A 7 day Mallorca itinerary works best as three bases and two transfers: two nights in Palma old town, two in the Tramuntana village of Deià, then two on the coast at Cap Rocat. Seven days means six nights, and the order matters. You start on foot in the city, spend the middle of the week on mountain roads, and finish a short drive from the airport, so departure day carries no long journey.
Every drive on this route is under about an hour, which is why one rental car or two pre-booked transfers is enough. The sections below give the realistic drive times, the stops worth making and the markets worth timing, then slot the three hotels in as stages of the week. The best months are May, June, September and early October, when the sea is warm enough for a swim and the mountain roads are not yet clogged with summer traffic.
The 7 day Mallorca itinerary at a glance
| Day | Base | Plan | Typical drive time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palma old town | Airport transfer, walk to the cathedral square, dinner | Around 15-20 minutes from the airport |
| 2 | Palma old town | La Seu, markets, one museum or Bellver Castle | Mostly on foot |
| 3 | Deià | Valldemossa on the way, afternoon by the pool | Around 25 minutes to Valldemossa, then around 20 to Deià |
| 4 | Deià | Cala Deià swim or a day trip to Sóller and its port | Around 20-25 minutes each way to Sóller |
| 5 | Cap Rocat | Cross back to the coast, first swim, dinner on site | Around an hour from Deià |
| 6 | Cap Rocat | Spa, sea access and a long dinner, or a taxi into Palma | Around 20 minutes to the old town |
| 7 | Departure | Breakfast and airport transfer | Around 15-25 minutes |
Treat the drive times as figures for quiet roads. On summer weekends the coast road through Deià and the car parks at Valldemossa fill early, so add a buffer. For budgeting, hotel listings suggest Palma sits in the middle and the two resorts well above it: think from around US$300 a night for Sant Francesc in winter (nearer US$600 in summer), against entry rooms from about US$850 at La Residencia and US$750 at Cap Rocat that climb to US$1,200–1,500 in high season, then check live prices for your dates.
Prices are indicative and were last updated in October 2026. Rates change with season, exchange rates and availability, so check live prices before booking.
Days 1 and 2: Palma old town
Palma airport is only around 15-20 minutes from the old town by taxi, so day one can start with a late lunch and not a lost afternoon. Keep the first evening to a walk around Plaça de Sant Francesc, the lanes of Santa Eulàlia and the squares toward Passeig del Born, then a reserved dinner. The car can wait until day three, because parking inside the historic centre costs more patience than it is worth.
Sant Francesc Hotel Singular: the Palma leg of the week
Sant Francesc occupies a restored 19th-century mansion on the square that gives it its name, beside the basilica. For this itinerary its value is position: the cathedral, the markets and most of the restaurants you will want are a walk away, so two days in Palma need no transfers at all. The rooftop terrace with a small pool and bar looks across the basilica and old-town roofs, which suits a rest between a morning of sightseeing and a late dinner. It is a city hotel, so expect a compact pool and not a resort deck.
- Best for: the first two nights, when you want to walk everywhere
- Location: historic centre, around 15-20 minutes by taxi from the airport
- Rates: Superior and Deluxe doubles cost from around US$300 a night between November and March and up to around US$600 in the June to September peak, with 10% VAT included; breakfast is about €25 per person extra and the Balearic tourist tax is added
- Don’t miss: a drink on the rooftop at dusk
Good to know: the rooftop pool is small and popular in summer, so go in the morning if you want a lounger.
Day two is the main city day. Start at La Seu, the Gothic cathedral on the waterfront, early in the morning before the tour groups arrive, and add the neighbouring Almudaina Palace if you like royal interiors. Opening hours and ticket prices change by season, so check the cathedral’s official site before you go. From there the Arab Baths and the courtyards of the old town fit into a slow morning walk.
For lunch, Palma’s food markets are the quickest way to understand local produce. Mercat de l’Olivar is the large central one, and Santa Catalina is the neighbourhood market with bars around it. Confirm hours locally, as they differ by day. If you want a village market instead, the Wednesday market at Sineu is the long-running one in the centre of the island, though it takes a half-day and a car, so it only fits if you swap out the Palma museum afternoon.
Choose one afternoon addition, not two. Es Baluard or the Fundació Miró Mallorca suit art lovers, while Bellver Castle offers a circular Gothic plan and views over the bay, and needs a taxi from the centre. Finish with rooftop drinks and a dinner booked well ahead in summer.
Days 3 and 4: the Tramuntana and Deià
Collect a car after breakfast on day three and head northwest. Valldemossa is the natural stop, around 25 minutes from Palma; arrive before the coaches and walk its stone streets before lunch. From there to Deià is around 20 minutes along the Ma-10, a winding mountain road, so resist adding more villages. The direct drive from Palma to Deià takes around 40 minutes, which means you lose very little by stopping and gain a good deal.
