I have recently returned from my first ever solo trip to Mallorca, Spain. If you’re visiting this page, I assume you’re at least contemplating solo travel in Mallorca. Firstly, can I say: do it! It’s such an incredible island and an easy trip for a solo traveller. Secondly, I want to share everything I learned during my own solo trip, so let’s get straight into it.
Solo travel in Mallorca
This was my first real experience with solo travel so I don’t have much to compare it to. I have had solo elements of many trips, but they have generally just been a day or two at the start or end of a group trip.
With that said, I found Mallorca to be a great place for a solo trip. There are loads of activities to do if you’re looking to meet people, but it’s also an easy and safe place to travel by yourself. I will say that I have had prior experience with scary driving in Sicily, so I felt very prepared for driving in Mallorca. It might be a little more stress inducing if you are new to driving in Europe (but more on this in the linked post).
I highly recommend Mallorca as a solo travel destination and I hope you find this article helpful. If you have any specific questions please leave a comment – I’m always thrilled to chat travel.
My itinerary
As a solo traveller, you get to control 100% of what goes onto your itinerary. I have been wanting to go to Mallorca for so long and visit all the gorgeous beaches. I had a list as long as my arm of places I wanted to visit. The flight from Australia is horrendously long, so you have to make it worth the trek. As such, my itinerary was pretty jam packed.
I figured laying out my itinerary would be helpful just so you know where I went and how I found it.
I picked up the car after landing in Palma airport. From there, I drove straight to an air bnb in Cala Santanyi where I stayed for 3 nights. I spent this time exploring Cala Santanyi, Santanyi and all the nearby beaches. Next, I spent one night in Cala D’Or and one night in Cala Ratjada (neither location was to my taste, but that’s just my preference).
After Cala Ratjada, I spent one night in Pollenca. I absolutely loved Pollenca and could have stayed longer if I had the time. From Pollenca, I stayed four nights in Soller. Soller ended up being my absolute favourite place out of everywhere and was a great base for me.
After Soller, I spent two nights in Deia and then one night in Valldemossa. Finally, I spent two nights in Port D’Andratx and one night in Palma.
Looking back, the only thing I would have changed about my itinerary is skipping Cala D’Or and Cala Ratjada. I would have added another night to Pollenca and one to Palma at the end.
Is Mallorca a good solo travel destination?
Yes! I found Mallorca to be an excellent solo travel destination. There is something for almost everyone’s taste and preferences – beaches, hiking, partying, yoga retreats – you name it. Whatever you’re into, you can probably find it somewhere in Mallorca.
There is also options for all levels of solo travellers. If you are quite intrepid and keen, you can drive yourself around the island. For those who are perhaps a bit more reserved about driving or travel in general, you can do any number of day trips/group tours from Palma.
As a woman in her early thirties, I felt safe in all of the destinations I visited. I will say that I wasn’t out late so I can only speak to the 9-10pm bedtime slot. Another thing I didn’t do was drink to excess at night (I’m a cocktail with lunch and/or dinner girl these days) or stay in any party areas.
I didn’t notice too many fellow solo travellers on my trip (that said, I wasn’t looking for them). However, I found people (travellers and locals) were all super friendly and chill. The reality is that nobody actually cares if you are by yourself. They are busy enjoying their holiday and you won’t cop bemused glances from anyone.
General tips for solo travellers in Mallorca
Personally, I found staying in an air bnb alone not only a bit scary (I only stayed in one) but also quite antisocial. I would describe myself as an extroverted introvert – I can socialise but I recharge by being alone. I’m a homebody and I found that staying in a lovely air bnb tempted me to just stay at home.
Staying in a hotel forced me to get up and out for breakfast, to go to the pool, etc. I also found it much easier to nip into the hotel room for a refresh and then venture back out. Of course, there’s also the fact that you can meet people in hotels whereas you don’t generally encounter people at air bnb.
Another thing I wished I did was bring bank cards from two different banks (or at least sort out my Wise card before arrival). It probably doesn’t matter so much when you live in Europe, but my Australian credit card wouldn’t work at the car rental place. It was quite a stressful wait to figure out that my debit card did work. All this to say: you don’t have a fallback plan for these things, so make sure you have enough ways to pay that one or two of them can fail.
Something that was invaluable to me was having data on my phone. I am with Vodafone who allow you to use your phone for $5 a day in selected countries. Is it the most budget friendly? No. However, I have watched my sister struggle with getting SIM cards and then poor quality internet overseas. When you’re alone, you need reliable internet and directions as well as general information – tips, phone numbers, ways to contact home. For me, it is always worth it.
Tips for Mallorca specifically
Nowhere I visited in the entirety of Mallorca was unfriendly or unsuitable for the solo traveller. Most towns had their own merits for a solo traveller: Palma was big and anonymous, Soller was small but busy.
I did catch vibes from different places and I daresay they would be different for everyone. However, I personally felt a bit more conscious (aka ’embarrassed’ or self aware) about solo travelling in touristy towns, port towns and beach towns.
In touristy towns like Cala Dor, I did feel a bit more conscious having a sunset wine by myself. I’m not entirely sure why: just a vibe I got. I felt similarly in Port D’Andratx and Port De Pollenca. I did love the jovial atmosphere of a town square, so maybe the lack of a main square in port towns (where restaurants are strewn along the shore) contributed.
