Another short flight, and I was on an island. Majorca was where I finally relaxed: my own base right on the water, beach days, one wild moped ride across the island, and a day on a boat with the group that became the best day of the whole trip. After two weeks of walking cities, it was exactly the break I needed. Easily a 5 out of 5, and I’d definitely go back.
Leg 6 · Spain · complete
Majorca
A beachfront base at Cala Major, an hour-plus moped dash across the island to make a boat charter, and paella cooked by the captain in a turquoise cove.
“Swimming freely in any direction, with fish all around and not a concern to be considered.”
Highlights
- My top moment of the entire trip: the Boats Charter Cala d'Or day with the group: a chill, attentive captain with his own route, amazing paella he cooked on board, and so much fun swimming. We didn't want it to end
- Riding a 125cc moped from Aguilar Rentals over an hour across the island, through the countryside and small towns, and making the boat just in time
- The beach right outside the resort
- Stumbling into a religious procession in Palma, with dancing and a band, ending at a church
Misses
- My Palma food tour guide never showed up. Another couple and I waited 15–30 minutes. The company refunded most of it over WhatsApp, but I'd given up beach time to go into town
- Something in the water nipped my calf where I'd scraped it on the boat. It didn't hurt, but it startled me and bled a little
- I didn't plan the moped route, so I couldn't stop along the way or pick a more scenic road
Next time
- Plan a scenic moped route with stops
- Cover or keep scabs and scrapes out of the sea
- Bring the physical International Driving Permit, not just a photo of it
Day by day
- Wed, Sep 23
Island arrival
Sun, sand, and nowhere to be.
The group had its own place across the island, and I had mine. I wanted to be as close to the water as possible so I could really enjoy the time, and it all worked out perfectly: I could meet everyone for the boat charter and still have some solitude at the beach.
Be Live Marivent was perfect for that: a room with a balcony toward the sea, and straight down to the beach at Cala Major. I arrived early enough to get out on the sand and enjoy the sun right away. This was the first time on the trip I really just relaxed. Dinner was at a great little Indian restaurant nearby, which turned out to be a really good meal.
Something pecked at my heel, where a blister from all the walking had scabbed over. I didn't think much of it, but kept my feet moving.
Planned: Fly BCN→PMI · resort check-in · sunset dinner over Cala Major bay
Be Live Marivent: the pool, the palms and the sea beyond 
The room 
Balcony toward the sea 
Cala Major beach, a short walk from the room 
Cala Major from the rocks 
Evening light over the bay 
First-night dinner near the hotel - Thu, Sep 24
Beach, a no-show food tour & a procession
Annoyed, then delighted.
A morning on the beach, then the biggest letdown of Majorca: my Palma food tour. The guide never showed. Another couple and I waited 15 to 30 minutes after the start time, then reached the company on WhatsApp, and they refunded most of it. It was more an annoyance than anything. I was chatting with the couple the whole time, so I wasn't alone, and funnily enough we each ended up walking, separately, to the same place for dinner on our own. The go-with-the-flow attitude let me roll with it and keep enjoying myself, even when things didn't go to plan.
I'd given up beach time to go into town, but it was a good excuse to see the sights: the gardens of S'Hort del Rei, La Seu cathedral, and the modernista buildings and painted shutters of the old town. Then I happened across a religious procession through the streets, with dancers in traditional dress and a band, that ended at a church. I'm not sure what it was, but it more than made up for the food tour.
Planned: Swim Cala Major · Jardins de Marivent · Fundació Miró · tapas in Palma Old Town
Morning swim at Cala Major 
Clear, shallow water at Cala Major 
S'Hort del Rei gardens, Palma 
The pergola walk in S'Hort del Rei 
La Seu above the walls and the Parc de la Mar 
La Seu, Palma's cathedral 
La Seu's main portal 
Modernista façade in the old town 
Street art: "Love is life. Just be you." 
The procession: a statue carried through the old town 
Dancers in traditional Mallorcan dress 
Dancing in the street during the procession 
Painted shutter, Palma 
Painted shutter: a dragon 
Painted shutter: dancers at a tailor's 
Painted shutter: a portrait - Fri, Sep 25
Moped across the island & the boat charter
Made it. Barely.
It really started the night before. Cala d'Or was a long way from my hotel, about three hours each way by bus, and I told Miguel I wasn't sure I'd make it. Six hours of buses didn't seem worth it. Then I joked about renting a moped, since Carlie, Miguel and I had all rented mopeds in Vietnam and had a fun adventure together. When I looked into it, it actually seemed possible.
In the morning I was going to walk to the rental place near my hotel, then noticed Aguilar Rentals had a website. I did everything online, and 30 minutes later I was picking up a 125cc moped. The ease of it kicked me into adventure mode. I was already in a sense of awe, and set on treating the whole ride as an adventure.
