Destination: Balearic Islands
BLOGGED LOCATIONS
The Balearic Islands lie between the eastern coast of mainland Spain and Corsica. It is a province of Spain with its capital being Palma. The four largest islands are Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. Minor islands include Cabrera, Dragonera, and S’Espalmador. The four major islands are all very popular tourist destinations and Ibiza is known internationally as a huge party destination, attracting many of the world’s top DJs to its nightclubs.
If you want to hit beautiful beaches then head to Mallorca. If you like bars and clubs, then its Ibiza for you. For those who want to chill, or hike or spend more outdoors with what nature has to offer then Formentera and Menorca are great bets for you.
The islands have a Mediterranean climate, and they all offer great cruising grounds for sailboats.
Average costs in this area
Transportation - If you have your own car, motorcycle, caravan, or RV and traveling from mainland Spain to the Balearic Islands then a ferry ride is in your future. If you don't have your own transport the ferry is still the mode of choice to island hop. Bringing your own vehicle saves money and can offer you a place to sleep in some great locations.
Accommodation - Places to stay in the Balearics range from off-the-beaten-track farmhouses, B&Bs, 5 star luxury hotels to pensions. There exist many online websites that cater for all budgets and accommodation needs. Get online and book one now.
Food - The Balearics are all about seafood, especially crustaceans, clams and squid. Pork and spiny lobster are other specialties. The well known 'sobresada' sausage (named after the protected area Sobrassada in Majorca), is worth trying as well as fish based soups and rice dishes.
Suggested daily budget – Of course this depends on where you stay, what you do, and where you eat as it all makes a difference. We like to walk the streets to see the ‘real’ stuff going on and to call in at interesting street food vendors for lunch. If many locals eat at a place that means the food is usually good and inexpensive and you should eat there too. Buying from a local grocery store and having a picnic is also an affordable and fun option. The Balearic islands offer one of the most fun, affordable, and safest places to visit in Spain.
TIps for first visit
1. Getting Around – What do you want to see or do? Is it going to be a cultural, culinary, or adrenaline junkie trip? How much time do you have? Organized tour for optimizing time, or do-it-yourself to optimize flexibility, or something in between?
2. Get tour and club entrance passes – Doing your research in advance, gives you MANY benefits: Allows you to prioritize activities, allows you to know costs in advance for budgeting, and gives you some idea of time needed at each activity. When you know what you want to do, reserve a ticket in advance so that when you turn up you will not be turned away!
3. Check where the locals eat – PRO TIP: If you forgot to make a reservation then this holds true … walk a MINIMUM of THREE blocks away from a tourist attraction. If you still see restaurants with photos of food plastered along their fronts, keep on walking until you dont see them. When you dont see any ‘photo menus’, you have just entered the ‘local’ zone! The food here will be cheaper, better, fresher and you are more likely to meet locals than other tourists. Good food will sell by itself and doesnt need a photo to sell it. These restaurants without the ‘photo menus’ stay in business because the food is good and they want your repeat business, NOT because they have an endless supply of tourists coming through that they dont need to impress.
Do’s and don’ts
Be respectful and be kind. Learn some local lingo. Always remember that you are a GUEST in their country. You are in the Balearics, so .. relax and watch this part of the world open up in front of you. Go for an early walk, have a coffee or sandwich at a corner cafe and people watch. Some of the best times are before and after the work day when you can see food being delivered to restaurants, linens being washed, families going off to activities. Sit, watch, and listen, its free and fun!
What you shouldn't do?
Be smart with your bags and gear. Cars get broken into in each country in the world and not just Spain so do advertise to would be car thieves. Carry just enough cash for a couple of days, and use your credit card for as many purchases as possible. Use the local ATM machines to get out more euros when you need them.
Hopefully the tips above will give you enough information to start your own planning. If you want to check out some of the locations we visited in the Balearics and what we though of them, then click the [EXPLORE LOCATIONS] button below, or select a specific Balearic island location from the list on the right.
