So that trip to Ibiza at the start of the summer season– that was basically a side trip on my own. A friend was getting married in Mallorca. Since Ibiza was practically next door, I wanted to check it out. The friends I was with were not the partying type though, so I went on my own. Which was a great decision. Going solo, I was able to make new friends, some of whom I am still in contact with. In fact I’m planning a trip with one of them next year.

But back to the friends I was traveling with. After doing my own thing in Ibiza, it was time to meet up with them in Mallorca. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I was going to be traveling with friends, so I didn’t do as much research as i usually do when I’m traveling solo. I guess I came in blindly. And partly, I guess that’s why I was pleasantly surprised. Mallorca is breathtakingly beautiful.

Like Ibiza, there are two ways to get there. You either choose to fly or take a ferry. There are direct flights available from major cities in Spain, as well as from other cities in Europe. Ferries leave from cities like Barcelona and Valencia too. For ferries, the price is about the same as ferries going to Ibiza, which is about 30 -40 euros. For flights— obviously it varies. And you have to pay for check in luggage too. But if you buy early enough, and if you won’t have any luggage to check in, flying could be cheaper. It’s easy to get to the city center from the airport too. There are public buses right outside the airport, and it only costs 5 euros to get to the center of Palma de Mallorca. A taxi costs about 25-30 euros since the city center is only about 15-20 minutes away — not a bad option especially if you’ll be sharing the cab. Now since Ibiza is just 45 minutes away if you take a flight, and just about 2 hours away by ferry, you’d think it would be cheap traveling between these two islands? Not quite. Although you could score cheap flight tickets if you buy early, there’s no such luck with ferries. The average price for a one way trip is a hundred euros for non residents, which doesn’t make sense. I guess it’s cause this is a popular route, and the ferries aren’t those huge ones.

We chose to stay at Palma de Mallorca, the capital of Mallorca, which was a great decision. There are lots of hotels in the area, including several budget options. There were lots of restaurants and bars in the area, you’d find a good place to eat no matter how much your budget is. The old town was within walking distance from where we stayed, and you can spend the entire morning or afternoon marveling at the architecture. The Palma Cathedral (Catedral de Santa Maria de Palma de Mallorca) is a popular attraction and it’s not hard to see why. One public beach (Ca’n Pere Antoni) was also nearby, and it was a great place to chill.

The following days, we decided to explore some other parts of the island. Since I was with friends, we just rented a car and split the cost. This is something I’d recommend if you’re not traveling alone and you guys aren’t trying to cut costs. It’s because some places on the island aren’t readily accessible by public transport. The only other option to get to such places would be to take taxis, and that’s going to be very expensive. if you just want to head to one town to another though, you could take buses. If you want to head to Soller, for example, the line 204 bus heads there. It only costs 5 euros and takes about 40 minutes. You could also take the train, but it’s more expensive and it takes longer to get there. It costs about 15 euros each way, and it takes more than an hour.

Speaking of Soller— it’s a quaint little town by the lake, and I do recommend visiting. The entire town is picturesque, you could spend the entire day taking pictures.

Another place I would recommend checking out is Cala Pi— arguably one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. it’s also fairly easy to get there from Palma. Take the 505 bus; it only costs 8 euros and the trip takes about an hour.

Now I’ve already made it clear that Mallorca is beautiful, but would I recommend it to those who want to party? You bet I would. There are lots of bars in Palma itself, but if you want to party hard, you might have heard of this place called Magaluf which has been notorious for partying. Yup, Magaluf is in Mallorca, just 20 minutes from Palma. So if you want to party, Ibiza isn’t the only island you can party at in Spain. And it’s gonna be cheaper too. If you’re not looking to catch certain DJs, I’d say Mallorca is the better option. Just my personal preference, but to me Mallorca offers a better mix of sights and partying. But if you have the time and budget, I’d recommend visiting both. Partying in Ibiza and Mallorca are both fun, but in different ways.