Balearic Islands 7 Days Travel Guide
Why the Balearics Need Seven Days
Most people pick one island and plant themselves on a beach for a week. That’s fine if you want a beach vacation. But the Balearic Islands—Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera—each have completely different personalities. Party island, quiet island, dramatic mountains, hidden coves. Seeing multiple islands shows you why this archipelago has been fought over for 3,000 years.
This guide splits time between islands. It won’t make you an expert on any single one, but you’ll understand the diversity and figure out which island deserves your return trip.
🌤️ Best Time to Visit Balearic Islands
Spring (Apr-May): 18-24°C, wildflowers, perfect for hiking, fewer tourists. Summer (Jun-Aug): 28-32°C, peak season, beaches packed, Ibiza clubs in full swing. Autumn (Sep-Oct): 24-28°C, water still warm, crowds thinning, ideal. Winter (Nov-Mar): 12-18°C, many hotels closed, quiet, hiking weather.
Day 1-2: Palma de Mallorca – Beyond the Package Tours
Fly into Palma. Most people immediately leave for beach resorts. Don’t. Palma itself is worth two days—Gothic cathedral, old town full of character, food scene that’s better than it has any right to be.
The Cathedral (La Seu) is massive, sitting right on the waterfront. Gothic architecture from the 1200s, but Gaudí worked on it in the early 1900s, adding his weird organic touches to the interior. The rose window is enormous—one of the largest in the world. On February 2nd and November 11th, the sun aligns so light passes through both rose windows, creating a figure-8 pattern. Locals call it the show of light.
Entry is €9. Go early morning when light streams through the stained glass. The cathedral’s scale is overwhelming—it feels too big for the city.
The old town (Casc Antic) around the cathedral is worth wandering. Narrow streets, sandstone buildings, hidden courtyards. Palma was conquered by everyone—Romans, Moors, Catalans—and the architecture layers all of it.
Lunch: Avoid the waterfront tourist restaurants. Walk inland 5 minutes. Look for places serving traditional Mallorcan food—tumbet (vegetable stew), sobrassada (paprika sausage), ensaimada (sweet pastry). If there’s a menu in six languages, keep walking.
Afternoon: The Arab Baths are tiny remnants of Moorish Palma, mostly ruined but atmospheric. Bellver Castle sits on a hill overlooking the city—circular Gothic castle, unusual design, great views. The hike up takes 30 minutes or take a bus.
Evening: The Paseo Marítimo waterfront comes alive. Restaurants, bars, people walking. It’s pleasant if generic. For something more local, head to Santa Catalina neighborhood—gentrifying area with food markets, wine bars, restaurants that actually cook things.
Day 3: Serra de Tramuntana – Mallorca’s Mountains
Rent a car. The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range runs along Mallorca’s northwest coast—dramatic cliffs, hilltop villages, winding mountain roads. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and nothing like the beach resort image of Mallorca.
Drive to Valldemossa, a mountain village where Chopin and George Sand spent a miserable winter in 1838. They hated it—cold, wet, locals unwelcoming. But the village is beautiful: stone buildings, narrow streets, monastery where Chopin stayed. Touristy now but genuinely pretty.
Continue to Deià, an artists’ village clinging to the mountainside. Robert Graves lived here, along with writers and artists attracted by the scenery. It’s expensive, a bit precious, but the setting—mountains behind, sea below—is stunning.
Lunch in Deià costs too much but the views justify it. Or bring a picnic and find a spot along the coast.
Drive to Sa Calobra, a beach accessed by a famously twisting road with hairpin turns. The road itself is the attraction—descending 800m in 12km with turns folding back on themselves. The beach at bottom is small, rocky, crowded, but the journey is spectacular.
Alternative: Skip Sa Calobra for Sóller, a town in a valley surrounded by orange groves. Take the vintage wooden train from Sóller to Port de Sóller on the coast—the train runs through citrus groves and tunnels, very scenic. Port de Sóller has beaches and seafood restaurants.
Day 4: Ferry to Menorca – The Quiet Island
Morning ferry from Mallorca to Menorca (Mahón port), about 1 hour. Menorca is the anti-Ibiza—quiet, protected from development, more nature than nightclubs.
Mahón (Maó in Catalan) is the capital, built around a deep natural harbor that the British used as a naval base in the 1700s. The gin industry here dates from that period. You can visit Xoriguer distillery for free tastings—Menorcan gin is different from London dry, sweeter, with more botanicals.
The old town is small, easy to walk. Mercat de Claustre is the covered market—cheese, sobrassada, fresh produce. Buy Mahón cheese, a local product protected by denomination of origin. It’s salty, sharp, gets sharper with age.
Rent a car or scooter. Public transport on Menorca is limited and beaches require your own wheels.
Afternoon: Drive to Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta, two beaches on the south coast. Turquoise water, white sand, pine trees down to the shore. Macarella is accessible by car. Macarelleta requires a 10-minute walk and is clothing-optional. Both get packed in summer—arrive early or late.
Evening: Ciutadella, the former capital on the west end of the island. More charming than Mahón—old palaces, narrow streets, cathedral. The port is tiny and picturesque. Restaurants here serve caldereta de langosta (lobster stew), Menorca’s signature dish. Expensive but if you’re eating lobster anywhere, this is the place.
Day 5: Menorca Beaches and Prehistoric Sites
Menorca has over 200 beaches and coves. You could spend weeks beach-hopping. A few highlights:
North coast beaches: Wilder, wind-exposed, darker sand. Cala Pregonda is beautiful—red sand, rock formations, undeveloped. Cavalleria Beach is long, open, popular with wind surfers.
