test those muscles.
Mallorca may well be cycling heaven, whether you’re whizzing around the hairpin down turns to Sa Colabra or punishing yourself on the Randa Climb. There’s road routes for all levels as well as some exceptional mountain biking.
Take the RCD Mallorca Stadium Tour
Football fans will get a kick out of this one-hour tour of the stadium including seeing the dressing rooms, players tunnel, VIP areas, Presidential lounge, press room, and trophy room.
Jump on a flight for a long weekend in Barcelona.
Barcelona, with its magnificent Gaudi architecture and just as magnificent foodie scene, is a no-brainer for a longer break. But we reckon you knew that already, didn’t you. Now just to beg the captain for a four-day weekend to really make the most of it. Check out our Barcelona crew guide.
Feeling jealous of yourself yet? You should be. Majorca is an epic place to spend a winter. Get out there and explore!
