Tips for connoisseurs: Majorca holidays in autumn: why now is the best time on the island
Empty beaches, pleasant temperatures and the best time for activities: Those who travel to Mallorca in autumn have the island at their feet – enchantingly beautiful, relaxed and inexpensive.
It’s as if someone flipped a switch: when the summer heat slowly subsides, the crowds of tourists also leave and Mallorca transforms into a paradise for those seeking peace and quiet, for athletes, bon vivants and connoisseurs.
With daytime temperatures of 24 degrees and water temperatures of around 21 degrees, there are still good bathing conditions well into November – and that’s only a two-hour flight away. We show why October in Mallorca is so dreamy, even if it rains on some days.
Relaxed on the Caribbean beach
According to the Balearic Ministry of Tourism, the island has 207 beaches and bays – from miles of sandy beaches to small, romantic bays. In October peace has returned everywhere and you don’t have to look far for a secluded spot. So not only bathing and relaxing in the sun with an average of 6.6 hours of sunshine a day and pleasant temperatures fun, but also walks on the beach.
The best way to discover the beauty of nature is to take long walks along the shore. At Playa Es Trenc, for example, which is five kilometers long and lies in a sand dune landscape in a nature reserve. Because of its powdery white sand and turquoise-green sea, it is considered the Caribbean beach of Mallorca.
- Hotel tip: Hotel Blau Colonia Sant Jordi from 665 euros for a week including half board
Hiking with panoramic views
While the summer months are far too hot to hike, the autumn months are ideal for exploring the island on foot. Because every effort is richly rewarded. Like on the high trail from Valldemossa to Deià, which is considered to be the most beautiful panoramic trail in Mallorca. The almost eleven kilometer long, moderately difficult tour through the Serra de Tramuntana begins at the parking lot of the village of Valldemossa, 400 meters above sea level, which became famous through the composer Frédéric Chopin and as the summer residence of the Spanish kings.
On a plateau, you follow the escarpment to the coast, past olive groves, holm oaks, Aleppo pines and jagged limestone rocks. From up here, one breathtaking view of the north-west coast follows the next. The path leads up 563 meters in altitude and as a treat at the end of the route it goes down to the artists’ village of Deià. The three and a half hour circular tour in the south of the island from the ruins of the Castell del Santuario near Felanitx over the monastery hill of Sant Salvador also offers fantastic views.
Cycling without the hustle and bustle of the streets
With around 150,000 cycling tourists every year, Mallorca is considered the Mecca of European cycling. There are also many routes for non-professionals who just want to cruise through the area for enjoyment: from the spectacular 110-kilometer west coast tour (Pollença in the north to Andratx in the south) via the mostly flat terrain in the center of the island, which passes through picturesque villages such as Santa Maria and Bunyola, all the way to the cycle path in Palma along the coast from Porto Pi to El Arenal.
The big advantage in autumn is that there is significantly less traffic, which makes driving relaxed on the many small country roads possible. (E-)Bikes can be rented in many places and allow you to get to know the island in a special way – slowly, even on paths that are not accessible by car, and with the option of stopping at any time.
Hearty cuisine and characterful wines
Exercise makes you hungry and that’s where the Mallorcan can kitchen quickly remedy the situation with hearty dishes. Suckling pig, lamb chops or hearty fish and meat stews taste really good in the autumn months, because in midsummer many tourists find them too heavy and hearty. But what would the traditional dishes be without wine? Would you like a Blanco, Rosado or Vino tinto?
Wine growing has a long tradition on Mallorca. Even the Romans planted vines around Binissalem. Native grape varieties include Manto Negoro and Prensal Blanc. The latter delights white wine fans with exotic notes of peach, grapefruit, lychee and banana, fine minerality and low acidity. The Bodega Ribas in Consell, located between Palma and Alcudia, for example, cultivates them in organic farming. As in many wineries (there are around 70 on the island), you can also taste wines here – and understand why Mallorca has established itself as an excellent wine region in recent years.
- Hotel tip: Allsun Hotel Eden Playa, one week from 709 euros per person
Art, Culture and Royal Palace
In October there can be one or two rainy days, but that’s a good thing. Because then is the perfect time to go to a museum. The small island has a surprising number of these to offer. In the museum for modern and contemporary art “Es Baluard” in Palma you can admire works by Pablo Picasso, Santiago Calatrava, Rebecca Horn and Anselm Kiefer – as well as the view of the sea and the city. Right next to the cathedral is the royal palace La Almudaina with a museum.
Palma again: The Juan March Foundation is housed in a private villa in Palma and boasts works by Spain’s most important contemporary artists – Miró, Gris and Dalí. Photographs, installations, sculptures and paintings by local and international artists can also be admired outside the capital, such as at the contemporary arts center CCA Andratx. Or in the small artists’ village of Deià on the cliffs in the northwest, where there is a Chopin Museum, among other things.
- Hotel tips: Innside by Meliá Palma Bosque from 681 euros per person per week
Harvest time: oranges and olives
The harvest started earlier than ever this year – in August – due to the heat wave and is already over. But other fruits are traditionally harvested in October: oranges and olives. The valley of the oranges, which is known for its particularly juicy specimens, is located near Sollér. If you want to watch the fruit growers harvest, you can hike through it on an easy path.
From the end of October until Christmas, the olives are also ready to be harvested, which is traditionally done by hand. The small green fruits are then taken to an oil mill for pressing. The largest and most modern mill “Son Catiu” is located in the middle of the island between Inca and Llubi. Here visitors can experience how the oil is pressed and also taste it.
- Hotel tip: Hotel El Guia Soller, a week from 639 euros per person
Festivals: Gulf and Paprika
Of course, there are also celebrations in the off-season: from October 20th to 23rd, 2022, the best golfers in the world will compete at the Mallorca Golf Open. The DP World Tour tournament will be played on the 18-hole Campo Son Muntaner course. Located just five minutes from the capital, Palma, in the hills, this course is considered sophisticated and challenging because of its water hazards.
On the weekend of 22./23. In October, Felanitx hosts a completely different fiesta: the Feria del Pimentón, the red pepper festival. The folk festival revolves around the deep red paprika, which is an ingredient in many traditional dishes. At the Feria you get an insight into the life of the locals – with cooking demonstrations, traditional dances and workshops. A great opportunity to get in touch with Mallorcans.
- Hotel tip: Hiphotels Playa de Palma Palace, a week all inclusive from 1009 euros per person