Low season in Mallorca
Advantages of travelling in low season
A you may don’t know, Mallorca offers a wide range of activities and event to enjoy during the Winter.
Mallorca isn’t just sun and beach. There are many reasons to visit the island before or after the summer, when hotels don’t show a “No vacancy” signal and you can find deserted beaches.
Although there may be a few cold weeks, the weather is usually benevolent. A visit during the low season has several advantages comparing to the high season. The island is quieter, less noisy. With frozen fields or dyed withe and pink by the almond-trees in flower, the island landscapes are different but mesmerize anyway.
Obviously, visiting Mallorca during the low season represents a large saving of money. Flights are cheaper and a lot of shops and restaurants are open all year round, and with cheaper prices than during the high season.
We came up to a lot of ideas for you to enjoy to the fullest your stay in Mallorca during the Winter, specially if your visit coincides with the Christmas holidays.
Things to do in low season
Seeing the snow on the Serra de Tramuntana is one of the most beautiful images that the island can offer. The Serra is the place where it more frequently snows each winter. Valldemossa is an imperative visit any time of the year. It is certainly one of the most beautiful towns in Spain and it can provide a lovely snowy picture.
You can also enjoy the best bars and restaurants without much crowd. It may be difficult to find a table in a touristic area during the high season. But the same seats, the same sound of the sea waves and the same appetizers can be found during the low season.
The heat from the sun may not be so intense, but the one from the fire is during the Winter. Some holidays take us to one of the traditions in the island, the “foguerons”, “torradas” oy barbeques, the “dimonis” and “correfocs”… After Christmas ans the Three Kings, in January, two important local holidays take place: Sant Antoni (16th and 17th January in almost all the island) and Sant Sebastià (from 10th to 25th January in Palma). The city offers honouring to his holy Patrón with a diverse Schedule which includes concerts and bonfires all over the city. The traditional gastronomy is important ton theses holidays, as sobrasada and butifarrones are grilled in the bonfires.
Besides, the ‘Fira de S’Ametler’ takes place in Son Servera in February. The Carnival ‘Sa Rua’ also takes place in February.
Discover the wine tours. There are about seventy winneris in Mallorca, so you can say for sure that there is a wide range of wines in the island. You can spend a winter day taking the wine tour. Some guides online show the wineries you can visit, as long as information about the wines and the town on the tour.
There is a special and quite busy open air market on Sunday morning, with more than three-hundred stalls in the town of Consell. It is very attractive for shoppers looking for bargains, as there is a wide offer of second hand goods, handmade Majorcan goods and all kinds of antiques. We recommend arriving early!
La canaleta de Massanella | Mancor de la Vall
Cycling, Mallorca
Phisical activity and sports
Why not walking on the beach? Bath isn’t all you can do: walking by the shore, stopping to have lunch, playing with family or friends… may be a fabulous experience. Umbrellas aren’t necessary and you can enjoy the sea along the whole coast. It is difficult to resist dipping your feet in the Mediterranean on sunny days.
Most of the two-thousand sixty-two Majorcan beaches are quiet during the low season. For the ones que love fresh air and a good picnic, the Winter months become the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of our beaches. Enjoy a nice walk on the beach Es Trenc or from Son Serra de Marina to Can Picafort or to the Alcudia Bay passing by Finca de Son Real.
Days become shorter, but in return the heat don’t make us have to look for shelter during the central hours of the day, letting us do some activities like trekking, for example. There are hundreds of routes in Malloca with different difficulty levels. The Torrente de Pareis, the camí del Archiduc, the way up to Randa to the Monasteri de Cura, pilgrimage to the Monasteri de Lluc… are some of the most popular walks to be enjoyed during the Winter days.
It’s the best season to go trekking and go on a trip on foot in Mallorca. There are several associations that offer a diverse agenda of trips. The Via verda goes from Manacor to Artà and you can practice a sport which is becoming very popular in the island: Nordic Walking. We recommend the Ruta de Piedra en Seco (GR221) en la Serra de Tramuntana for a good weather day.
If walking through the island during the Winter is a nice experience, using two wheels isn’t less nice. Roads are less travelled and the heat isn’t stifling. You can discover many places in the island and find wonderful views to take the best photo.
The quietness during the winter is perfect to practise golf or tennis. It is the best time to improve your game quality. Most golf courses in Mallorca are equipped with first level facilities and trainers and their taxes are lower these months.
For water sports lovers, there are a lot of companies open during the Winter. There is less offer, but you can enjoy the fresh air in a quiet and less crowded sea during the winter.
Winter sunny days allow us to enjoy nice walks in natural areas. Visits to the islands Sa Dragonera or Cabrera are less frequent, but some companies offer the trip.
Winter sunny days allow us to enjoy nice walks in natural areas. Visits to the islands Sa Dragonera or Cabrera are less frequent, but some companies offer the trip.
Discover Palma in low season
Winter is the perfect time to visit Palma de Mallorca, and discover its museums and art galleries with calm. Palma is the capital of our island and it is home of more than the half of the inhabitants of Mallorca. Some areas in the city, like La Lonja and the old centre, are steeped in history and show an architecture worth being admired. Because of this, a walk through the narrow streets of the town centre is worth to discover all its charms.
It is beautiful to discover Palma under the sun during the low season, with the Palacio Real, La Seu or the Cathedral, the Plaza Mayor, the Gran Hotel, the castell de Bellver… There is a lot to see in this lovely city. Historic buildings, small shops and cafes that you hadn’t seen before, are some of the things you are going to discover walking the narrow streets in the centre. We recommend venturing into the old town with or without a map. Besides, local guides know fascinating stories and information that can’t be found in guides for sell.
The Palma Cathedral seems specially magic during Chrismas time. Attending the Midnight Mass is a truly fascinating experience. The service includes the prophetic singing ‘La Sibil.la’, sang by a young boy or girl accompanied of the impressive sound of the organ in La Seu. It’s a magic and moving moment.
Castillo de Bellver, Palma de Mallorca
Parc de la Mar, Palma de Mallorca
Save Winter morning to buy vegetables, fruit, meat and fish in one of the vibrant local markets: Mercat de l’Olivar or the Mercat de Santa Catalina. The range of goods is awesome. Both markets give the change to eat in situ, some good Spanish tapas, oysters or sushi. Enjoy the sounds, colours, smells and life on one of these markets to submerge in a genuine and unique atmosphere.
The Gastromic Market San Juan, set in S’Escorxador building in Palma, is a different kind of market and it’s worth a visit, as it features about twenty stalls with different gastronomic specialities (including sushi, tapas and seafood) to eat on the tables on the centre of the market.
Set on the west of the Avenida Argentina, in Palma de Mallorca, Santa Catalina is one of the most inviting neighbourhoods in the city. As the town it was before being absorbed by the growing city, it melts ancient and modern stiles and features. It was named after an ancient hospital devoted to Santa Catalina de Alexandria (saint for merchants and sailors), and it used to be a fisherman town. Manufacturers of dragline and flour millers used to live there too, and we still can see mills from the XVIII century in carrer Industria and Es Jonquet.
The picturesque ancient houses that are traditional in Santa Catalina show off happily painted fronts, ancient wooden blinds and small balconies decorated with plants and flowers.
This neighbourhood heart is its covered market, in charge of supply the residents, yachts, and the high number of restaurants, cafes and bars that make que Santa Catalina a popular meeting point.
Mercado Gastronómico de San Juan, Palma de Mallorca
