Mallorca trip by boat – a vacation for all your senses
Mallorca is one of the most popular sailing destinations in the Mediterranean. This popularity has its reasons – the island offers an ideal mix of different advantages for those who travel by boat. One is undoubtedly the delicious food in Mallorca. This article highlights what you must eat during your sailing vacation in Mallorca. Whether you sail your boat or charter it with a skipper, in our article, you will learn the best places to visit when travelling around Mallorca by boat.
Which ones should you visit when you travel to Mallorca?
The island of Mallorca is located about 170 km from the Spanish mainland and is the largest of the Balearic Islands, with an area of 3640 square kilometres. The capital of Mallorca is Palma, which is located on the west coast of the island and includes Magaluf in the west and Arenal in the east. It is a popular destination for tourists and the supply centre of the Balearic Islands.
Mallorca’s coastline is 550 km long and surprisingly versatile. The northeast coast offers wide open bays with long sandy beaches, making it the perfect place to visit if you decide to rent a boat in Mallorca. There you will find the bay of Pollensa, known as one of the best sailing spots in Europe.
On the northwest coast, the great mountain range – the Serra de Tramuntana – stretches along the steep coastline. Its highest peak, Puig Major, reaches 1445 m. The 90 km stretch of coastline between Cap Formentor and Dragonera in the north is a beautiful piece of coastline.
The east coast is crossed by the Serres de Levante cave, a low mountain range with up to 500 m, whose highest mountain is Puig Morei. There are numerous bays with picturesque beaches, safe anchorage,s and well-equipped marinas on the south coast. In the Bay of Palma, the 6 km long beach of Playa de Palma Can Pastilla leads to Arenal.
The weather in Mallorca is very stable and offers a long sailing season. Learn more about why the stable weather with long sunny days is just one of many reasons to sail around Mallorca.
The food in Mallorca
Mallorcan cuisine is based on pork, fish and vegetables with generous use of garlic and olive oil. The typical local food in Mallorca is hearty, traditional peasant cuisine that has its roots in local ingredients. But despite the rich traditions, you’ll find that restaurants are becoming more inventive, with dishes that take advantage of delicious local ingredients like sun-ripened lemons, plump and juicy olives, and the excellent natural salt flats of the south.
The delicacies that you should not miss during a trip to Mallorca:
Caldereta – Seafood stew
Caldereta is a Spanish soup that is prepared in different ways around the world. In Mallorca, the most popular caldereta is a stew with seafood, sometimes with lobster.
Squid a la Mallorquina
The squid a la Mallorquina is stuffed with ground pork, pine nuts and parsley and is one of the seafood dishes in Mallorca that you shouldn’t miss. It is baked and served in a fresh tomato sauce.
Arros Brut – Traditional rice dish with vegetables and meat
The Spanish love their rice. Although outshined by the internationally famous paella, almost every region in Spain has its typical rice dish, especially around the Mediterranean, and Mallorca is no exception.
Bunyols – Mallorcan doughnuts
Bunyols or buñuelos in Spanish are a type of doughnut made from potato dough baked in hot oil and sprinkled with sugar.
The mixture consists of mashed potatoes, flour, eggs, yeast and butter. Once the mixture is blended and risen, pick up a small amount between thumb and forefinger and press a hole in the dough before placing it in the hot oil.
Mallorcan wines
Mallorca has a long history of wine production and has been known for its viticulture since the Roman occupation. At least 40 indigenous grape varieties are grown on the island and it is challenging to get Mallorcan wine elsewhere in the world as it is not exported much. So better drink while you are there!
Some native grape varieties to look out for:
· Manto Negro – Mallorca’s most famous red wine grape. They usually result in wines with a high percentage of alcohol, medium body and aromas of cherry, caramel and lilac.
· Callet – a red grape with low tannin content, often served as young table wine or blended with Cabernet.
· Moll (Prensal Blanc) – a light, refreshing white grape variety often blended with Chardonnay.