Mallorca places to see suggestions

I was there last March. Loved it. We did not have a car and we based in Palma. Here's my trip report - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/blog/2019/5/spring-in-spain---mallorca-ibiza-barcelona-tarragona-valencia

Isabel, that was an interesting trip report, thanks. It's a shame you didn't get to experience the other parts of Mallorca as there's certainly more to the island than Palma and Valdemossa/Soller. Unfortunately it would appear that your bus route only took in the perimeter local housing section rather than the beautiful town square and surrounding alleys.

I'm also curious as to what leads you to believe that Ibiza is full of middle class package tourists? Even when my fiends and I went in our late teens, early twenties we never used travel agencies, everything was booked online and this was in the infancy of the internet and we were far from middle class. Essentially the majority of travellers to Ibiza during the summer are young teenagers, mostly working class and who have saved for an entire year for a week of endless partying, I don't know anyone under 40 who books package holidays.

Yes I know there is lots more of the island than what we saw but we only had limited time (the OP has even less than we did). The HOHO bus tour was a disappointment, although we really were only using it to get up to the castle. We walked through the central part of the city numerous times in our four days so didn't need to see that via the bus, but for someone who thought the bus was a way to see the 'best' parts of the city, it was definitely not.

Re Ibiza - it was cool and cloudy and we were only there two days and it was March so there were hardly any tourists of any kind when we were there. I'm going on what I've read, but mostly on what our B&B hostess - who has lived there for almost 40 years - told us.

You only have two days to explore an island that we're still exploring after spending several weeks a year for a number of years. You're arriving next week but you haven't booked any accommodation?! I appreciate that it's October but there are still plenty of people who visit the island during this time. You say you land at Palma Airport at 2pm but this doesn't mean you're out of the airport at that time. Sometimes there's a bus required to transport you to the terminal (more often than not), then there's immigration (as an EU citizen this is typically quite efficient, I can't speak for other nationalities), are you checking in luggage or not? You then have to find your hire car. Palma Airport is not large, I've never heard of Terry's car hire but having looked at their website it's difficult to work out where you collect the car from. The main car rental lot contains the major companies only so I can't offer any advice about Terry's and where you collect their cars.

Fortunately Palma Airport is very close to Palma (if that is where you are going to be based and with such limited time I'd recommend you look at staying there however I have no recommendations as I've never stayed in Palma) however it is also the most congested part of the island and parking is very restricted and difficult. You may be lucky and get to your acommodation and settled and ready to explore by 4 pm but that's optimistic. If you want to explore Palma on that day (you don't say what day it is) then you need to bear in mind that in October the Bellver Castle closes at 6 pm (3 pm on Sunday) and is closed on Mondays. The cathedral closes at 5:15 pm and the Arab Baths closes at 6:30 pm. Of course you can wander the streets and sample the architecture and nightlife of Palma during the afternoon and evening but if you want to see the main sights you may find you're too late so you may wish to consider seeing them the following day.

The tour you mentioned looks fine if that's something that appeals to you. I see that it mentions leaving the hustle and bustle behind by visiting Valldemossa but bear in mind that when a cruise ship(s) is in then many of those tourists will be doing the same as you and Valldemossa can become unbearably busy. A lot of people take the iconic wooden train from Palma to Soller (and then the accompanying tram to Port Soller), it's a very scenic ride once you reach the station of Bunyola (which is where I usually recommend people board the train if they have a car as there is easy, free parking at the station) however it's not particularly cheap and you would need to find a way to get to Valldemossa of you wanted to visit there.

There is much more of the island to explore but you won't have any time. You have enough to hit the main draws of Palma, Valldemossa and Soller but that's about it.

Re Ibiza - it was cool and cloudy and we were only there two days and it was March so there were hardly any tourists of any kind when we were there. I'm going on what I've read, but mostly on what our B&B hostess - who has lived there for almost 40 years - told us.

Yes, March is pretty much dead tourist wise in Ibiza. The island is overrun during the summer with the vast, vast majority being youngsters in their late teens and early twenties, they don't stay in B&B's so perhaps your hostess was judging her experience on the clientele of her establishment, either that or she has a different interpretation of Middle Class than I do.

Guys I managed to book the car through the rental company. The car pick up location is from the airport parking lot. Now, I need to decide where to stay and what places to see since I have a car now.

I hope the car company are a bit more specific about their location rather than "in the parking lot". Is there going to be a representative meeting you at the exit after customs?

Typically I would advise against staying in Palma if you have a car as it can be a hindrance however as you have such a short time to visit it does make sense to stay in Palma. With a car you will be able to visit Valldemossa and Soller at your own leisure (visit Valldemossa early as the nearby small car parks fill up rapidly). If you're not looking to linger you could visit Valldemossa for a couple of hours, drive to Soller and have lunch and a leisurely stroll (It's not a big place) before driving on to Port de Pollenca and maybe even fitting in the old town of Alcudia (not the port). You could even have dinner there or return to Palma for more choice.

The following day I'd recommend setting out early and visiting the town of Arta and the spectacular caves. You'll see a lot of advertisements for the Caves of Drach but my advice is to avoid those as they are a disappointing tourist trap, the Caves of Arta are much better. Dependendant on time I would the follow the coastal route south to Cala D'Or. This is a town that was designed and built in the Ibizan style, lots of low level, whitewashed buildings. It's not an old town and it is a popular tourist destination however at this time of year it'll be a bit quieter. There are lots of good restaurants here or else you could visit the nearby small fishing port of Portopetro, pleasant but quiet at this time of year or move on to the larger town of Santanyi. If you don't like driving through narrow, old town roads then you may wish to park on the outskirts and walk into the centre however be mindful of where you parked as it's easy to get lost! Santanyi is popular with German tourists so expect to be addressed a lot in German but English is widely spoken (but not always) and of course Spanish (or Catalan to be precise). If you're lucky there might be a market on that day in which case you'll be spoilt for choice with an incredible array of food and drink.

The direct route back to Palma will take you on the MA19 which is a very easy drive and once past the roadworks near Campos you'll be on the fast road direct to Palma. It'll be a whirlwind itinerary but will make the best use of your limited time and will give you a taste of the mountainous north, the coast and the warmer, drier and flatter south. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Thank you very much for the detailed itinerary.

Covered alcudia, Valldemossa yesterday. Today will cover arta, santayni and the cala d or. Tomorrow my flight is at 9pm. I'm staying near santayni today. Tomorrow I'm planning to explore Palma and drive towards Palma in the morning. Any suggestions on where I can park and explore palma from there? Also, please suggest any places I can stop on my way. Dont mind a short detour as well if worth it.

If you're staying in Santanyi then it's not far to Palma. If you decide to take the most direct route on the MA19 you'll pass through Campos, a town very similar to Santanyi, there's an excellent market on Saturdays but it's very popular and you may wish to park on the newer outskirts and walk in (just follow the crowds!).

After Campos you'll come across Llucmajor, one of the largest towns on the island. It's not particularly attractive on the main stretch but it does have a pleasant and very narrow old quarter with a small square housing a number of bars and restaurants. There's also a market on Saturdays but I don't think much of it, split mainly between fruit and veg stalls and cheap clothing/accessories.

From Llucmajor you'll be on the outskirts of Palma in around 20 minutes. Continue along MA19 and you'll find yourself on the coastal route, just as you enter Palma you'll see the cathedral and on your right you'll need to be looking for the signs for parking. There's a huge parking lot called Parking Les Avingudes. This is a huge underground parking lot with plenty of space and a short stroll to the cathedral and the start of the old town.