My favourite towns in terms of a solo traveller experience were Santanyi, Pollenca, Soller and Valldemossa. Palma was also very chill for the solo traveller. Again, I’m sure this could change for everyone but this was my experience.
I loved Deia but it was quite a romantic place. That made for interesting solo dinners!
All in all, I recommend almost everywhere I went, regardless of the solo travel vibe. Once you get over the fear of how you’re perceived, it’s such an incredible way to travel.
Tips for solo travellers at the beach in Mallorca
This was one of my main qualms before my trip and it ended up being a bit of a non-event. I wondered what I would do with my car keys and phone while swimming at the beach. Given that there is nobody to look after your stuff when you solo travel, I thought it would be tricky to navigate.
I bought a water safe bag for my phone prior to travelling. It is an ugly waterproof pouch with a string that you hang around your neck. I wasn’t sure if my keys would fit as well, but I wanted to buy it in Australia so I wasn’t chipping into trip time searching for a bag.
In the end, I never used it. I figured out very quickly that my preference was to get to the beach super early and leave super early. The crowds at the beaches are insane in peak seasons and I am not a crowd gal. Early in the morning, you could easily swim and keep an eye on your stuff.
If you’re going to the beach later in the day on a busy day, I would recommend buying a waterproof bag. By all accounts there are some bum bag style bags that look a bit less nerdy and hold all the essentials. Buy a good quality one with enough space for your phone, keys and cards.
There are also sometimes paid umbrella chairs and lockers. If you’re the sort of person who can sit on the beach all day, this is a good idea. Your stuff is loosely being minded and you can lock your phone in the little umbrella locker. Whether these are 100% safe, I can’t say. I think the volume of people around would be a deterrent, though.
Tips for solo female travellers in Mallorca
Quite frankly, these travel tips are relevant for all destinations, not Mallorca in particular. They are just some tips I picked up on this trip as my first solo trip as a woman.
- Skip the air bnbs. I know they are all gorgeous and lovely but it definitely feels less secure when you are by yourself. There is something very comforting about having a room with other people around and added layers of security.
- Choose a hotel in the centre of town. They are more expensive, but you won’t have to walk down deserted alleys after dinner at night.
- Stay in the towns you want to visit. A good tip for so many reasons, but it means you’re less likely to be getting home late, in a deserted parking lot, etc.
- Do these tips absolutely suck? Yes. Nobody should have to do any of this on a holiday. That said, they’re things I was glad I did because I felt safe the entire trip.
- The last tip that absolutely unequivocally sucks but I was glad I did: dress plainly. I took the trip as an opportunity to dress without much effort. Personally, I felt that this stopped me from being standing out given that I was by myself.
- All of the aforementioned tips are important: have multiple ways to pay, have data and maps on your phone, etc.
Benefits of solo travelling
I just wanted to end on a positive note because I absolutely 200% recommend solo travel in Mallorca. It’s an easy and safe destination with so much to appeal to every different interest. Locals and tourists alike were incredibly kind and friendly.
The highlight of my trip was a man in Deia offering to show me his farm vegetables and how he stores tomatoes during the winter. He gave me two tomatoes and a chilli to take with me, which is one of my favourite travel moments yet. If I had been busy talking to a travel companion and I hadn’t stopped to chat to him about his dog, it might never have happened.
Benefits
- You get to do exactly what you want, when you want. You can be as rigid or flexible as you like. If you want to lay on the beach all day, you can! If you want to get up and drive an hour to beach at 6am, you can do that too. The itinerary is entirely your own.
- You don’t have to feign enthusiasm for the boring thing that someone else on the trip wants to do.
- I found it easier in many ways. You don’t have to account for someone else’s moods and there is nobody to bring the vibe down if they’re tired/hungry etc. Being hangry doesn’t exist in solo travel – there is nobody to be angry at! You can simply stop for food the moment you need to. Personally, I seemed to switch straight into problem solving mode where I might have gotten snippy at someone else if we were travelling together.
- There is no queue for the shower in the morning.
- People are so kind and will stop for a chat. I had many lovely experiences with locals and tourists alike. Because you’re alone, people tend to approach you more readily. I didn’t have any interactions that were unpleasant (luck of the draw, of course).
- Down time in your room is absolute, 100% downtime. There’s nobody around to irritate you or get up in your space.
- The eavesdropping and people watching is incredible!
- On the note of people watching: at least half the couples I saw at restaurants were sitting in silence and/or on their phones anyway. Take from that what you will.
One last benefit
Of all the benefits above, the one that stood out to me was how empowering it was to travel alone. To be successfully independent on the other side of the world is a huge feat. I have never felt more like an adult than successfully driving and touristing Mallorca (and a tiny bit of Barcelona). Honestly, I was on such a high when I came home – I felt like I could achieve anything.
I couldn’t recommend solo travel more and I can’t wait to do another solo trip. Sure, it can get a little lonely sometimes and some days you have to push yourself. The reward, though, is 1000% worth it.
With a bit of research and common sense safety precautions, you can have the trip of a lifetime.
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