Archive April, 2011

Mallorca with kids

20 April, 12:12, by Ralitza Stamenkova

RomanticaPort de SollerTraveling with kids could be a lot of fun. However, most parents tend to worry too much, if the destination offers enough entertainment for the children as well.

My last post about Mallorca best places to visit helps you to organize your stay there. Now it’s time to think about best places to visit with kids.

Here's my survival kit when traveling with kids:

Finca MallorcaMallorca RoadsMy recommendation is to rent a house or apartment and a car when traveling with kids. You can check my article Mallorca travelling tips and tricks

The best choice is a place with a garden or at least with a big veranda. The children will love to play there and you will have peace of mind without worrying where they are all the time. If you prefer lonely beaches, you can easily prepare sandwiches and light beverage in advance.

Make your daily plan suitable to adults and kids. You can start the day with a sight-seeing. Do not worry whether your kid will enjoy the ride – there are a lot of orange, lemon and olive trees along the road. It will be fun to count them for example (full disclosure – I teach math). We were extra lucky to see a lot of wild goats on the way to Fornalutx.

Mallorca SollerAfter the sight-seeing, it's time for a lunch or coffee break at one of the many beaches. Your kids will enjoy playing with sand and you can read a book or magazine or have a drink.

Final tip: the travel puzzles are useful when you stop in a mountains village and go to a cafe or a restaurant.

Mallorca attractions for kids

Our favorite attraction is the Safari Zoo. Visitors are allowed to enter it with own car. There is a road through it but animals are crossing it often to visit their neighbours. Do not stop in the middle of "monkey" alley. We did it and more than ten curious monkeys jumped on the car.

I was afraid that I could not continue the trip without hurting one of them. They were playing on the roof, knocking on the windows. It was weird but fun! My son was asking ‘Could they open the door?’ There is a small "conventional" zoo at the end of the road. There is a small cafe and a colorful children playground. The Safari zoo is open all year long.

Mallorca Safari Zoo Mallorca SafariZoo Mallorca-SafariZoo

My second recommendation is for the Mallorca Aquarium, especially if your kid loves sharks and octopus. Do not forget to check the opening hours in advance. Unfortunately, I did not visit the rest of water attractions. They are closed in the low season.

Your kids will enjoy the open-air marketplaces such as the one in Soller. You can find freshly made croissants and a variety of fruits. There are children attractions as well. Ask your host about the nearest traveling fair. Go there with a lot of coins. Every attraction is payed for separately and there is no entrance ticket. 

My last advise is to print my posts about Mallorca, go there and have fun. Do not forget to post a comment for me, once you are happily back!

Mallorca sights

15 April, 13:06, by Ralitza Stamenkova Tags: , ,

I assume that you have already organized your Majorca vacation using my previous post. The next step is to select at the six best places to visit (one per day for a week long stay). Of course, here is my list of six recommendations.

The main attractions there are the beaches, cafes, restaurants and small villages. Get a book or magazine, sit  at one of the many water-front cafes – take a drink, eat a salad with fish, a home-made cake and you will find the best definition for relax.

There are several must-to-see places and there are cafes around all of them. You have to be prepared for different types of adventures. Keep in your car  a book or magazine, good hiking shoes and swimming gear. Do not forget the mineral water and your camera!

Cuevas del Drach
If you have already visited a lot of caves in you life, you might think that you can skip this one. You will be wrong. At the very least, spare 10 minutes of your time for the lake concert. The concert is held by an ‘orchestra’ in a boat passing trough a small lake. It is an incredible way to enjoy the magic of classical music.

ChopinValdemossa
You can visit the famous monastery where George Sand and Frédéric Chopin spent several months in the period 1838 – 1839. The monastery is turned into a nice museum. Just entering the building will make you go back 160 years, what a great way to time travel!

Portocristo – great cafes – my favorite place for a coffee, book and a magnificent view of the sea!

Romantica

Plaja Romantica
Visit it on a sunny day when you need a walk in the open with breathtaking sea views. Park your car in front of the beach, leave you flip-flops there and change to good hiking shoes.

I’m not sure how long the round trip takes, I gave up after an hour and did not reach the end. The path is a little bit rocky, with a meter high wall on the sea side – so you can enjoy the views without triggering your fear of heights every step you take.

Calobra
Calobra is the perfect place if you enjoy driving and windy roads are your passion. I was there out of season, so I’m not sure how busy the road is during the high season. The road is slow and if there is a lot of traffic, it can be quite nerve wracking. On my vacation, I was in the only car there in the company of a lot of bikers.

At the end of the road, there is a big parking area. The last 200 meters of it are pedestrian zone. There is a small harbor there and a nice path to a hidden gulf. The path consists of several small tunnels – you have to see it!

Calobra Sa Calobra Calobra Path La Calobra

Tram to Port de SollerPort de Soller
There is a Historic Train To Soller from Palma but I strongly recommend using only the tram. Do not forget to take the tunnel to Soller.

Yes, the train is historic, but you will have to organize your day around its schedule. I found the tram interesting enough – it runs every 30 minutes and you can always take the next one if you want to stay more at the port and watch the sea and mountains while having a cup of hot chocolate. Visit the souvenirs shops – you can find unique gifts for your friends at a reasonable price.

Alcudia – a nice little port and cafes, perhaps too busy during the high season (it was closed out of season).

Lluc monastery – an old monastery with an ancient sundial and a path with great view to the valley.

Cap de Formentor – Definitely a must-see! A cobbled-stoned alley has some of the most amazing view to the rocks and sea. Strongly recommended to go there with your camera and to capture the beauty of Mallorca's nature!

FormentorFornalutx – a mountain village with nice restaurants and lots of trees – very pastoral!

Puerto Pollensa – another port for relaxing walks along the sea side

Palma
Every guide says that there are two main points of interest there (I agree):

Castell de Bellver – Great place for a walk in the surrounding park and one of the best view points over the Palma harbour.
The Cathedral  - Very majestic! You have to visit it! Plan an hour to walk around it and through the small streets of the ‘old town’.

My inspiration for this post was VirtualTourist article Majorca Island Things to do. Without it, my good plan for Mallorca vacation would have been nearly impossible.

Stay tuned! There will be one more post – Mallorca with kids. If you don't have kids, either don't read it or make love (and kids), so you can take advantage of my unique tips.