Today I’m writing about our experience visiting Mallorca with kids and sharing an easy 3 day itinerary.
My husband and I took our 3 and 5 year old daughters to Spain and Portugal for two weeks last month, and we kicked off our trip with four nights in Mallorca.
I am SO excited to share this guide because we had such a fabulous experience in Mallorca. It’s one of my favorite places we have ever visited and definitely one of the most kid/baby-friendly locations we traveled to with our daughters.
On only our second morning in Mallorca, Tyler and I both agreed that this will be a place we will certainly return to time and time again. The scenery was breathtaking, the food was incredible, and everyone we met on the island was so kind and welcoming.
In this guide, I’m going to share some general info about traveling to Mallorca and where I recommend staying (with or without kids). Then, I’ll walk through a 3 day Mallorca itinerary and share some tips for mapping out your time while you’re there. The island is big, and there is a LOT to see and do, so you’ll want to plan ahead and be strategic.
A lot of this post is geared towards those traveling with babies or kids, but there are a lot of great general tips and recommendations here too, if I do say so myself.
Mallorca With Kids: Our 3 Day Itinerary
Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands, located off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean. Mallorca is known for its diverse heritage and rich history and is such a unique travel destination. The island is covered in staggering mountains, peppered with charming towns, and bordered by stunning, sparkling beaches with crystal turquoise water.
Since Mallorca is so big, I am going to frame this guide around using Port de Sóller as a base which is what we did.
Traveling to Mallorca
Mallorca is a popular travel destination, so there are tons of flight options from all over Europe. You’ll fly into the airport in Palma which is the main big city on the island.
Getting to Mallorca was shockingly easy for us. We flew from LAX to Barcelona on Iberia (operated by Level), went through customs, and then hopped on an easy Vueling flight over to Palma. Flights from Barcelona to Palma can be super cheap if you book far enough in advance and run a bunch of times per day. Best of all, the flight was 50 minutes long from start to finish.
How to get around Mallorca
I definitely recommend renting a car in Mallorca. The island is actually quite big, and you’ll want a car to help you explore while you’re there. You could rely on buses and public transport, but it’s always our preference to be on our own schedule. I do recommend booking your rental car far in advance, as I have heard horror stories about the prices during the high season.
When is the best time to visit Mallorca?
Mallorca’s busiest months are June, July, and August.
We visited in mid May, and it was perfect. The weather was warm, the water was almost swimmable (to be exact: my kids and husband had no issue, and I made it up to my thighs, lol). Best of all, the island was not super crowded. There were a few moments that felt busy, but for the most part, it was totally fine and so lovely.
If you can avoid visiting Mallorca in the summer months, your best bet is May or September when you’ll have warm weather but less crowds.
One note: we happened to visit Mallorca during the Firo festival which I believe happens every year around the same time mid-May. We only overlapped one day with the festival, and it was nothing if not an entertaining and exciting cultural experience. However, I would double check your dates because I wouldn’t necessarily have wanted to deal with the festival for our entire trip.
How many days to spend in Mallorca?
We spent four nights in Mallorca and could have easily spent another two or three. There is just so much to explore on the island! We barely scratched the surface with our time there.
I would say that four nights is the minimum amount of time because that gives you three full days, but in a perfect world, I’d say go for five or six.
What language is spoken in Mallorca?
The official languages are Catalan (the specific dialect is referred to as Mallorquin) and Castellano (the traditional Spanish you’ll hear in most areas of Spain).
We attempted our very best Castellian Spanish which the locals graciously humored, but it seemed like a lot of people in restaurants and such also spoke English. We had no issue communicating and getting around.
Is Mallorca kid friendly?
Let me pull out my soapbox. Mallorca is one of the most kid/family/baby friendly destinations we have ever traveled to. If you are planning a family trip to Europe, I cannot recommend it enough.
Using Port de Sóller as a base in particular made this trip so relaxing and easy with the girls. Port de Sóller is this beautiful town on a crescent port. The beach extends the length of the town and is perfect for kids: super sandy and VERY calm. The girls played for hours each evening at the beach and were so happy.
