Mallorca (also spelt Majorca) is the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands, and it manages to be several holidays in one: a lively capital with a cathedral that seems to float on the sea, a UNESCO-listed mountain range stitched with honey-stone villages, a century-old wooden train, and dozens of turquoise coves — the famous calas — that look almost Maldivian. For Indian travellers who have already ticked off the mainland with our Spain travel guide, Mallorca is the natural next step, and it pairs beautifully with a few days in the cities covered in our Barcelona city guide. This guide covers everything a traveller from Surat or elsewhere in Gujarat needs: routes, visas, seasons, sights, vegetarian food and honest budgeting.
Getting there from Gujarat and the best time to go
There are no direct flights from India to Palma de Mallorca (PMI), so the usual pattern is a one-stop hop from Mumbai or Delhi to Madrid or Barcelona, followed by a short domestic connection of under an hour to Palma; ferries from Barcelona and Valencia are a slower, scenic alternative. Because Spain is part of the Schengen area, you will need a Schengen visa for Spain before you fly — our step-by-step Schengen visa guide from Gujarat walks through the paperwork, and our flight booking desk in Surat can build the smoothest connection for you. On timing: the shoulder seasons of April to June and September to mid-October comfortably beat the packed, expensive midsummer — the sea is swimmable, hiking weather is glorious and crowds are thinner. July and August are hot, busy and priciest. For a wider view of European seasons, see our guide to the best time to visit Europe month by month.
Palma and the golden cathedral of La Seu
Palma de Mallorca is far more than a gateway airport town. Its showpiece is La Seu, the vast Gothic cathedral begun in the thirteenth century, whose sandstone facade glows gold at sunset and reflects in the lake of Parc de la Mar below. Inside, look for the enormous rose window — one of the largest in Gothic Europe — and the surprising wrought-iron canopy added by Antoni Gaudí. Give Palma at least a full day: wander the old town's shaded lanes, climb to the circular Bellver Castle for harbour views, browse the Passeig del Born, and finish with an evening stroll along the marina. Entry to the cathedral is ticketed and hours vary by season, so verify current rules and book online in peak months.
Serra de Tramuntana: Deià, Valldemossa and the vintage Sóller train
The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, runs along Mallorca's north-west coast and holds the island's most photogenic villages. Valldemossa is famous for its hilltop monastery where composer Chopin spent a winter, its cobbled lanes and its potato pastries (coca de patata); Deià is an artists' village of ochre-stone houses tumbling towards a tiny shingle cove, once home to writer Robert Graves. The most charming way into the mountains is the vintage wooden Sóller train, running since 1912 from Palma through tunnels and orange groves to the pretty town of Sóller, where a matching heritage tram continues down to the seafront at Port de Sóller. The train is hugely popular, so check timetables and buy tickets early in high season.
Cap de Formentor and the turquoise calas
At the island's northern tip, the serpentine road to Cap de Formentor delivers Mallorca's most dramatic scenery — sheer cliffs, a lonely lighthouse and the Mirador Es Colomer viewpoint hanging hundreds of metres above the sea. Note that in peak summer the Formentor road restricts private car access during daytime hours, with shuttle buses and boats from Port de Pollença instead — verify current rules before you plan the drive. Then there are the calas, the small rocky coves with impossibly clear turquoise water: Caló des Moro and Cala s'Almunia in the south-east, Cala Mondragó inside a natural park, Cala Varques for the adventurous, and family-friendly Cala Millor and Playa de Muro for long sandy stretches. Arrive early — the prettiest coves are tiny and fill up by mid-morning in summer.
What to eat in Mallorca, including for vegetarians
Mallorcan food is rustic Mediterranean at its best. The island staple is pa amb oli — country bread rubbed with tomato, drizzled with local olive oil and topped with cheese or vegetables — and it is naturally vegetarian in its simplest form. Tumbet, a layered bake of aubergine, potato and peppers in tomato sauce, is another excellent meat-free classic, and the spiral ensaïmada pastry is the island's signature sweet (check whether the plain version suits your dietary preference, as traditional recipes use lard). Vegetarian and vegan restaurants are easy to find in Palma and Sóller, Indian restaurants exist in Palma and the larger resorts, and self-catering apartments make it simple to cook — our hotel booking help can shortlist stays with kitchenettes or guaranteed vegetarian breakfasts.
Honeymoon or family holiday? Mallorca suits both
Couples love Mallorca for its cliff-top sunsets at Formentor, boutique hotels in Deià and Valldemossa, sailing trips out of Port de Sóller and candle-lit courtyards in Palma's old town — it slots perfectly into our honeymoon packages from Surat, often combined with Barcelona or the Spanish mainland. Families are equally well served: gentle, shallow beaches like Playa de Muro and Cala Millor, the Palma Aquarium, the Caves of Drach with their underground lake concert, and the Sóller train, which delights children as much as adults. Distances are short — nowhere on the island is much more than ninety minutes from Palma — so one well-chosen base can cover the whole trip.
Budget, connectivity and practical tips
Mallorca spans every budget: hostels and simple guesthouses at the lower end, mid-range hotels and agroturismo farm stays in the middle, and five-star cliff-side resorts at the top. As a rough planning range, a comfortable mid-range trip for a couple typically lands somewhere between INR 1.5–3 lakh for a week excluding international flights, but prices swing sharply with season — treat this as a range and verify current rates when you book. Money-savers: travel in shoulder season, use the excellent TIB public buses, book the Sóller train and cathedral tickets online, and eat your main meal at lunch when set menus are cheapest. Do not skip travel insurance — it is mandatory for the Schengen application anyway, as explained in our travel insurance guide for Indian travellers, and our insurance desk in Surat can arrange Schengen-compliant cover in a day.
Frequently asked questions
Do Indian passport holders need a visa for Mallorca? Yes — Mallorca is part of Spain, which is in the Schengen area, so you need a short-stay Schengen visa with insurance of at least EUR 30,000 coverage. Apply through the Spanish consulate's visa partner well in advance, ideally four to eight weeks before travel; our visa agent in Surat handles the appointment, forms and file preparation end to end.
How many days are enough for Mallorca? Four to five days covers the highlights — Palma and La Seu, a Tramuntana day with Valldemossa and Deià, the Sóller train, and a beach day at the calas. A full week lets you add Formentor, the Caves of Drach and slower pool-and-cove time, which is ideal for honeymooners. Is Mallorca vegetarian-friendly? Genuinely yes by European standards — pa amb oli and tumbet are local vegetarian classics, and Palma has dedicated vegetarian restaurants plus Indian options.
Ready to see the Balearics? Explera Vacations builds complete Mallorca itineraries — flights, stays, the Sóller train, island transfers and the full Schengen file — from Surat and across Gujarat. Browse our Europe tour packages from Surat, explore all Explera holiday packages, or talk to our travel experts today and we will shape the island trip around your dates and budget.
