Brief History of Mallorca

One cannot appreciate the full beauty of a place until you know something of its history. Mallorca‘s history is a very long and interesting one dating back from the Paleolithic period wherein it’s first inhabitants were settlers that lived along caves near the coastline. The second wave of settlers made dwellings of huge stones called talaiots.

Mallorca was then occupied and ruled by people from Central Asia, the Romans, the Byzantine Empire, and eventually Muslims from North Africa. Each newcomer brought with them new technologies and culture and traditions that until now can be seen in modern Mallorca may it be in the form of structures, agricultural crops, and subtle influences in culture. Mallorca is now free from oppression and endless occupations and is an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Spain.

Getting to Mallorca

The island of Mallorca is accessible through air and water. Flying in to Mallorca from airports all over the world is no problem especially if you are from the UK where most airports have direct flights to Mallorca. For those that can’t find direct flights into Mallorca one can book a flight to mainland Spain, whether to Madrid, Malaga, Valencia or Barcelona, and head on to Mallorca by boat. You can also get a connecting flight to Mallorca although this isn’t really advisable since the boat ride is a lot cheaper and is also very short so that taking a plane will only save you about an hour’s worth of travel. A nice way to explore the island is taking a cruise: cruceros.

Mallorca is a place where a tourist will never lack of places to visit and things to do. In Mallorca one can enjoy nature and wildlife, find thrills, go to beaches and water parks, imbibe some culture, experience history though museums and historical places, or go out for a night of fun.

One of the main attractions in Mallorca are of course its beaches. Being an island Mallorca has plenty of wonderful beaches and beach resorts that offer a lot of other amenities so that a visit to the beach will be undoubtedly fun.

Mallorca also has some great water parks where you can get wet without the salt and sand. Some of the more popular water parks are Aqualand El Arenal, Aqualand Megaluf, Western park, and Hidropark. A visit to Marineland is also a must for those who want to see performing dolphins and sea lions and the biggest collection of sharks in all of Europe.

The mountains of Mallorca is a treat to nature lovers. An excursion to Serra de Tramuntana is a must as it is Mallorca’s highest mountain range and also a treasure in terms of its ecological value. Mallorca also boasts numerous (200 in all) and wonderful caves that are very popular among tourists. Some of the bigger and more impressive caves even have underground lakes, huge stalactites and stalagmites, and of course vast cavernous spaces. Some of the caves with lakes have great acoustics so that concerts are sometimes held in the caves. Some of the more popular caves include Caves of Drach and Hams Caves both located in Porto Cristo, Arta Caves in Capdepera, the Campanet Caves, and the Genova Caves.

For those who want to stay in the city the capital itslef, Palma de Mallorca, offers a lot of sites and attractions enough for more than a day of sightseeing. You can go on a walking tour of the city to visit the more popular attractions. Some of the more popular attractions in the city center include the the Arab Baths, the Catedral, and the Palau de l’Almudaina(an old Muslim castle).

Rural tourism is also fast becoming popular in Mallorca where people who want a quieter time can spend their vacation in small but very picturesque towns. Some of the prettier towns include Alcudia, Capdepera, Pollenca, Porto Colom, Porto Cristo, Sineu, and Valldemossa.

Mallorcan cuisine makes use of lots of local ingredients based mostly on pork, fish and vegetables doused with plenty of garlic and olive oil. Those who want to experience genuine Mallorcan cuisine would do well to look for some of their specialties. Mallorcan specialties include:
● sausages – sobrasada (raw minced pork with hot red pepper), botifarro (cured pork with blood), and spicy chorizo (although this is originally from mainland from Spain)
● jamon serrano – a special whole cured ham displayed nicely on a slicing board
● frit mallorqui – pig’s innards fried with potatoes, onions, and tomatoes (It tastes good but not for the quesy)
● tumbet – Mallorcan style ratatouille of aubergines, potatoes and peppers cooked in olive oil
● sopes mallorquines – thick broth of thinly-sliced brown bread and vegetables
● llom amb col – pork wrapped in cabbage with pine nuts and raisins
● lechona asada – roast suckling pig
● helado – ice cream
● flan – creme caramel
● gato de almendras – almond cake with toasted almond ice cream
● ensaimada – fluffly spiral pastry filled with different fillings dusted with sugar on top
● cheeses – Mahon (from Menorca), Manchego (from mainland Spain)

For a great eating in experience just enter any restaurant that locals frequent where you will find real Mallorcan cuisine. However, if you want to eat somewhere special I suggest you go inland and look for underground cellars that have been transformed into charming and cosy restaurants. Not only will you love the ambiance but also find excellent food AND wine as well. Cellers, as these places are called, are very popular for the great Mallorcan traditional dishes they serve.

Some of the good Cellers and restaurants categorized according to location are:

● Inca – Celler Can Amer, C/Pau 39, Tel: 971-501261
C’an Guize, CL Estrell (for good pasteries)
● Sineu -Cafe Es Baret, C/Es Mirador 3, tel: 677-430492 (has great tapas)
Celler Es Grop, C/Major 18, Tel: 971-520187 (plenty of fried dishes and good wine)
Moli d’En Pau, Ctra. Santa Margarita 25, Tel: 971-855116
● Southern Plains
Es Eco de Randa Hotel & Restaurant, C/Font 13, Randa
Celler Bar Rand, C/Esglesia 20, Randa, tel: 971-660989 (serves Mallorcan snails)
Cal Dimoni,Ctra Palma-Manacor, Algaida, tel: 971 66 50 35
Apartaments Rurals Raims, C/Ribera 24, Algaida, Tel: 971-665157 (17th century manor with swimming pool and an on-site celler)