Riding through morning traffic, there was a little joy in knowing that a lot of these people were on their way to work while I was off on an adventure. There was also some anxiety: the driving was more aggressive than I'm used to, so I had to stay alert. I had my earbuds in with Waze giving directions, which worked really well. On the freeway it got much more hectic, and I was anxious, thinking about how dangerous this was. Once the freeway ended and the highway started winding through towns, it went back to being an adventure. I could see the little towns along the way, and I didn't feel so pressed to go fast. But the whole ride, Waze had me arriving 9 to 11 minutes after the meeting time, so there was always an undercurrent of anxiety about being late. I hate being late.
The marina at Cala d'Or was gated, and it wasn't clear where to go, but I figured it out and made my way around to the meeting spot just as everyone was getting on the boat. I parked the moped and walked over, and one whole chapter of the adventure ended as an entirely new one began. As crazy as the ride was, I set it aside right away, because I was facing something completely different.
(I do have an International Driving Permit, but I only had a photo of it with me. Nobody checked. And I wish I'd planned the route so I could stop more or take a more scenic road, but it's a memory I'll have forever.)
The boat charter with the group was the top moment of the entire trip. The captain had a route he follows, and he was really chill and attentive to everyone. The water was so clear and warm. I think what made it so great was having nothing to worry about, and feeling so free and so taken care of. It wasn't one moment but the collection of them: the captain, the snacks, the drinks, the paella he cooked on board, the company, the water, the swimming, the weather. It was such a special day, and none of us wanted it to end.
What I enjoyed most was diving off the boat, opening my eyes underwater, and just swimming, wherever I wanted, with fish everywhere and nothing to worry about. I'd 100% do it again.
Planned: Paddleboard · swim · optional La Seu cathedral
On the moped, crossing the island 
Cala d'Or harbor, made it in time 
Cala d'Or's white houses from the water 
Zavier and the group heading out 
Miguel and the group on the boat 
First cove stop: turquoise water and a paddleboard 
Anchored in a cove 
The captain cooking paella on board 
Paella in progress 
The captain and his paella: amazing 
Crystal-clear water at the lunch stop 
Another cove, another swim 
Miguel on the run back 
The coast near Cala d'Or - Sat, Sep 26
Last beach day
I was out in water up to my neck in front of the hotel, alternating between standing and floating on my back, when something pecked at my calf where I'd scraped it on the boat. It didn't hurt, but it startled me. I made my way back to shore and noticed it was bleeding a little. Luckily I had fresh water with me, so I washed it out and stayed out of the sea for the rest of the day. Lesson: be aware of any scabs or scrapes before getting in.
Sunset over the beach to finish.
Planned: Rest · family time · farewell dinner · early night
The scrape on my calf after something nipped it 
Last sunset over Cala Major - Sun, Sep 27
Sunrise flight & a Barcelona airport shuffle
Bag duty.
Leaving a beach resort before the sun came up was hard, but maybe that was better than leaving with the sun up. The resort staff had booked my pre-dawn cab, and I watched the sunrise from the plane.
Back in Barcelona I met the group at their departure gate, and we had one last bit of chaos: Carlie and Miguel had to collect their checked bags to change airlines, so I held all their other luggage to spare them security. Once they were out, they found out they needed a different terminal, so I took everything out to them and went back through security on my own. Luckily Scott and Jennifer were there to watch my bags.
The goodbye was easy, since I'd see them again soon in London. It was just another chapter of the adventure closing, and I knew another one was starting.
Planned: Hotel checkout 04:45 · PMI→BCN · connection to Lisbon
Pre-dawn takeoff over the island lights 
Sunrise from the plane 
Sunrise above the clouds 
Descending toward Barcelona
Where my feet took me
Ate hereVisitedPhoto spot
4. Visited · Thu, Sep 24
The procession in Palma
Dancers in traditional dress and a band, by happy accident.
Open in Google Maps ↗5. Visited · Fri, Sep 25
Cala d'Or
Made it just in time, after an hour on a 125cc.
Open in Google Maps ↗
More photos
Getting here & staying
Arrival: Vueling BCN→PMI, then a taxi or EMT bus to Cala Major
Be Live Adults Only Marivent · Cala Major, Palma · 4 nights · 5/5
Right on the beach: walk out to the water, come back to shower, then go out to eat, with lots of good food and a grocery store nearby. The pool and the resort itself are adults only (the beach is public), which was nice and relaxing. Super friendly staff, who booked my 5 a.m. cab to the airport. Breakfast was a standard buffet; I only used it twice. I'd definitely stay again.
Playbook from this leg
- Worked Book a small boat charter with lunch on board
- Do differently Changing airlines on a layover? Check the terminal before anyone goes through security
- Do differently Keep scabs and scrapes out of the sea
- Worked Have the hotel book a pre-dawn airport cab
- Do differently Carry the physical International Driving Permit when renting a scooter in Spain
- Worked When the bus is three hours, rent a scooter online
- Didn't work If a tour guide doesn't show, message the company right away