7-day family vacation in Mallorca

What’s the perfect place to meet if your family lives on the opposite side of the world? A place where children, parents and grandparents can all enjoy summer activities? Probably there is more than one place like that, but last year we went for our 7-day family holiday to Mallorca and it was a great choice!

As you may know, the logistics of a group of 10 people from 3 different generations normally aren’t too easy to handle. Therefore, we decided to take it slow and opted for a relaxed, slow-paced quality time together with some attractions that everybody could enjoy on the Spanish Balearic Island.

Colorful buildings in the charming town Valldemossa

But let’s start from the beginning! The whole thing wasn’t planned well in advance (and you shouldn’t follow my steps on this one). It’s better to book your accommodation in Mallorca well in advance as it can be bustling during the summer months!

About mid-June last year my in-laws, who live in Uruguay, said that they’d come to Spain in July and that my sister-in-law would be there with her 3 children, too.

My husband and I live in Warsaw, Poland, so going to Spain was a good combo of seeing our loved ones while enjoying a week by the Mediterranean. So, why not? We booked our flight and started to search for accommodation in Palma de Mallorca. Eventually, we managed to find a place in a beautiful hotel overlooking the Palma de Mallorca port!

Little beach in Port de Pollença

Day 1: arriving in Palma de Mallorca

A month later my husband and I landed in Palma de Mallorca. We picked up the cars we rented (which came very handy for moving around with the whole crew) and went for dinner.

We had our first meal in Mallorca in La Tapera which was open until late, had very good reviews and was close to our hotel. The restaurant actually exceeded our expectations! The owners were very helpful, the food was super fresh and cooked to perfection.

After the dinner we headed to our hotel, which was located in the neighborhood of Portopí, on a hill away from the city center. After a quick check-in we headed straight to our bed to rest before the family holiday activities we planned for the next day.

Sunset at the port of Palma de Mallorca seen from our hotel

Day 2: exploring the paradisiacal beach Playa de Muro and Port de Pollença

On our first day at the beach together, we decided to play it safe and go to the biggest of Mallorca’s beaches, Playa de Muro! It has actually been voted one of the 10 best beaches in Europe, so we didn’t have any doubts that we’d like it too.

After a 50-minute drive from Palma de Mallorca, we reached our destination. The beach is very accessible so both the youngest and eldest members of our group could easily reach it.

Playa de Muro was basically picture-perfect! It was a beautiful combination of white sand and turquoise water. The sea was calm and shallow and we could see many lifeguards around, so we felt very safe about children playing by the shore. There were also bars, cafes, free showers, so we basically had everything we wanted and could simply relax.

Crystal-clear waters at Playa de Muro

In the afternoon we decided to see a bit more of the coastline and we drove from Playa de Muro to the charming town of Port de Pollença, which took us about 20 minutes. We discovered a small bay, where we could hide in the pine trees’ shade and swim in completely calm water.

When we felt that we had enough of sand, water and sun for the day, we went to explore the town of Port de Pollença. We walked along the beautiful promenade parallel to picturesque cafes and seaside restaurants. We ended up in a wooden playground resembling a shipwreck that is definitely a must if you’re there with your little ones.

A wooden shipwreck playground: fun for children in Port de Pollença

Day 3: discovering the Playa de Camp de Mar and the Port d'Andratx

In Mallorca, there are so many beautiful places and beaches that it’s not that easy to choose your next destination. As our choice for the third day of our summer holiday trip, we chose Playa de Camp de Mar, where you can get in about 25 minutes by car from Palma de Mallorca.

The green bay of Playa de Camp de Mar

Camp de Mar is a town with a small, quiet beach in a bay created by rocks. It’s easy to access, so it’s a great choice if you travel with children and seniors. I loved it from the very first sight – the color of the water was amazing, there were small, charming buildings around.

Tip: don't miss the beautiful restaurant “Illeta” built on a rock. It’s surrounded by water and you can access it by crossing a small bridge. It gets busy, so if you want to have lunch or dinner there, book a table a week in advance.

Charming little buildings by Playa de Camp de Mar

Later on that day we went to the chic Port d'Andratx, only a 10-minute drive from Camp de Mar. The sun wasn’t burning anymore, so we enjoyed exploring the alleys of the one the most charming ports of the Mediterranean. We had some delicious seafood at one of the Port d'Andratx’s restaurants by the sea and enjoyed the view of the yachts docked nearby.

Tip: in Port d'Andratx you can rent a motorboat and explore the coast on your own! However, it is not recommended for small children, so we didn’t do it.

The elegant Port d'Andratx

Day 4: salt harvesting and a special beach – Salinas d'Es Trenc + Playa de Es Trenc

On the fourth day of our family holiday in Mallorca, we wanted to explore some hidden gems of the islands and the locals told us to go to the Playa de Es Trenc that belongs to the Natural Park Es Trenc-Salobrar de Campos.

We got from Palma de Mallorca to Es Trenc in about 50 minutes. However, before we went to the beach, we stopped at Salinas d'Es Trenc – a special place where salt is harvested! There’s a little shop with a café where you can buy local salt and enjoy a cup of coffee.

