The Balearic Islands are a group of islands located in Eastern Spain, in the west side of the Mediterranean Sea. The four largest islands are: Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera.
All of these islands are very touristic because of their perfect weather and lovely beaches, but we can find some differences between them, even though it is worth to go to all of them to enjoy beach and sun seaside tourism.
Since the islands belong to Spain everything is like in there: same currency (€), same hour zone, same language (plus Catalan)…
Let’s see what can you see or do in each one of the Balearic Islands.
1. Mallorca
Mallorca is the largest of these islands and a perfect destination for your holidays, because it’s always got hot and bright summers (and almost 300 sunny days per year).
Mallorca is a very, very beautiful island. It’s got small villages, mountains and lovely bays which are usually difficult to find to tourists (it is part of their charm, actually).
But Mallorca it’s not just beaches. It’s got a beautiful historic center, in Palma (the island capital city) where you can visit the Gothic Cathedral, and go from there to the west side to find little streets that lead to the modern part of the island.
You can also visit some other towns and little villages, as well as some monasteries, such as Valldemosa and Lluc, where you will enjoy a great time surrounded by history, beautiful nature and sunlight.
2. Ibiza
Ibiza is the island of endless parties. With lots of macro-clubs, discotheques, pubs and plenty of bars, party never stops. That’s why, if you go to Ibiza, you’ll see yourself surrounded by young people having fun near the beach.
A lot of tourists come to Ibiza every year to enjoy what most could consider the best parties of the world, both on land and sea, since they also arrange boat parties.
Even though you may consider that Ibiza is an island of excesses, there are always nice natural places to go, and enjoy its dense pine forests and crystalline water beaches.
If you like snorkeling, you will fall in love with the Cala d’en Serra, a tiny sandy cave with turquoise waters and marine flora and fauna. When you’re done of snorkeling, you just have to go down to the town of Sant Joan and have a coffee in front of an Ibizan church.
3. Menorca
Menorca is the most quiet and peaceful of the Balearic Islands. It is really a lovely place for relaxing and disconnect of everything. It is the ideal place for both romantic stay and family relaxing vacations.
It’s not a very touristic island, so people go there to enjoy Mediterranean food and have a great time at one of its beaches. There are a lot of bays with fine sand and others where you have to climb down some rocks to get to the sea, but it’s totally worth it because it provides intimacy while you enjoy the sound of the wind and the waves.
Furthermore, Menorca’s got some megalithic monuments and other historical and artistic sights that art lovers will be happy to see.
4. Formentera
A few miles above Ibiza, you will find Formentera, the smallest of the main Balearic Islands. It is really small (20km from east to west), but, just like its sisters, it’s lovely.
The whole island is filled with a bohemian atmosphere, and it’s a perfect place for nature lovers, who will find a lot of rosemary and green lizards all over the island.
It is true that this is not the most touristic island in the world, but maybe that’s one of the things that make it special, since it’s got the whitest and least-crowded beaches in Spain, so it’s perfect for relaxing a few days.
The only way to get there is by taking a ferry from Ibiza, which depart every 2 hours although you can go to the other islands by plane.