South coast: Protected, calmer, white sand. Cala Turqueta, Cala Mitjana, Son Bou (longest beach on the island). All stunning. All crowded in July-August. Bring water and snacks—most beaches have no facilities.
Between beaches, Menorca has the Mediterranean’s highest concentration of prehistoric sites. Talaiotic culture built stone towers, burial chambers, and sanctuaries between 2000-1000 BCE. Nobody knows exactly why.
Naveta d’Es Tudons is a burial chamber shaped like an upside-down boat, 3,000 years old. Torre d’en Galmés is a whole prehistoric settlement with stone towers still standing. These sites are just…there, in fields, mostly unfenced. Free to visit, no crowds. It’s wonderfully low-key for sites this ancient.
Day 6: Ferry to Ibiza – Party and Old Town
Ferry from Menorca to Ibiza (about 2-3 hours depending on route). Ibiza has two personalities: superclub party island and UNESCO-protected old town. Most people only see one.
Dalt Vila, the old fortified town, sits on a hill above Ibiza Town (Eivissa). Stone walls, cobblestone streets, cathedral at the top. Founded by Phoenicians 2,700 years ago, fortified by Renaissance-era Spanish. It’s beautiful, surprisingly well-preserved, and full of tourists during the day but empty at night.
Walk the ramparts at sunset. Views over the harbor, the modern town, Formentera in the distance. The streets inside are steep, twisting, lined with galleries and overpriced boutiques. But the atmosphere—especially in evening when day-trippers have left—is magical.
Ibiza’s club scene: If that’s why you came, the big clubs—Pacha, Amnesia, Ushuaïa, Hï Ibiza—are legendary. Tickets are €50-80, drinks €15-20. Music is world-class. Crowds are international. You’ll be out until 6am. Wear comfortable shoes; you’ll dance for hours.
If clubs aren’t your thing, Ibiza Town has plenty of bars, restaurants, and beach clubs with more reasonable volume levels. The marina area is pleasant for dinner and drinks without the full club experience.
Day 7: Formentera – The Last Island
Ferry from Ibiza to Formentera (30 minutes). Formentera is tiny—only 83 square kilometers. It’s Ibiza’s opposite—no airport, no big hotels, no clubs. Just beaches, bike paths, and laid-back beach bars.
Rent a bike or scooter at the port (La Savina). The island is flat and perfect for cycling. Roads connect all the beaches.
Ses Illetes and Playa de Llevant are the famous beaches—white sand, shallow turquoise water, often called the Caribbean of Europe. It’s not hyperbole. The water is that clear, that blue. In summer it’s packed, but even crowded, it’s stunning.
For fewer people, bike to Es Caló, a tiny fishing village on the east coast, or Cala Saona on the west. Both are beautiful and less mobbed.
Lunch: Beach bars (chiringuitos) serve simple food—grilled fish, paella, salads. Eat with your feet in the sand. This is the point of Formentera—not doing much, doing it slowly.
Afternoon: Bike to the lighthouse at La Mola on the island’s eastern tip. The ride crosses the island through fig trees and low stone walls. The lighthouse sits on cliffs with views to Ibiza. Jules Verne mentioned it in a novel. There’s a small hippie market on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons.
Evening ferry back to Ibiza. If your flight leaves from Palma, there’s a late ferry to Mallorca. Otherwise spend a final night in Ibiza.
Island Hopping Logistics
Ferries connect all the islands. Baleària and Trasmediterránea are the main companies. Book online ahead, especially in summer. Prices range €30-70 depending on route and season.
Car rentals: You can take rental cars on ferries between Mallorca and Menorca (with surcharge). Ibiza-Formentera ferries don’t allow cars, but you don’t need one on Formentera anyway—it’s tiny.
Where to Actually Eat
Tourist traps: Waterfront restaurants in Palma, anywhere with photos on menus, beach restaurants that look too perfect.
Good food: Traditional Mallorcan restaurants inland, Menorcan restaurants in Ciutadella, Ibiza Town places away from the port. Look for local dishes, handwritten menus, Spaniards eating there.
What to order: Tumbet, sobrassada, Mahón cheese, ensaimada, caldereta de langosta (if you’re splurging), pa amb oli (bread with olive oil and tomato), greixonera (dessert pudding).
Money Reality
The Balearics are expensive by Spanish standards. Ibiza especially. Budget €12-18 for lunch, €20-35 for dinner. Beach clubs charge for loungers (€20-50/day). Clubs and fancy beach restaurants can drain your wallet fast.
Menorca is cheaper. Formentera is moderate. Mallorca varies—Palma is reasonable, mountain villages are pricey.
🗺️ Nearby Destinations from Balearic Islands
Combine your Balearic trip with these nearby cities:
Final Truth
Seven days isn’t enough to see all four islands properly. You’ll spend time on ferries and in transit. Each island deserves more time than you’ll give it.
But you’ll swim in water so clear you can see fish 10 meters down. Eat lobster stew in a harbor that’s been a port for 3,000 years. Drive mountain roads that make your passenger scream. Dance in a club where the DJ is famous enough to have a Wikipedia page. Bike across an island so small you can see both coasts at once.
And you’ll understand why people keep coming back, why Roman soldiers wanted to retire here, why hippies claimed Ibiza in the ’60s, why every European with money has a summer house on Mallorca.
The islands earn their reputation. Even with the crowds, even with the prices.