Not everything is going to be about the Palma Marathon: 5 plans to enjoy the island

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On October 16th, the Palma Marathon. will be held in Palma de Mallorca. If you would also like to take the opportunity to discover the beautiful island of Majorca, you might want to check out our suggestions real quick. You will find the appropriate things to do for both before the very marathon days–where you will have more energy—and also for those after-the-race days where you need to rest. We do suggest plans for you that can be made on foot and others that require a vehicle. So, good luck with the race and hopefully you get the spare time to enjoy this amazing island.

1. Discover: Visit the Palacio Real de La Almudaina and the Catedral of Palma

You cannot leave the island without visiting two of its most emblematic monuments and get the chance to discover the stories that are hidden on its walls. Both the Palacio Real de La Almudaina and the Cathedral of Palma –both located nearby the Mediterranean Sea shore—share a close relationship with the Muslim period of Majorca and even previous times. The Palacio Real or Alcazar Real was built in the 10^th century on top of an ancient megalithic settlement and, later, in the beginning of the 14^th century after Christian conquest, it was rebuilt by the King James I. The Cathedral, also known as ‘The Seu’, was erected after the reconquest on the site where the Medina Mayurca Mosque once was.

If you want some more, find here opening hours of the Cathedral and the Palacio.

2. Enjoy: Eating at the Olivar Market and the Santa Catalina Market

The Olivar Market is located in the old part of town and the Santa Catalina Market—with a more cosmopolitan character–is located in the Santa Catalina district. Both markets offer interesting culinary experiences and gastronomic spaces that are truly worth visiting.

Olivar Market hours: from Monday through Saturday from 7am through 2:30pm (Fridays through 8pm)

Santa Catalina Market hours: from Monday through Saturday from 7am through 5pm.

3. Relax: taking a bath at Cala Llombards

In spite of havin to leave the city of Palma, if you rent a car in Majorca for the weekend, you will be able to get to this jaw-dropping small bay. We do promise the trip is worth your while because its white sand and the turquoise waters will blow your mind.

 

4. Feel: see the sunset at Puerto de Soller or Cabo de Formentor

You really, really, do not want to miss this. Grab the keys of your rental vehicle and head over to the Cabo de Formentor—known as the Majorcan Finisterre—and get ready for an impressive sunset from one of its viewpoints. Either from the Colomer viewpoint or from the Faro Formentor (lighthouse), the sunsets are just incredible. If you would rather go to a closer spot, there is another alternative where you can go and it is just 40 minutes away from Palma: Faro del Cap Gros (in the Soller municipality). From the privileged location, you will enjoy an unforgettable sunset overlooking the Port of Soller and the wonderful Serra de Tramuntana.

 

5. Have fun: Route through the Serra de Tramuntana

On the northeast part of the island, we find the Serra de Tramuntana. For the adventurous ones, at its official website, you will find suggested routes that will allow you to get to know different faces of this declared World Heritage mountain range. We emphatically recommend a visit to the villages of Valldemossa, Fornalutx and Deia—one of our favorite villages that we already commented about in our previous post about—Excursions in Majorca, as well as in our post about Charming villages of Spain.

So far so good, these were our suggestions for an express visit to Majorca. Would you like to include another place? Please, let us know if you can think of some in our comment section down below.