By Gerrard Cholmondeley
Mallorca is Spain's largest island and is a member of the Balearic Islands situated in the Mediterranean Sea.
Mallorca, or Majorca as the English sometimes spell it, has had bad press over the last few decades because of its over-development in the 1960s. However, although there are parts of the island which have high-rise hotels and apartments, these tend to be just in one small area – the Bay of Palma.
The rest of the island is a wonderful mix of attractions for those who love to rent villas instead of hotels, and offers :-
* Mountain scenery.
* Fantastic beaches and coves.
* Caves.
* Aquacity.
* Marineland.
* Palma.
Mountains
The spectacular Mallorca mountains, in the north-western part of the island, are responsible for the lush greenery of the island. If you enjoy walking holidays, then you may want to walk through the Tramuntana mountains or you can simply drive through the mountains to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and views.
Beaches and Coves
Mallorca's beaches range from busy touristy beaches, and beaches offering a wide variety of watersports, to isolated beaches in rocky coves that can only be accessed on foot or by sea. Mallorca's best beaches include the beaches of the resorts of Magaluf and Palma Nova with their fine sandy beaches, water-sports and glass bottom boat trips, Platja de Coll Baix with its unspoilt pebble beach surrounded by rocks, the beaches of Camp de Mar and San Telm which are surrounded by pine forests, the environmentally protected beach of Es Trenc and the unspoilt Platja de Formentor.
Which beach you visit all depends on where your villas in Mallorca are located and whether you like an isolated, unspoilt beach or a beach with facilities and water-sports.
The Caves
Mallorca has over 200 caves dotted around the island, some of which are open to the public. In the caves you will find stalactites, stalagmites and huge underground lakes. They even sometimes hold concerts in the caves because of the wonderful acoustics. The Coves (caves) d'Arta are located near to Capdepera and are surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery. These are great caves to visit because there is chamber after chamber to walk through and even a light and sound show to watch in the "Chamber of Hell". Other caves include The Caves of Hams, located 1km from Porto Cristo with their underground lake and music/light show, and the Coves del Drac on Mallorca's eastern coast with their underground amphitheatre.
Aquacity, El Arenal
If you are renting villas in Mallorca with children, this is the Mallorca attraction to visit. Have a fun packed day swimming, using water slides and enjoying attractions such as Banzai, Polynesia, the Grand Canyon and Devil's tail. The park is located on the south of the island near El Arenal beach.
Marineland
Another great family attraction, this park is an amusement park where the family can enjoy watching performing seals and dolphins, seeing the park's collection of sharks and reptiles, and watching the Parrot Circus.
Palma
Palma is the capital of Mallorca and is a mixture of high-rise hotels and a lovely Renaissance Old Town area. The five hundred year old cathedral is worth a visit, with its pillars, beautiful stained glass windows, Catalan Gothic architecture and interior features designed by the famous Antoni Gaudi. The cathedral overlooks Palma's busy harbour with its pleasure boats that will take you for a tour around the harbour, and its ferry terminal where you can catch ferries to other islands.
Palma is also the place to go to sample Mallorca nightlife. In the narrow streets near Placa Llotja, a host of bars and clubs can be found.
Gerrard Cholmondeley is an author and publisher who writes content for Villa Retreats (http://www.villaretreats.com), a luxury villa rental specialist offering a range of luxury appartments and villas in Mallorca, Minorca and the Algarve. If you want a vacation that is completely stress free, then Villa Retreats can even arrange a chauffeur, chefs or babysitter.
Source:www.isnare.com |
