When to go
May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot: warm enough to swim, cool enough to walk, and the mountain roads still manageable. July and August are hot and the Tramuntana car parks fill before mid-morning. Several top hotels are seasonal, roughly March to November, so a winter trip means a city break in Palma more than a countryside stay. The summer months also bring the Balearic tourist tax at its peak rate, around €4 per person per night at five-star hotels, halved from the ninth night.
Getting there and getting around
Palma de Mallorca airport has direct flights from most European cities. The old town is a quick taxi ride away, the Bay of Palma hotels about the same, and Deià around 40 minutes over the twisting Ma-10. A hire car makes the middle of the trip easy; if mountain bends put you off, pre-book private transfers between hotels and use boats from Port de Sóller for the coast.
Where to stay and for how long
- Palma old town: for the cathedral, markets and walkable dinners; one or two nights.
- The Tramuntana (Deià, Valldemossa, Sóller): for hiking, village restaurants and the most scenic drives.
- The Bay of Palma coast: for sea swimming and a short run back to the airport.
Five nights gives you two bases; seven lets you use all three without packing every morning. We'd finish on the coast so departure day is short.
