Mallorca with Friends!

Starting with surprises!!

Although not planned, the vacation in Majorca will turn out to be wonderful. This account is a bit detailed, it might bore someone but there can be a lot of information that may be of interest. So at your own risk. My girlfriend Laura and I were intending to go to Thailand, but just 2 days before leaving we decide to go to Palma de Majorca. The package (theorem=worst tour operator) includes 14 days full board in roulette formula in 3* (1440 euros + 65 insurance, expensive!) We arrive at Malpensa and it's immediately a line! It'll take more than an hour to collect the tickets. And here at check-in our adventure begins. We get to know another couple of young people, also on the roulette formula. We and the other couple (Ivan and Alessandra) continue the journey to Palma where, surprise! Laura's suitcase doesn't arrive.

After waiting quite a few minutes I head to the claims office and file a report. The Teorema guide tells us to get on the bus, saying that they'll bring it to the hotel at the baggage claim meeting point. A few minutes later in the middle of the highway, crash!! The bus stops!!! What a shitty start, under the blazing sun and with anger in our bodies, this was all we needed. Later a new vehicle will arrive to take us to Paguera at the Hotel Valentin Park. As soon as we get off the bus, who do we see again? Ivan and Alessandra. They're at our hotel too, and for 2 weeks!! The hotel is decent, the sea is 400 m away and they tell us it's nice. Just enough time to settle in and we go buy something for Laura, poor thing doesn't even have a piece of clothing. In the evening we wander around the little town and...

I run into my friends from Turin, they too left on the roulette formula the night before!! How cool! A mega evening in company, just what we needed to cheer ourselves up.

Looking for a swimsuit!

We dedicate ourselves to shopping (after 12 hours, keeping the receipts, you're entitled to expenses for basic necessities up to 300 euros). We go as far as Palma, which we already knew, and we shop. The suitcase will arrive on Tuesday, and several things will be missing. For your information, on our return we filed a report and sent everything to the insurance company, which will reimburse us completely.

The suitcase finally arrives.It was in Punta Cana!

Our real holiday will start now. Laura, Ivan, Alessandra and I spring into action right away, we book the car for 3 days so we can start exploring the island. In the afternoon, on a walk, we reach Cala Fornell, a small cove that's very peculiar; besides, to get there you have to go through the German empire! Lavish villas with pools overlooking the promontories.

We go to meet our friends from Turin who are at another beach in Paguera. They've made new friends too, and we spend the afternoon all together.

Cala Sa Calobra

We're fired up today, we're going to Cala Sa Calobra. We decide to take the main road, 3 hours to get there, but it will be worth it. The road is all through the countryside, and along the way we also see Valldemossa, a very picturesque village. The last stretch of road is on top of the hills, with narrow roads and breathtaking views. Once we've come down, we turn off for Cala Tuent, take a swim, have a little snack, and then move on to Cala Sa Calobra. The water is clean, tourists are arriving from all directions. Indeed, the place is unusual because to get in you have to go through a cave that leads to the mouth of a small river that joins the sea, passing between the rocks. On the way back, don't miss Fornalutx (a village that won the award for the best atmosphere in all of Spain two years in a row).

This time we decide to take the motorway to Palma, and in 90 minutes we arrive in Paguera.

Es Trenc

Today we're off to Es Trenc. From Paguera heading east it takes about 40 minutes by car, but passing from one village to the next you're so busy looking at the various windmills that you don't even notice you've arrived. We leave the car in the huge parking lot (5 euros) and reach the splendid beach. It feels like being in Varadero, a long beach of fine sand and deep blue sea. We get an umbrella with 2 sun loungers (10 euros) and enjoy the beautiful sea.

Cala Mayor

Given the splendid day spent at Es Trenc, we decide to go back, armed with a packed lunch; by 10:00 we're already at the beach. There are few people and the beach is all ours, apart from a few nudists here and there. Unfortunately, our friends from Turin are leaving. In the evening we take a stroll around Cala Mayor, a village much livelier than quiet Paguera, lots of bars and nightclubs.

Let's enjoy Valentin Park

We return the car and enjoy the hotel pool. We need to recharge our batteries a bit.

Palma to day

A visit to Palma, passing by the La Seu Cathedral (entirely Gothic in style) and the Almudaina Palace, which are the heart and history of the city. We go up to Plaza Mayor, and coming down through the narrow streets we reach Parque del Mar. Unfortunately, we won't visit Bellver Castle (where you can enjoy a beautiful view) or Poble Espanyol (a reproduction of Spanish buildings and monuments).

Relaxing in Paguera

We stay in Paguera (or Peguera in the local dialect); the sea and carambola relax us a bit, and we enjoy the hotel, which all in all is worth the money spent, both as a facility and for the food.

We book the car

We book the car for the next 3 days (a new Renault Clio 1.2, 100 euros for 3 days). By now a real friendship is developing between us and Ivan and Alessandra, and everything is done in harmony.

Dragon Caves

We leave early and head to the Dragon Caves. Along the way, specifically in Manacor, there are several shops selling handicrafts, food products, and pearls, where we'll buy souvenirs for our friends in Italy. Once we arrive at the Cuevas del Drac, we join the huge queue, and after 90 minutes we manage to enter the legendary caves. They are the most extensive caves in Europe, and the contrasts of light reflecting in the lake are stunning. You reach a point where there's a large "hall" complete with seating. The lights go out and... three illuminated rowboats carry musicians who, with violins and piano, will make us shudder with emotion. After leaving the caves, we'll go to Cala Mendia (near the cave) and take a couple of dips.

Casino, what a pain!

Return to paradise. Es Trenc has left its mark and we can't help but go back. It won't disappoint. In the evening we decide to pop over to the Magaluf Casino and we can't help but notice how both Santa Ponca and Magaluf are far livelier than Paguera, where after 11 p.m. there's a curfew!

Our favorite destination!

The women dig in their heels: Es Trenc, Es Trenc, and in the end we give in to them. We've lost the chance to go to Formentor, but many people assured us we didn't miss anything special.

Back to Italy

We say goodbye to Miguel the waiter, and reluctantly return to Italy with a load of lovely memories, a new and wonderful friendship destined to last, and this time with our suitcases sealed at Palma airport.