WINTER tends to be cold here in Europe. Some would opt to go to some tropical countries like the Philippines or even in Australia where its summer there during the Christmas season and temperatures can be as high as 36 degrees Celsius. Then others remain patriotic and just go to the Balearic Archipelago in the Med particularly Mallorca.

Mallorca remains to be a hot destination for tourists and expatriates even during the winter season. That’s why both the tourism and the housing markets there are prolific and booming. Mallorca people are also jolly and their life expectancy is very high. This is attributed to their use of olive oil as cooking oil. Olive oil is the healthiest cooking oil known to man since it has the lowest fat content among all other cooking oils. And Mallorca boasts of the largest olive plantation in the world even though it is just 3,640 square kilometers wide.

To come here in Mallorca, you need to go to the Palma del Mallorca International Airport. Palma del Mallorca, by the way, is the capital of Mallorca and just like any other urban city in the world; it is bustling even during the Christmas season. The airport here services flights from other European capitals. There are no international flights coming in from such cities as New York or Dubai but there are immediate connecting flights if you land in Madrid.

Here in Mallorca, people are used to foreigners. In fact, most of the industry here aside from the agricultural olive plantations consists of the tourism industry. At the airport itself, there are lots of car rentals available and these car rental agencies are already hooked to online travel agencies. That is why there is no need to book separately for your car rental. If you’re visiting here just in time for Christmas and New Year, you can just reserve your flights, hotels and car rentals at the same time. You can even choose the car rentals online for the models that suit you best.

There are Opels, BMWs, Mercedes, four-door limousines and there is even Rios and off-road jeeps for the adventurous. Just make sure not to mess around beaches if your vehicle has mud because you will be surely reprimanded at the parking lot. Folks here at Mallorca are that particular when it comes to environmental concerns and cleanliness. In fact, all resorts here have been stamped the blue flag accreditation which means they adhere to the most excellent quality standards of hygiene. Even tap water can be drunk.

And just like Christmases anywhere in Spain, the folks here are very religious. They diligently go to church every Sunday for four straight weeks before Christmas to which they call Advent. During evenings, children below 12 years old go out to the streets to have a night of caroling. They often target tourists because they know tourists tend to be more generous than the native ones. In the spirit of the season, treat these carolers with respect. Even novelty items such as candies are accepted as long as they can feel the jolliness and the merriness of the cold Christmas season.