The church tower of Valldemossa and its stone village below the Tramuntana mountains
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Luxury in Spain

Mallorca

The largest of the Balearics: Palma and its cathedral above the sea, the mountain villages of the Tramuntana, hidden coves, and some of the finest superyacht marinas in the Mediterranean.

Valldemossa, MallorcaPhotograph: Pexels

Benvinguts

An island of mountains and sea

Palma rises from its bay around La Seu, the Gothic cathedral built on the shore after the Christian conquest of 1229, whose interior Antoni Gaudí reworked in the early twentieth century. Behind it the old town keeps its courtyard palaces, and along the bay lie the marinas where many of the world's great yachts spend the winter.

Along the north-west coast runs the Serra de Tramuntana, a World Heritage range of terraced olive groves and stone villages. Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838 in Valldemossa, and the poet Robert Graves made his home in Deià, which still draws artists and writers.

The island speaks Catalan as well as Spanish, and the Spanish royal family spends its summers at the Marivent Palace in Palma. Beyond the city, Mallorca is a place of fincas among almond trees, coves of clear water reached by boat, and long lunches by the sea.

A few words of Spanish
EnglishSpanishSay it
HelloHolaOH-lah
PleasePor favorpor fah-VOR
Thank youGraciasGRAH-thee-ahs (GRAH-see-ahs is also understood)
Good eveningBuenas noches (after dark; buenas tardes earlier)BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah, por fah-VOR

Where to go

Mallorca at a glance

When to go, the one best hotel and table, and how to arrive privately.

Mallorca

Best time to visitJune and September are ideal: warm sea, reliable sun and room to breathe in the coves and harbours, with superyacht racing off Palma in June. July and August are the hottest and fullest months.

  • Stay
    Cap Rocatone of the 25 Finest Resorts

    A 19th-century fortress guarding the Bay of Palma, protected as a national monument, set in a 30-hectare reserve with two kilometres of private coastline.

  • Dine
    Voro

    In Canyamel, it is the only MICHELIN two-star in the Balearic Islands.

  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Palma de Mallorca (PMI / LEPA), about 15 minutes by car to Palma.
By helicopter
Not a usual airport transfer; private helicopter charters link Mallorca with Ibiza and Menorca, and Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor arranges them from its own helipad.
By sea
Club de Mar-Mallorca, Palma, more than 70 berths for yachts of 40 to 170 metres; about 10 minutes to central Palma. Puerto Portals, 10 km from Palma, takes yachts up to 60 metres.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Mallorca

The finest hotels in and around Mallorca: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

Mallorca

Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor

A seaside resort among the pine woods of the Formentor peninsula, at Mallorca's northern tip, with its own beach. MICHELIN gives it two Keys.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

  • La Residencia, A Belmond HotelDeià, Mallorca

    A hillside village hotel in the Serra de Tramuntana that holds two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

  • Hotel Can CeraPalma

    A small hotel in a historic town house in Palma's old quarter, with two MICHELIN Keys.

  • Mandarin Oriental Punta NegraMallorca

    Mandarin Oriental's Mallorca resort at Punta Negra, west of Palma, with two MICHELIN Keys.

  • Cap Vermell Grand HotelCanyamel, Mallorca

    A hotel in the valley of Canyamel on Mallorca's east coast, with two MICHELIN Keys.

  • Hotel Can FerreretaSantanyí, Mallorca

    A restored manor house in the village of Santanyí in south-east Mallorca, with two MICHELIN Keys.

Private villas and estates

  • Son Bunyola villasMallorca

    Three standalone villas, Sa Punta de S'Aguila, Sa Terra Rotja and Son Balagueret, let for exclusive use by Virgin Limited Edition on its own 330-hectare estate in the UNESCO-listed Tramuntana mountains, with five kilometres of private coastline. Visit website ↗

Dine

The best restaurants in Mallorca

The finest tables of Mallorca and around, and the private chefs and caterers.

Two MICHELIN stars

Private chefs and catering

For a villa, a yacht or a wedding.

Sail

Yacht charter in Mallorca

Yachting at our standard in and around Mallorca.

Superyacht marinas

  • Club de Mar-MallorcaPalma

    Rebuilt from end to end, with 543 berths, more than 70 of them for yachts of 40 to 170 metres, inside Porto Pi at the western end of Palma's port. Visit website ↗

  • Puerto PortalsMallorca

    701 berths for yachts of 8 to 60 metres at Portals Nous, 10 km from Palma, with a waterfront of restaurants and luxury shops that makes it the island's social harbour. Visit website ↗

Superyacht charter brokers with an office here

Refit and maintenance

  • Astilleros de MallorcaPalma

    A long-established Palma yard in the port's Contramuelle-Mollet area dedicated to refit and maintenance of yachts and superyachts, with technical and logistics support across the Mediterranean. Visit website ↗

  • STP Shipyard PalmaPalma

    A 130,000 m² open refit yard taking yachts up to 120 metres, with a 1,000-tonne travelift, among the largest in Europe, and more than 500 specialist companies on site that owners can hire directly. Visit website ↗

Cruises

Mallorca by sea

How the ships arrive in Mallorca, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships berth in the port of Palma, about 3 km from the cathedral. Under an agreement with the Balearic government, no more than three cruise ships call on any one day.

Palma is the home port of the German and British lines' Mediterranean summer: TUI's Mein Schiff ships with their suite-only X-Lounge, Marella and AIDA sail from here. Of the luxury lines, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Orient Express, Aman at Sea and Sea Cloud begin and end voyages here.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Shop

Luxury shopping in Mallorca

The jewellers and ateliers of Mallorca.

Jewellers and watchmakers

Artisan ateliers

Experience

Events and things to do in Mallorca

The Mallorca year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

Sport and motoring

  • PalmaVelaPalma, Mallorca, Spain

    The Real Club Náutico de Palma's spring regatta, in late April and into May, one of the first big-boat gatherings of the European season, with Maxi and TP52 classes and boats from about 17 countries. Visit website ↗

  • Rafa Nadal AcademyManacor, Mallorca, Spain

    Rafael Nadal's academy in his hometown, with tennis and padel courts, on-site suites, a Rafa Nadal museum, and adult camps alongside its junior and year-round programmes. Visit website ↗

Weddings and celebrations

  • Son MarroigDeià, Mallorca

    The clifftop estate of Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria, now a house museum in his honour, above the sea on Mallorca's northwest coast. Couples marry beneath its white marble pavilion over the sea. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Mallorca

A home in Mallorca: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Lucas FoxBarcelona

    Prime residential specialist founded in 2005, with more than 30 offices in Spain, including Barcelona, the Costa Brava, Mallorca, Sitges, Valencia and the Costa del Sol; majority-owned since 2025 by Dils, the Italian real estate group. Visit website ↗

  • Spain Sotheby's International RealtyBarcelona and Madrid

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Spain, brought together under the Vivium group in 2025, with offices in Barcelona, the Costa Brava, Madrid and La Moraleja, Palma, Port d'Andratx, Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca, Marbella, Alicante and Seville. Visit website ↗

  • Luxury Estates MallorcaPort d'Andratx

    The Christie's International Real Estate affiliate on Mallorca, based on the harbour road of Port d'Andratx, handling villas and estates in the island's southwest. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Spain ›

Looking for a home in Mallorca? Write to [email protected] and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Private banks and advisers

  • Banca MarchPalma de Mallorca

    Founded in Palma in 1926 by Juan March Ordinas and still family-controlled, with private banking for wealthy families at its core and its main network across the Balearic Islands. Visit website ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Mallorca and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Mallorca

Where is Mallorca?

In the Mediterranean off the east coast of Spain, the largest of the Balearic Islands. Palma airport takes private jets and is about 15 minutes from the city; Barcelona is a 50-minute flight.

What is Mallorca famous for?

Palma and its Gothic cathedral, the World Heritage mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana and villages like Deià and Valldemossa, its coves, and the superyacht marinas around the Bay of Palma.

When is the best time to visit Mallorca?

June and September are ideal: warm sea, reliable sun and room to breathe in the coves and harbours, with superyacht racing off Palma in June. July and August are the hottest and fullest months.

Where are the best luxury hotels in Mallorca?

Cap Rocat (one of the 25 Finest Resorts).

Also among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean, in and around Mallorca: Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor.

How do you arrive in Mallorca by private jet?

Palma de Mallorca (PMI / LEPA), about 15 minutes by car to Palma.

Which are the best restaurants in Mallorca?

The finest table on our list: Voro, Canyamel.

Do you tip in Mallorca?

Not expected as in the US. In restaurants, 5–10% for good service. Round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.

What should you wear in Mallorca?

Shoulders and knees covered in churches and cathedrals. Several towns fine people for walking the streets in swimwear or shirtless away from the beach, including Barcelona (€120–€500), Málaga and Marbella (€300–€750) and Palma (€100–€200). On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart dress for fine dining; jackets are rarely required.

Beyond Mallorca

More in Spain

Ibiza, Marbella and Barcelona, and the Mediterranean beyond.

SpainLuxury Spain Holidays: Mallorca & IbizaExplore SpainThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Mallorca, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Mallorca

How Spain does things.

Language
Spanish (Castilian) nationwide; Catalan, Valencian, Galician and Basque are co-official in their regions. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and fine restaurants in the main resort and city areas.
Greetings
Two cheek kisses are usual between women, and between men and women, even on first social meetings; men usually shake hands. In business and with older people, a handshake and señor / señora are the safe start.
Dress
Shoulders and knees covered in churches and cathedrals. Several towns fine people for walking the streets in swimwear or shirtless away from the beach, including Barcelona (€120–€500), Málaga and Marbella (€300–€750) and Palma (€100–€200). On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart dress for fine dining; jackets are rarely required.
Dining
Lunch is the main meal, rarely before 2 pm; dinner seldom starts before 9 pm, often 10 pm or later in Madrid. Book ahead for well-known restaurants. Meals are long and unhurried; the bill comes only when you ask.
Tipping
Not expected as in the US. In restaurants, 5–10% for good service. Round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.
Good to know
Many smaller shops close for a long midday break (roughly 2–5 pm) and on Sundays; the evening paseo (stroll) around 8–9 pm is a fixture of town life.
Tourist tax
Hotels add a tourist tax per person per night: at a five-star hotel in Barcelona, €12 since spring 2026, with further rises planned; in Mallorca and Ibiza, up to €4 in summer.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.