Barcelona & Mallorca: The Best of Our Spanish Getaway

4 hours ago

6 min read

Our Barcelona and Mallorca trip highlights, filled with beautiful beaches, scenic hikes, incredible food and a little city exploring.

Why Barcelona and Mallorca?

Barcelona is a city in northeastern Spain and the capital of Catalonia, known for its incredible architecture, especially the one of a kind designs of Antoni Gaudí. Between exploring the city's famous landmarks, wandering through historic neighborhoods and trying Catalan cuisine, there is so much to see and do.

Mallorca is one of Europe's most popular island getaways, and it's easy to see why! It's also the filming location for Love Island UK. I love a good island trip that combines outdoor adventures with charming towns, and Mallorca has the best of both worlds. Think turquoise water, beautiful calas (small coves), coastal hikes and picturesque villages, all with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the local food.

During our trip to Spain, we split our time between Mallorca and Barcelona, combining beach days and scenic hikes with city sightseeing and lots of good meals.

Here are some of my favorite things we did, saw and ate along the way!

Itinerary in Brief:

Day 1: Arrive in Mallorca and drive to Port de Sóller, our home base
Day 2: Hike from Deià to Port de Sóller, then explore Sóller and Palma
Day 3: Visit Valldemossa, Drive to Cala d'Or and visit the Drach Caves
Day 4: Cala hopping around Mallorca
Day 5: Fly to Barcelona and take a food tour
Day 6: Visit Park Güell, Sagrada Família and other Gaudí sights
Day 7: Explore Montjuïc and the Gothic Quarter, then have dinner in El Born
Day 8: Depart Barcelona

Mallorca

Mallorca was the perfect mix of scenic coastal hikes, charming villages and turquoise water. We spent the first part of our trip exploring the western side of the island before heading southeast for a day of cala hopping.

Port de Sóller

We spent a couple of nights on the western side of Mallorca in Port de Sóller. Our hotel was right on the port, with the beach just steps away. The cove was lined with boats and restaurants, with a lovely walkway along the water. It was such a scenic spot to come back to after a day of exploring.

Hiking from Deià to Port de Sóller

The next morning, we started our day with a hike from Deià back to Port de Sóller. We took the bus to Deià to use it as our starting point, then made our way along the trail toward the port.

The hike took us through olive tree groves and along the hillsides, with beautiful views of the coastline from above. It was a great way to experience Mallorca's scenery beyond the beaches and one of my favorite outdoor activities from the trip.

Palma

Palma is Mallorca's capital and largest city, and its most famous landmark is the impressive cathedral, La Seu. We booked timed entry tickets to explore the inside, which was grand and beautiful. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in Palma!

Beforehand, we grabbed lunch at a tapas restaurant tucked into a square with orange trees, just a block away from one of the busier streets. We ordered croquettes, patatas bravas and a salad. It was exactly what we needed before exploring the city.

Sóller

Sóller is a fairly small town, so in my opinion, a few hours is enough to wander around and see the highlights. We spent our time browsing the shops and stopping for gelato at Mister McRoy's, a handmade ice cream shop.

One of the fun things about visiting Sóller is the historic wooden train that connects the town with Port de Sóller. We rode it back toward the port after exploring, which was a fun way to end the day and get back to our accommodation.

Valldemossa

Before heading to our next accommodation near Cala d'Or, we stopped in the picturesque mountain village of Valldemossa. The village is best known for its historic Carthusian monastery, where composer Frédéric Chopin once stayed.

We visited the monastery, climbed the tower for views over the village and surrounding mountains, and tried the local coca de patata, a soft, sweet potato pastry that's a specialty here. We also spent some time wandering the narrow stone streets before continuing our drive across the island.

Drach Caves

The Drach Caves are one of Mallorca's most popular tourist attractions, but I still thought they were well worth visiting. How often do you get to walk through a cave filled with incredible stalactites and stalagmites and see an underground lake?

The caves are a little different from the beaches and villages you'll find around the island, making them a fun stop to add to your itinerary. It was a unique experience and a nice change of pace from spending time outdoors.

Cala hopping

Cala hopping was our favorite day of the trip! Mallorca is famous for its beautiful coves and clear turquoise water, so visiting a few different calas is a must if you enjoy swimming and relaxing by the sea.

We visited three in one day: Cala Llombards, Caló des Moro and Cala s'Almunia. Each one had a slightly different feel, which made it worth visiting all three. From swimming in the clear water to taking in the rocky coastline, this was one of those days that made me understand why Mallorca is such a popular summer destination.

If you have time during your trip, I'd definitely recommend setting aside a full day for cala hopping. Just keep in mind that the most popular spots can get busy, especially around midday, so arriving early is a good idea, particularly when it comes to finding parking!

Barcelona

Barcelona was the perfect city to end our Spain trip. Between the famous Gaudí architecture, historic neighborhoods and incredible food, there was plenty to explore. We spent our days sightseeing, wandering through the city and, of course, eating our way through Catalan cuisine.

Food Tour

One of the fun activities we did in Barcelona was a food tour, where we got to try a variety of tapas, including pan con tomate (tomato bread), local cheeses, sausage and meatballs.

I love doing food tours when visiting a new city because you get a little history along the way, meet other fellow travelers and, of course, get fed! It's also a great way to discover local dishes and get a feel for the food scene before exploring on your own.

Park Güell, Sagrada Família and other Gaudí sights

A visit to Barcelona wouldn't be complete without seeing some of Antoni Gaudí's famous architecture. His style is so unique and whimsical, with colorful mosaics, curved lines and details that you don't see anywhere else.

We booked morning entry tickets for Park Güell, which was a great way to start our sightseeing day. The park is known for its colorful architectural features and has beautiful views overlooking the city.

We also visited the iconic Sagrada Família (outside only), which is just as impressive in person as you'd expect. If you're planning a trip to Barcelona, I'd recommend booking tickets ahead of time for the major Gaudí sights, especially if you want a specific entry time.

Montjuïc

We headed up Montjuïc using the funicular, planning to explore the castle, Olympic area and some of the museums and gardens along the way. There are several sights spread across the hill, so it's a nice area to spend a few hours exploring.

Unfortunately, the weather had other plans! It started pouring while we were there, so we ended up cutting our visit short rather than continuing to walk around in the rain. We made the most of the rest of the day by heading back into the city to explore some of Barcelona's other neighborhoods.

Gothic Quarter

Wandering through the Gothic Quarter was one of my favorite ways to experience Barcelona. The neighborhood is full of narrow medieval streets, historic buildings and little squares that make you want to slow down and explore.

The streets can feel like a maze, but that's part of the fun. We spent time walking around and taking in the architecture before heading toward El Born for dinner.

Dinner at Bornes in El Borne

One of my favorite dinners of the trip was at Bornes in El Born, where the restaurant served Catalan cuisine with a twist. The atmosphere was so cool, with rustic stone walls, midcentury touches and a balcony seating area where we enjoyed our meal.

We started with pan con tomate again, but this time the tomato and garlic were served separately so we could rub them onto the bread ourselves. The charred leeks were another standout and definitely worth mentioning.

For our main courses, I ordered cod while my husband went with the vegetable rice dish. We finished with crema catalana, a traditional Catalan custard dessert similar to crème brûlée, with a caramelized sugar topping. Between the atmosphere and the food, this was such a memorable dinner and a great way to wrap up our time in Barcelona!

Thanks for reading! - The Maine Chick