MALLORCA is actually not located in the Spanish mainland itself. It is a separate island in itself surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and is part of the Balearic archipelago. To go there, there are direct flights from mainland Europe to its capital, Palma de Mallorca. Otherwise, you can take a connecting flight either from Madrid or from Barcelona. Even though Mallorca itself is an island and not part of mainland Spain, it is still a tourist destination in itself. Its main economy of course thrives on tourism. If you’re from another Balearic island like Ibiza, there are also ferries every day.

Palma de Mallorca is located 39 degrees 34 minutes North 002 degrees 39 minues East. It has a population of more than half a million. Sights in the city include the Castell de Belver, Pueblo Español and the so-called historic center which has a wide array of historical sites one after the other. Palma de Mallorca’s local cathedral features its own museum and this can be visited by the public even when they are not Catholics. Security is tight though as Spaniards are wary about terrorism and Basque separatism. But if you have nothing to hide, the visit will be smooth. The museum has an exhibit of religious paintings and silverware. Also located in the historic center is the Banys Arabs whose construction dates back to the Moorish days sometime in the 10th century. In the sauna room, the floor is heated and water is added to make the room steamy. That’s how ingenious the Arabs are back in those days. The same technique is applied today and you can get in for just 1.50 euros for adults and free for children. Another feature in Palma de Mallorca’s historic center is the Museo de Arte Español Contemporaneo.

Outside Palma de Mallorca some 15 kilometers away, you will find the world famous Aqualand water park, the largest in Europe. There’s a free non-airconditioned bus going there for several rounds a day and back at a rendezvous from Palma de Mallorca but if you want to settle in a more comfortable ride, coaches, taxicabs and car rentals are always available. The price for an entrance in Aqualand is at 21 euros for adults and 13 euros for children. Attractions in Aqualand include a mini park, a surf beach, a multipistas, the kamikaze, a super slalom, a crazy race, a super kamikaze, black hole, espiral, rapids, boomerang, lago, dragoland, Castillo Infantil, tornado and Congo river.

In Mallorca, prices of everything else fall as you go far from the beaches because the concentration of the tourists is in the beaches. It is there that you can go hiking at the Serra de Tramuntana. The oftentimes religiously associated hiking pilgrimage culminates at Monastir de Lluc. To go to Serra de Tramantuna, you can take a tourist train whose tracks and train itself is the 1912 replica. The train is powered by electric locomotive and is probably the one operated in the world today. Prior to going to the monastery in Lluc, stop for coffee at the market in Soller.