Tip: salt from Es Trenc is a great idea for a souvenir from your trip to Mallorca!

The hidden gem, Playa de Es Trenc

After this little stopover, we were very close to our final stop, Playa de Es Trenc. The road got narrower and a bit wilder. Thus, we decided to stop our car by the restaurant placed between the sand dunes and walked to the beach. The walk wasn’t too long, so both the children and the seniors easily made it there.

This beach hidden behind small dunes was what we were after: a beautiful, natural place without crowds or massive resorts. White sand and clear-blue waters were creating a view I could watch for hours!

After spending a couple of hours in this magical place, we went to the restaurant we parked by and… we had the best seafood you can imagine! I had shrimps and they were absolutely amazing.

Tip: if you fancy a paella at the restaurant by Playa de Es Trenc, order it in advance (when you’re on your way to the beach). They make it fresh so it requires some time to be prepared.

Traveling in time: the historic train from Palma to Sóller

Day 5: train adventure to Sóller and Port de Sóller

Vintage, retro and romantic are my thing. Not the cheesy stuff, the real stuff! So, the idea of taking a train from the beginning of the 20th century from Palma de Mallorca to Sóller sounded great. And not only to me, but also to my husband’s parents, nieces and nephew!

We got lucky and had the whole space in the first passenger railroad car for our big family crew. The train was all finished in wood and it felt like traveling in time. When the train started, we started enjoying the views from the windows.

Tip: you can find all the information about planning this train trip in our ultimate guide to the Sóller train in Mallorca.

Amazing views of Pujol d’En Banya

When we got to the viewpoint of Pujol d’En Banya, the train stopped and we could get off the train and take some pictures of this spectacular valley. After a couple of minutes, we got back on the train and headed to Sóller.

Sóller was our last stop so we got off the train to take a tram from this picturesque town to Port de Sóller. On our way, we saw loads of orange and lemon trees that were growing just next to the railway. After the second leg of this trip, we got to Port de Sóller, a town with a lovely port and a beach in a beautiful bay. We spent the rest of our day there, before heading back to Palma de Mallorca.

Our final destination: beautiful Port de Sóller

Day 6: following Chopin’s footsteps in Valldemossa

After four days of exploring different beaches of Mallorca, we decided to explore the inland and see what the island had to offer away from the coast. I’m Polish, so the choice was simple: Valdemossa, the town in the mountains where Fryderyk Chopin, our great composer, and George Sand, a renowned French writer, stayed during the winter of 1838.

The drive from Palma de Mallorca to Valldemossa was only 30 minutes. We didn’t have a plan and you won’t need one as the town is incredibly charming and gives you beautiful views of the valley. We walked through the cobbled alleys and squares and soaked in the special atmosphere of this place.

Chopin’s town hidden in the mountains, Valldemossa

Day 7: exploring Palma de Mallorca + specialty coffee

Our 7-day family holiday in Mallorca was about to finish. Our Uruguayan family waved us goodbye and went to enjoy their last day at the beach. We, on the other hand, went to explore the city of Palma de Mallorca before we headed back to the airport.

Our first point was the Cathedral of Mallorca in Palma, a magnificent Gothic building that is visible from most places in the city. First, my husband and I admired the incredible façade and then we went inside, where we saw fantastic multi-colored stained-glass windows. They looked like kaleidoscopes with the light entering through them.

Incredible Gothic cathedral in Palma de Mallorca

After this visit, we walked to the main square of Palma de Mallorca, Plaça Major, and then along the tree-lined promenade, La Rambla. We turned into a small street called C. del Carme and… we found something we were actually after all these days – a great specialty coffee place!

If you’re a high-level coffee freak like I am, you know how it is to suffer from a lack of good coffee for a week. But here it was! Surry Hills Coffee: espresso extracted to perfection and amazing pastries. No wonder the place was packed and only take-away was an option, but still, it made our day.

Tip: if you want to grab a cup of specialty coffee from Surry Hills Coffee, check their opening hours as they close early in the afternoon.

On our way to the best coffee place in Palma

After this coffee-happiness moment, we headed to the airport to take our plane back to Warsaw. There were still many things we wanted to do such as taking a ferry trip to other Balearic Islands such as Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera, and explore more of Mallorca itself. The largest Spanish island of the Mediterranean turned out to be a perfect place for a family holiday, so we hope that we’ll be there again in the future.

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Author Bio

Hello! My name is Agnieszka Gwadera and I’m the Polish Language Manager at Ferryhopper. I’m a translator, copywriter, dancer, traveler and coffee and wine enthusiast. 🍷💃 Quite a mix, no? 😅 To make it even more interesting, my husband is Uruguayan, so I divide my year between Warsaw, traveling in the south of Europe and spending Polish winters in Uruguay (hint: in the Southern Hemisphere it’s summer then ☀️). And when it comes to coffee… I was the co-owner of a specialty coffee subscription company, Buenos Beans, so you can imagine the level of my obsession ☕