La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, Mallorca: the mountain leg
La Residencia is the week’s pause from sightseeing. It is a hillside estate of linked manor houses, olive terraces and gardens above Deià, with art on display throughout the property, and it is not beside a beach. That makes it the right middle chapter: the days are about mountain light, pool time and dinner in the village, and the sea comes later at Cap Rocat. The season and restaurant lineup change from year to year (the hotel typically closes over winter), so confirm what is open for your dates before building plans around a particular table.
- Best for: nights three and four, as the slow mountain stop between city and coast
- Location: Deià village, around 40 minutes from Palma by car
- Rates: a Classic Double starts at about US$850 a night in April and October and reaches around US$1,500 from May to September, VAT included but tourist tax extra
- Don’t miss: a walk down into the village for an evening drink
Good to know: rooms are spread across the estate, so ask about steps and distance to the main pool if mobility matters.
Day four has two versions. The slow one stays in Deià: village in the morning, the Robert Graves house if it appeals, then the walk or short drive down to Cala Deià for a swim and lunch. The cove is rocky, not sandy, and the climb back is steep, so wear proper shoes. Parking in Deià fills early in summer, so go before 9.30am or take a taxi.
The more active version drives to Sóller, around 20-25 minutes from Deià, for the main square, the modernist architecture and the vintage tram down to Port de Sóller for a waterfront lunch. I would pick one version and not both. Tunnel and toll arrangements on the Ma-11 have changed over the years, so check the current position if you plan to loop back to Palma that way.
Days 5 and 6: the coast at Cap Rocat
Day five crosses the island back to the Bay of Palma, around an hour by car depending on traffic. Do not fill it with detours: Cap Rocat is best reached by early afternoon so there is time to walk the property and have a first swim. If you want a quiet evening, book dinner on site and leave the car parked.
Cap Rocat: the sea leg
Cap Rocat is a restored 19th-century military fortress on a private headland on the southern shore of the Bay of Palma. For an itinerary it provides the opposite of the mountains: stone terraces, direct access to the water (the shoreline is rocky, with no sandy beach), and a spa set into the old fortifications. It is an adults-only retreat, though sources differ on the minimum age, so confirm it if you are travelling with teenagers. Day six can be left empty on purpose, or you can taxi into Palma for dinner, around 20 minutes away.
- Best for: nights five and six, the unhurried end to the trip
- Location: Cala Blava, around 15-25 minutes from the airport
- Rates: Sentinel Suites run from around US$750 a night in April, May and October to around US$1,200 in summer, including VAT, with a two-night minimum; Sea View Suites reach about US$1,750 and Pool Suites about US$2,800 at peak
- Don’t miss: the sea access at sunset
Good to know: rooms sit at different levels of the fortress, so check views, stairs and private pool access when choosing a category.
If you would rather weigh the mountains against the coast for a shorter stay, my side-by-side on Deià versus the coast of Mallorca covers that decision directly. Couples planning a celebration trip can also see the best luxury islands for an anniversary, and shorter stays are covered in the five-night luxury island trips. For similar retreats elsewhere, see the best adults-only island resorts.
Day 7: departure
Cap Rocat is the nearest of the three bases to the airport, around 15-25 minutes, so a normal flight needs nothing beyond a pre-booked transfer. For an afternoon flight, ask early about late checkout. For an early flight, settle the bill the evening before. If your flight is late, a final lunch in Palma is possible, but I would not try to fit a museum in.
Best months and practical notes
May, June, September and early October give the best mix of warm weather, workable sea temperatures and manageable crowds. July and August are hot and busy, so start sightseeing early and protect the middle of the day for the pool. Winter is quiet and cheaper, but some resorts close and the sea is cold, so this particular route works best from spring to autumn.
Book all three hotels before the restaurants, because a gap in one leg breaks the route. A private transfer is easiest from the airport to Palma, and a rental car is most useful from day three to day five. If you would prefer not to drive mountain roads, ask the hotel in Deià about a driver for the day.
Where to stay at a glance
| Base | Nights | Role in the week | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sant Francesc Hotel Singular, Palma | 2 | City, markets, walking | Check rates |
| La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, Deià | 2 | Mountains and village | Check rates |
| Cap Rocat, Cala Blava | 2 | Sea access and rest | Check rates |
The verdict
Two nights in each base is the right split for six nights, and I would not add a fourth hotel. If you have a seventh night, give it to Deià so that Cala Deià and Sóller get separate days. If you have fewer nights, drop Palma to one and keep the mountains and the coast.
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