Balearics: Travel Guide
Balearics is best for...
Couples: Majorca's well-known sights and delights make a truly romantic retreat. Filled to the brim with luxurious hotels, indulgent spas, culinary dining and magnificent scenery, combined with superb all year-round weather, Majorca makes the ideal destination for couples seeking a romantic getaway.
Families: Menorca is the ideal island for families. Filled with secluded coves, pure white sands and shallow turquoise waters, Menorca beaches really do stand out as reaching Caribbean level quality beaches.
Night owls: The iconic nightlife of the Balearic Islands is certainly an experience not to miss! Take a trip to the hub of Europe's party scene, Ibiza, home to world-famous nightclubs such as Pacha and Ushuaïa where you can dance the night away, visit Calle Apuntadores in Palma de Mallorca, another major party hotspot, jam-packed with chic and trendy bars or venture to a collection of venues to experience live music.
Getting around Balearics
By Bus: The Balearic Islands have a reliable and comprehensive transport system, serving almost every town and village on the islands.
By metro: Palma Majorca has two metro lines that serve the suburbs of the city.
By boat: Ferries and catamarans offer good connections from the islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza to mainland Spain.
By car hire: Hiring a car is the most convenient way to travel around any of the Balearic Islands at your own pace.
travel advice
The Balearic Islands are one of the most popular destinations in the western Mediterranean, and it is evidently clear why! The islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza, just off the east coast of Spain, offer everything from sensational beaches, ench
Fast facts for Balearics
Language: Both Catalan and Spanish, although other languages such as English, French, German and Italian are often spoken by locals, particularly in big resorts and hotspots. If you are considering heading off the usual visitor trails, make sure you pack a phrasebook or download a translation app.
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Local time: The Balearic Islands are +1 hours ahead of UK time
Fly to:
- Palma de Mallorca Airport for Alcudia, Cala D'Or, Puerto Pollensa and Santa Ponsa
- Mahon Airport for Cala'n Bosch, Cala Galdana, Calan Porter and Punta Prima
- Ibiza Airport for Es Cana, Playa den Bossa, San Antonio Bay and Santa Eulalia
- Transfer times vary from 15-100 minutes
Flight time from the UK: The flight time from the UK to the Balearic Islands is around 2 and a half hours.
Tourist information: Find further information on various Turkey destinations at the official Balearic Island tourism website.
Visa/health: British citizens do not require a visa for Spain holidays for visits up to 90 days in any 180- day period, but you do need a valid passport. Visit the UK government's Spain travel advice for up-to- date visa and health recommendations.
More travel guides: We also have other travel guides available for destinations including Egypt | Greece | Portugal | Spain | Canary Islands | United Arab Emirates | Turkey
Your Guide to Balearics holidays
- Food & Drinks
- Beaches
- We Love
- At a Glance
Food & Drinks
It is no surprise that the Balearic Islands serve up some of the world's tastiest food, especially as locals are proud of their traditional cuisine and cooking is a significant role in their daily life. Why not get acquainted with traditional Balearic dishes as well as an immense variety of typical dishes, where you will be sure to find plenty to satisfy all taste buds!
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Typical Balearic Island dishes are often of Catalan descent, consisting of hearty stews, soups and spiced meats.
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With seafood a speciality of the Balearic Islands, sample the exquisite Caldereta de Langosta, a lobster stew that originated from Menorca.
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Indulge in the traditional Majorcan wine, red Binissalem, experiencing something of a resurgence.
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For those seeking more of a sweeter dish, why not try an ensaimada, a spiral pastry dusted with icing sugar, probably the most famous traditional produce of Majorca.
Beaches
With some of the best white sandy beaches in the Mediterranean, the Balearic Islands will always offer you the perfect spot, your very own patch of white sand where you can soak up the sunshine and serenity on a breath-taking trip to the Balearic Islands.
From action-packed resorts to secluded coves that you would expect in the Caribbean, you could spend a lifetime hopping across the beaches of the Balearic Islands.
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Take a trip to Sa Calobra, one of Europe's most beautiful, secluded beaches, hidden at the end of a gorge, deep in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains in Majorca.
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Visit Cala Comte, one of Ibiza's most beautiful beaches due to its unique geography with dramatic rock formations, gorgeous sands and shallow turquoise waters. It also makes the ideal spot for incredible sunset views.
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The twin bays of Macarella and Macarelleta, both sandwiched between pine-speckled cliffs, are arguably one of the prettiest spots on the island of Menorca, if not in the whole of the Mediterranean.
We Love
It is so easy to understand why millions of tourists visit Spain every year. It certainly has something to offer everyone, despite age or personal interests.
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The Balearic Islands are an infinity of natural landscapes and thousands of hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.
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Historical landmarks allowing you to marvel at the local culture and to fall in love with the spirit of the islands, a real heritage of humanity.
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Explore city walls of the “magic island” Ibiza Town, through squares and narrow alleyways where you can discover secrets, myths and legends and travel back in time.
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Visit one of many unspoilt and almost deserted beaches on the island of Menorca, with bright turquoise shallow waters and soft white sand, a place you could easily fall in love with.
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We love that each Balearic Island is so different with their own distinctive character from the hustle and bustle of Ibiza, the rustic serenity of Menorca to the cosmopolitan island of Majorca, making so much to choose from to suit everyone.
At a Glance
- The average flying time from the UK to the Balearic Islands are approximately 2 hrs 30 minutes
- You can fly from a majority of UK Airports to Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza.
- Time Zone GMT +1
- Transfer Times: Between 20 minutes and 120 minutes.
- The Balearic Islands offer pleasant climate during the summer where you can expect around 11 hours of sunshine every day and beach-friendly temperatures soaring up to 30°C.