The waterfront promenade in Port de Sóller reminds me of a mini version of the one in Nice and is super flat and stroller-friendly. Charming cafes and restaurants line the waterfront, and it was always easy to find a bite to eat. The restaurants are relaxed and most have spacious patio seating which always makes things easier with kids.
Port de Sóller also has this electric wooden open-air tram that rolls right along the waterfront and out to the town of Sóller nearby. We all loved the train and ended up riding it a few times while we were there. This was a huge hit with the girls and made our time in Mallorca just a little extra sparkly and memorable.
And everyone we met was SO sweet to the girls. We felt at home in Mallorca instantly.
I could see it being more hectic later in the summer, but if you can manage to get to Mallorca in the late spring/early summer, it is absolutely worth a spot on any family Europe itinerary.
Where to stay in Mallorca: Port de Sóller
Staying in Port de Sóller was the biggest factor in making our time in Mallorca so perfect. Port de Sóller provided such a great base for exploring the island, and then we spent each evening on the beach for hours after exploring during the day.
Between the stroller-friendly promenade, the waterfront cafes, the calm, sandy beach, and the adorable wooden train, Port de Sóller is the ideal place to stay with kids, babies, and toddlers alike in Mallorca.
We stayed in this Airbnb which was just steps away from the beach–so close that we didn’t even bother putting shoes on for the walk. We were within walking distance to the waterfront promenade and all of the restaurants and cafes on it. The only thing to note about this Airbnb if you have kids with you: the bathroom is on the first floor, and the bedrooms are on the second floor. This was a little cumbersome at night, especially since the stairs were a little steep and hard. Otherwise, I would totally recommend it. The views were beautiful, and it had everything we needed.
3 day Mallorca itinerary
I am going to share our ideal 3 day Mallorca itinerary, but I am also going to include a list that you can pull from if you do have more than 3 days in Mallorca (and I hope you do!).
Day 1: Port de Sóller and Sóller
Assuming you’re using Port de Sóller as your base, I recommend keeping your first day relatively low key while everyone settles in.
Start your morning with a walk on the waterfront promenade and head to Beach House for a smoothie, crepe, and, of course, cappuccino (these are the 3 food groups for breakfast on a Europe trip–I do not make the rules). This place is SO cute, and everything was delicious.
After breakfast, make your way down to the beach. We always settled on this side close to our Airbnb (the sand was super soft here!).
Spend your morning swimming, lounging, and taking in the peaceful vibes of Port de Sóller. If you’re a stand up paddleboard person like Tyler, you can rent one here.
We loved the pizzas at Pizzeria Sirocco. You can grab a table here OR order these to-go and bring them down to the beach for a little picnic lunch.
After lunch, a siesta is optional but encouraged. (Keep in mind that most restaurants open for dinner much later in Spain, so you’ll want to pace yourself! This schedule took us a few days to get used to).
Later in the afternoon/evening, it’s time to hop on the wooden tram to the town of Sóller where we’ll spend the rest of the day.
You can purchase tickets for the tram onboard. We used this stop to hop on.
Take the tram all the way through Sóller to the stop just past the Cathedral.
Sóller is a wonderful place to meander, but make sure to check out the center square and church.
We ate at La Romaguera for dinner one night, and it was amazing. They serve “modern” tapas, and all four of us loved this spot. This was definitely one of favorite meals of the trip.
After dinner, head towards Gelat Sóller for an ice cream stop. Enjoy your treat on the patio outside, and then you can hop on the train to head back to Port de Sóller at this stop.
Day 2: Day trip to Valldemossa
There are a handful of iconic mountain villages in the Tramuntana mountains on Mallorca: Valldemossa, Deià, Pollença, and Fornalutx. We ventured up to both Deià and Valldemossa during our time in Mallorca. Deià was beautiful, but it was a bit harder to navigate with the girls and our stroller since the sidewalks were small and the roads were busy.
Valldemossa, on the other hand, is mostly car-free and feels like stepping into another time. It is the highest mountain village In Mallorca and is unbelievably quaint, each cobblestoned street more charming than the last. Valldemossa feels like something out of a fairytale, and we absolutely loved our time there. If you only have time to do one mountain town in Mallorca, make it Valldemossa.
