Balearic Islands, Spain
Majorca - Port d'Andratx
Sunshine Holidays welcomes you to Majorca (or Mallorca as it is known to the Spanish), the largest of the four main Balearic Islands - the others being Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Lemon groves and 1000 year old olive trees cling to the terraced hillsides. The inland plains, dotted with windmills drawing up water for the almond and fig trees, are the agricultural heartland of a thriving economy. The beautiful Serra de Tramontana mountain range, with its jagged limestone cliffs, stretches along the island's northwestern coast.
Majorca's beaches range from long stretches of sandy coastline to tiny unspoilt coves surrounded by pinewoods, with caves along the southeastern coast, the most famous of which include the Drach, Hams and Artá caverns.
At Sunshine Holidays we concentrate on the south western area of Port d'Andratx, known to the Spanish as Puerto de Andraitx, about 30km from the capital, Palma, and 40 minutes from the airport.
The port is well known for the many restaurants that surround it and has been likened to St. Tropez. The Yacht marina has world class facilities and attracts a large number of superyachts throughout the warmer months.
The coastline around Port d'Andratx curls around capes and coves, stone walls stitched across the slopes support terraced olive groves and villages hide in protected pouches.
From here you can take a trip to Isla Dragonera, off the coast opposite Sant Elm.
Lovers of fresh fish and sea food are very well catered to and the café terraces along the quay are a popular meeting place for locals and provide a relaxing place to watch the world go by. Look out for ensaimada, a local light pastry with powdered sugar and fresh fruit.
Although the Ballearic Islands are Spanish, the predominant local language is a dialect of Catalán, as spoken in the Catalunya region around Barcelona.
Palma, the capital, is the largest and busiest of Balearic cities. The cathedral in Palma was started in 1230 but not completed until 1601, partly because its one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. For anyone interested in the work of the Spanish architect Gaudí, it's worth noting that he modified the interior of this cathedral in 1902 and designed the ornamentation that hangs from the ceiling over the altar.
The island is known to students of Chopin's life as the tubercular composer, together with his companion George Sand, spent the winter of 1838-9 in the mountain village of Valldemosa - there is a museum at the monastery, the Cartuja de Valldemosa.
For those seeking good weather and peace and quiet, April, May, June, September and October are the best months. Those looking for heat and "action" will go in July and August. The rest of the year is also perfect for a relaxing holiday.
| Month |
Average daily
hours of sun |
Average daily
temperature °C |
| Jan |
5 |
14 |
| Feb |
6 |
15 |
| Mar |
6 |
17 |
| April |
7 |
19 |
| May |
10 |
22 |
| June |
10 |
26 |
| July |
11 |
28 |
| Aug |
11 |
29 |
| Sept |
8 |
26 |
| Oct |
6 |
23 |
| Nov |
5 |
18 |
| Dec |
4 |
15 |
|
|
