Regions and towns

Which part of Mallorca suits you?

Q: Where is Mallorca at its quietest?

Quiet areas are the south between Colònia de Sant Jordi and Santanyí, the Es Pla island centre and smaller towns on the east coast outside the main season. The mountain villages of the Tramuntana are quiet, but without direct access to the sea.

Q: How far is it from Palma Airport to the resorts?

Palma is around 15 minutes away, the southwest 30 to 40 minutes, the east and north 50 to 70 minutes. The transfer time is a real planning factor, especially when arriving with children or on late flights.

Mallorca covers 3,640 km² – your choice of region shapes your holiday more than your choice of hotel. This page divides the island by character, not by postcode.

The short answer

The short version

North = shallow family beaches, East = small coves and holiday flats, South = natural beaches with little infrastructure, Southwest = city, marinas and short transfer times, Tramuntana = mountains, hiking and cycling, Island centre = fincas and markets with no sea access.

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The six regions

Character, strengths and limits

Serra de Tramuntana (northwest) Mountains, cliffs and natural-stone villages – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The northwest is shaped by the Tramuntana mountains. Instead of long sandy beaches there are pebble coves, hairpin roads, olive terraces and towns such as Valldemossa, Deià, Sóller and Port de Sóller. The cultural landscape has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. It is the region for hiking and cycling, and the weakest for families with small children. Serra de Tramuntana region in detail → North (Alcúdia, Pollença, Can Picafort) Shallow, long sandy bays – popular with families. The bays of Alcúdia and Pollença offer very gently shelving sandy beaches, wide promenades and plenty of hotel infrastructure. Behind them lie the s'Albufera wetland and the Formentor peninsula. The north combines a beach holiday with cycling, wildlife watching and short trips into the Tramuntana mountains. North region in detail → East (Cala d'Or, Cala Millor, Canyamel) Turquoise rocky coves, marinas and quiet resorts. The east coast is made up of many small calas framed by pine trees and low rocks. The resorts are strongly geared towards holiday flats, villas and mid-sized hotels. Worth seeing are the caves near Porto Cristo and the coastal paths between the coves. East region in detail → South (Es Trenc, Colònia de Sant Jordi, Santanyí) Natural beaches with light sand and clear water, few hotels. The south is flatter, drier and far less built-up. This is where you will find the natural beaches of Es Trenc and Sa Ràpita, the salt pans of Ses Salines and the departure harbour for the island of Cabrera. The infrastructure is thinner – without a car or a seasonal bus, many beaches are hard to reach. South region in detail → Southwest (Palma, Portals, Andratx, Santa Ponça) City life, yacht harbours and short distances to the airport. Around the Bay of Palma you will find the city, the airport, marinas and the densest transport infrastructure. The southwest stretches from Palma's old town via Portals and Peguera to the port of Andratx and the island of Sa Dragonera. Short transfer times and things on offer all year round make it the strongest region for city breaks and the off-season. Southwest region in detail → Island centre Es Pla (Sineu, Petra, Santa Maria) Fincas, weekly markets and wine-growing away from the coast. The plain in the island's interior is agricultural: wineries around Binissalem, the weekly market in Sineu, monastery hills such as Randa and quiet fincas. As a base, Es Pla only works with a hire car, but it is well suited to touring and the off-season. Es Pla island centre region in detail →

All towns in the town finder at a glance.

Direct comparison

Resorts by transfer time and car-free access

Two factors that are missing from brochures but that you notice every day on holiday.