Read all of my tips for daytripping to Valldemossa and an easy 1 day itinerary here.
Day 3: Sailboat or Cala Deià
Sailboat charter in Mallorca
It’s time to get out on the water! Some of the best views of Mallorca are from the water, as you can see where the staggering cliff sides meet the crystal clear turquoise water below.
There are so many beautiful areas to explore along Mallorca’s coastline: hidden caves, secret beaches, and incredible lunch spots that you can only reach via boat.
We typically prefer to rent and drive our own boat when we travel, BUT after quite a bit of research, we decided that exploring the caves and coves on this particular coastline would be easier/safer/more fun if we hired a skipper. And then Tyler got it in his head that he wanted to do a sailboat instead of a motor boat, so we ended up booking a half-day charter with MaksyBoats. This company has amazing reviews, so we decided to go for it!
We had planned to sail over to Cala Tuent and Sa Calobra.
Unfortunately, the day we had booked our charter ended up being too windy to go out on the water. The skipper told Tyler that he has kids our girls’ ages, and he would never bring them out in those conditions. We were bummed to miss out but are putting this on our list for next time!
Cala Deià
If boating is not your thing (or if you run into wind issues like we did), consider spending your morning at Cala Deià. This is about a 30 drive from Port de Sóller.
The parking lot at Cala Deià fills up quickly in the morning, so you’ll want to make sure to get a good start on your day. If the lot is full, you can park up on the main road and walk down.
Spend your morning lounging and swimming at Cala Deià, but note that this, unlike the beach at Port de Sóller, is a rocky beach.
You’ll want to make a reservation in advance at Ca’s Patró which is an iconic lunch spot in Mallorca. Ca’s Patró is situated along the cove at Cala Deià and provides guests with a gorgeous and memorable dining experience.
Spend your evening back at the beach in Port de Sóller, and make a dinner reservation at Restaurant Agapanto Flor de l’Amore. This was such an amazing meal with gorgeous views. I ordered the seabass and still think of it often.
If you have more time…
Day trip to Deià
If you’ve already visited Valldemossa and are hankering for another charming mountain village day, Deià should be next on your list. Again, you’ll want to plan to get there early-ish because parking does fill up (we arrived at 1pm and drove around for 45 minutes).
Day trip to Palma
This is something we didn’t do but absolutely would have if we had an extra day or two in Mallorca. I have heard nothing but the best things about Palma, and the best part is you can hop on a train right in Sóller that takes you into Palma in just 40 minutes. This would be a super easy outing with or without kids.
Make sure to check out Palma’s Santa Maria Cathedral which is situated right on the water and the Royal Palace of La Almudaina nearby. Stroll the famous Passeig de Born and check out the Mercat de l’Olivar.
Cala Tuent and Sa Calobra
If you’re not already taking a sailboat to Cala Tuent, consider driving to this gorgeous beach nestled in a lush cove. Cala Tuent is about an hour drive from Port de Sóller, so you’ll want to pack a picnic lunch and plenty of water.
If you’re really ambitious and have the full day ahead of you, consider adding Sa Calobra to your itinerary for the day. Sa Calobra is a small port village that drivers and cyclists can reach via one of the most iconic (and windy!) roads on Mallorca.
Orange grove tour
This was another item on our “if we have time” list that we didn’t get to, BUT a reader happened to be in Mallorca the same week as we were. She told me they were planning to visit a farm called Ecovinyassa with their 2.5 year old. I asked her to report back after, and she came through!!
She said this was a fabulous, adorable experience that her whole family enjoyed. The farm is an easy walk from Sóller. The tour around the grove is self-guided, followed by an aggressive round of local snacks, produce, and toasts. Honestly, a huge miss on our part to skip this! We will definitely do it next time.
Thanks for checking out my guide for visiting Mallorca with kids! I hope this was helpful, and please let me know how your trip goes!
More posts from this trip:
Our 2 week Spain and Portugal itinerary
Everything I wore in Spain and Portugal
