What to do in Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands are four main islands in the western Mediterranean, combining mountain, coast and seabed in a way that allows alternating activities within a single day. Mallorca is the largest island and holds the greatest diversity: the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, runs 90 km from Andratx to Pollença with peaks up to 1,445 metres at Puig Major. The GR221 hiking route, known as the Dry Stone Route, covers 150 km through centuries-old olive groves, dry-stone villages and viewpoints over the Mediterranean, with thirteen stages and a network of refuges and hostels that makes it walkable in full over fourteen days. Road cycling in Mallorca has international reach: the Coll de Sa Batalla, Sa Calobra and Puig Major passes draw groups of cyclists between February and May, when temperatures are low on the mainland and passes are clear of snow. Sa Calobra is one of Spain's most demanding descents — 9 km of tight switchbacks down to sea level. Mountain bike touring has its own circuit through the Serra with technical singletrack routes. Diving in the Balearics draws on the characteristic clarity of the Balearic Mediterranean: the Reserva Marina del Nord de Mallorca and the Cabrera Archipelago National Park have intact posidonia seagrass beds and rich rocky reef fauna. Menorca, quieter and less crowded, offers cave diving in the north and white sand coves accessible by sea kayak from Maó or Ciutadella. The Drach and Hams caves in Porto Cristo are the largest lagoon cave systems in Europe open to visitors. Formentera is the smallest of the four inhabited islands and works mainly as a sailing and kayaking base: the ses Illetes lagoon, with posidonia beds down to 6 metres, holds European recognition as a benchmark for marine water quality.