Town	Region	From PMI	Without a car	Good for
Palma de Mallorca	Southwest	15 min	5/5	City holiday with culture, food and things on offer all year round.
Alcúdia	North	55 min	4/5	Long, shallow sandy beach plus an old town behind the town walls.
Cala d'Or	East	55 min	3/5	White holiday village with a chain of small sandy coves and a marina.
Port de Pollença	North	60 min	4/5	Quiet bay with a pine-lined promenade, a base for cyclists and Formentor.
Cala Ratjada	Northeast	70 min	3/5	Harbour town with several natural beaches and coastal hiking trails.
Sóller	Tramuntana	45 min	4/5	Mountain valley with a historic railway, orange groves and a tram to the port.
Port de Sóller	Tramuntana	50 min	4/5	Sheltered round harbour bay – with a sandy beach in the middle of town.
Valldemossa	Tramuntana	35 min	2/5	Natural-stone mountain village with a Carthusian monastery – not a beach resort.
Santanyí	Southeast	50 min	2/5	Small sandstone town with a market and access to small coves.
Colònia de Sant Jordi	South	45 min	3/5	Starting point for Es Trenc, the salt pans and boat trips to Cabrera.
Can Picafort	North	50 min	4/5	Budget-conscious family beach resort on the Bay of Alcúdia.
Peguera	Southwest	35 min	4/5	Three sandy beaches, a car-free main street, short transfer time.
Port d'Andratx	Southwest	40 min	2/5	Yacht harbour between hills, upmarket restaurants, hardly any sandy beach.
Porto Cristo	East	60 min	3/5	Harbour town by the caves with a sheltered beach cove.
Magaluf	Southwest	30 min	4/5	Large sandy beach, water park and the densest party infrastructure.
Cala Millor	East	60 min	4/5	Two kilometres of shallow sandy beach with a car-free promenade on the east coast.
Playa de Palma	Southwest	15 min	5/5	Long row of hotels along the balnearios – from quiet to party zone.
Santa Ponça	Southwest	30 min	4/5	Sheltered family bay with a marina and golf courses next to Magaluf.
Inca	Island centre	35 min	4/5	Craft and market town in the island's interior with a celler tradition and a Thursday market.
Manacor	East	50 min	3/5	The island's second-largest town: pearls, furniture-making and a rail link to Palma.
Artà	East	65 min	2/5	Historic country town in the northeast with a pilgrimage site and an artists' scene.
Portocolom	East	55 min	3/5	Traditional fishing village on a wide natural harbour bay in the southeast.
Sa Coma	East	60 min	4/5	Purpose-built family resort with a wide sandy beach and the Punta de n'Amer nature peninsula.
Cala Bona	East	60 min	4/5	Quiet harbour town, linked to Cala Millor by the promenade.
Canyamel	East	70 min	2/5	Very quiet bay in the northeast with a golf course, luxury hotels and the Coves d'Artà.
Palmanova	Southwest	30 min	4/5	Family resort in Calvià with three sandy beaches and a short transfer time.
Portals Nous / Puerto Portals	Southwest	25 min	3/5	Elegant residential area west of Palma around the Puerto Portals marina.
Pollença	North	60 min	3/5	Cultural centre of the north with an old town, the Calvary steps and a Sunday market.
Deià	Tramuntana	45 min	2/5	Artists' village on the Tramuntana cliffs with exceptional food.
Fornalutx	Tramuntana	50 min	2/5	Mountain village above the Sóller valley, named the most beautiful village in Spain several times.
Banyalbufar	Tramuntana	45 min	2/5	Coastal village above terraced fields, known for Malvasía wine-growing.
Sineu	Island centre	35 min	3/5	Town at the centre of the island with Mallorca's oldest market on Wednesdays.
Binissalem	Island centre	30 min	3/5	The island's wine capital and centre of the oldest designation of origin in the Balearics.
Felanitx	Island centre	45 min	2/5	Country town in the southeast with caper growing, bodegas and the Santuari de Sant Salvador.
Ses Salines	South	45 min	2/5	Quiet village in the far south with salt pans and unspoilt natural beaches.
Campos	South	40 min	2/5	Agricultural municipality in the south, where most of Es Trenc lies.

Driving times are guide values for the journey from Palma Airport outside rush hour.

Decision help

Still undecided?

From your holiday wish to the right region and the specific town.

Choose a region Which part of Mallorca suits me? Regions and towns by holiday type, beach preference, peace and quiet and mobility. Read more → Direct comparison North or east? Long sandy bay versus small rocky coves – criterion by criterion. Read more → Peace and quiet Where is Mallorca at its quietest? Small towns, the island centre, mountain villages and quiet coves. Read more →

Town profiles

Towns in profile

Frequently asked questions

Which area of Mallorca is best for families?

The Bay of Alcúdia in the north is considered the most family-friendly region: several kilometres of gently shelving sandy beach, wide promenades, short distances and plenty of family infrastructure. Alternatives are Playa de Muro, Can Picafort, Sa Coma and Peguera.

Where is Mallorca at its quietest?

Quiet areas are the south between Colònia de Sant Jordi and Santanyí, the Es Pla island centre and smaller towns on the east coast outside the main season. The mountain villages of the Tramuntana are quiet, but without direct access to the sea.

In which town can you manage without a hire car?

Palma, Peguera, Port de Pollença, Alcúdia, Can Picafort and Sóller work well without a car, because the beach, shops and restaurants are within walking distance and there are buses or trains. It gets difficult in villa areas such as Bonaire near Alcúdia or above Port d'Andratx.

How far is it from Palma Airport to the resorts?

Palma is around 15 minutes away, the southwest 30 to 40 minutes, the east and north 50 to 70 minutes. The transfer time is a real planning factor, especially when arriving with children or on late flights.

Image credits: View from the town walls over the old town of Alcúdia: photo Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Cala d'Or harbour with boats: photo Friedrich Haag, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons