Mallorca - who hasn't heard of it. Lots of tourists, all-night parties, the perfect place for a crazy holiday. But is it only that? If we take a closer look at the largest island of the Balearic Islands, Spain, we will see that it has much more to offer.

The island's history is marked by years of clash between European, African and Muslim cultures. All these events shaped the region and influenced the culture, cuisine and customs of its inhabitants. For years Mallorca inspired European artists, gave them rest and relaxation and the mountain air improved their health. As early as in the 14th century, the king of Mallorca had a palace built in the mountains where he could be treated for lung diseases. With time, the town of Valldemossa was built around the palace, where in 1838 Frédéric Chopin spent three winter months with George Sand. This stay inspired the composer to write many musical works, while his partner wrote "Winter on Mallorca". Nowadays, Valldemossa is a tangle of narrow streets, sandstone houses with embedded plates with the image of the saint Catalina Thomas and prayers, and the Carthusian monastery towering over the town.

Not far from Valldemossa is the tiny town of Deià. A village with traditional for Mallorca buildings and a wonderful view on the slopes of the mountains. In small towns it is also worth going to restaurants - one of the ways to get to know the country is to try the regional cuisine. In restaurants, we find mainly dishes typical for the whole of Spain, such as paella. However, if we ask the waiter about regional delicacies, we can try for example typical for Mallorca pork sausage sobrassada served on country bread or on toast dipped in olive oil and poured with honey. We won't try it anywhere else.

Mallorca is also famous for oranges and everyone agrees that the best and sweetest specimens grow around the town of Sóller in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. The taste of oranges is influenced by the unique microclimate in this area. Sóller itself is a small town hidden in the mountains, decorated with houses with green shutters and orange and lemon trees visible at every step. You can reach the city from Palma by a wooden train, which is an attraction in itself. A wooden tram also runs through the center of Sóller, which will take us to Port de Sóller, a seaside resort with a long and wide promenade. The town and the bay are surrounded by mountains, which can be admired while lying on the beach or swimming in the sea.

There are several caves on the island, and perhaps the most famous is Coves del Drach. These caves contain one of the largest underground lakes in the world. To visit the caves you should go to Porto Cristo. It is a small resort with a port where mainly locals rest.

Less than 50 km north of Porto Cristo is the historic capital of Mallorca, Alcúdia. The main attraction of this town is the old town surrounded by defensive walls. The entrance gates to the town and the church, which is part of the walls, have also been preserved to this day. Right next to the old town you can visit the Roman ruins - Ciutat Romana de Pollentia, and going further towards the sea you will find yourself in Port d'Alcúdia. It is a big tourist resort with a beautiful, wide beach and shallow, turquoise water.

The current capital of the island is Palma, which was called Palma de Mallorca until 2008. The symbol of the capital is La Seu Cathedral, in the restoration of which the Spanish artist Antonio Gaudi was involved. Next to the cathedral is the royal palace, while under the walls of both buildings extends the Parc de la Mar with an artificial lake in the middle. Delving into the streets of Palma's old town we come across many tenement houses built in the spirit of Catalan modernism. An example of this trend is the Can Rei tenement house, which brings to mind famous buildings designed by Gaudi. The old town seems to be small, however, while walking around the streets, we come across something noteworthy every now and then. Palma is a city where every visitor will find something for themselves. There is a beach and the sea, yacht port, excellent restaurants, monuments and art exhibitions, which is why Mallorca welcomes tourists all year round.

00:00 - Intro
00:38 - Sóller
04:35 - Port de Sóller
05:57 - Valldemossa
09:42 - Deià
12:09 - Porto Cristo
14:38 - Alcúdia
17:42 - Port d'Alcúdia
18:32 - Palma

Soundtrack:

Soller: Ludlów - 'Til All That's Left in Ash (Instrumental)
Valldemossa: Frédéric Chopin Chopin - Nocturne in C-sharp minor 'Lento con gran espressione', B. 49 (Op. posth.) by Frank Levy
Deia: Gavin Luke - Nadir
Porto Cristo: Ooyy, GEMINII - Like Shadows
Alcudia: Sum Wave - Beach Memories
Palma: Alexa Cappelli - Stuck in the Moment