Majorca: the forgotten island

Calling a Mediterranean island as large as Majorca “forgotten” is a bold statement. But compared to the famous islands, like Crete or Santorini in Greece, Majorca isn’t exactly well known. It even pales in terms of public knowledge next to its neighbor, Ibiza, the dance music capital of Europe and, arguably, the World.

This probably explains why when a friend of mine told me he takes a small long weekend break in Majorca every year, people around him didn’t even know where the island was on a map. Also, when I told my parents to spend their 25 year wedding anniversary in Majorca, they, too, were pleasantly surprised when they researched the island and found it beautiful and wonderfully surprising.

But the fact that it isn’t known isn’t exactly something I regret, as it makes it easier to spend cheap holidays Majorca. It’s perfectly feasible to, for example, rent a car during your holiday to travel around the island, and it not breaking your bank. Taking a ferry to the neighboring islands of Ibiza or Minorca is also relatively cheap. The trick is to wait until you’re on the island to find the best deals, as they’re mostly available locally.

When it comes to getting there, the best advice I can give you is to shop around. A lot of low cost carriers fly to Majorca, some even using it as a hub because of its privileged position in the Mediterranean between Europe and Africa, so finding a cheap flight into the island is easy. But shopping around involves also trying to find a good overall deal, involving a flight into the island and a hotel. Getting a good deal on cheap all inclusive holidays to Majorca is worth it, in my opinion, for the peace of mind. Going back to my parents’ example, they took that option and ended up enjoying the island thoroughly and seriously liking the fact that they didn’t have to worry about carrying around enough money for meals or even to visit sites of interest, as it was all included in the overall fee. Comparing the prices, it actually came up a lot cheaper.

That said, going to Majorca for the nightlife and for wild parties will probably leave you thinking that you might as well have gone to Ibiza. On the other hand, if you want something more than partying and beach, Ibiza is thoroughly disappointing.