We visited Mallorca and found you can have a wildly different experience on the tourist-loved island depending on where you stay
Maria Noyen,Anneta Konstantinides
![We visited Mallorca and found you can have a wildly different experience on the tourist-loved island depending on where you stay](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-103326431%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-185130%2Fwe-visited-mallorca-and-found-you-can-have-a-wildly-different-experience-on-the-tourist-loved-island-depending-on-where-you-stay.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
- The Spanish island of Mallorca is one of Europe's hottest destinations this summer.
- But it can offer wildly different experiences depending on where you stay.
Clear-blue sea, secluded coves, stunning medieval architecture, and delicious seafood — Mallorca has it all.
Because of that, it's no wonder why the largest Spanish island in the Balearic has become one of Europe's hottest destinations, with millions of tourists returning year after year. Earlier this year, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported that more than 16 million tourists visited the island last year.
Apart from regular visitors, it's also beloved by celebrities. Over the years, a number of high-profile people have been spotted enjoying Mallorca, including former first lady Michelle Obama, Jeff Bezos, and Princess Diana, who vacationed on the island with Charles and young Princes Harry and William in 1990, Tatler reported.
Insider reporters Maria Noyen and Anneta Konstantinides traveled to Mallorca on separate occasions in 2022. They visited different parts of the island, but both came to the same conclusion: Your experience can be wildly different depending on where you stay.
Insider's Maria Noyen visited Mallorca with friends in May 2022. She didn't expect to stay in one of the island's biggest tourist hubs.
![Insider](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326693,width-700,height-525,imgsize-118468/insideraposs-maria-noyen-visited-mallorca-with-friends-in-may-2022-she-didnapost-expect-to-stay-in-one-of-the-islandaposs-biggest-tourist-hubs-.jpg)
Noyen tagged along on a last-minute trip to Mallorca with friends in May 2022.
Though it wasn't her first time visiting Mallorca, it was her first time staying in Magaluf — and the trip opened her eyes to a very different scene the island offers.
Unbeknownst to her, the resort town in southwest Mallorca has the nickname "Shagaluf" in the UK. As The Telegraph reported, the area earned its tawdry nickname from the young Brits and other European holidaymarkers who flock to the destination for boozy getaways in the sun.
There have been efforts in recent years to curb wild antics of young tourists visiting the town. In 2015, for example, The Guardian reported that police officers from the UK were flown in to patrol Magaluf.
But, if anything, Noyen's experience taught her that Magaluf still very much lives up to its reputation.
The first time Noyen visited Mallorca, she toured beautiful, secluded coves on the island by sailboat with her family.
![The first time Noyen visited Mallorca, she toured beautiful, secluded coves on the island by sailboat with her family.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326688,width-700,height-525,imgsize-266398/the-first-time-noyen-visited-mallorca-she-toured-beautiful-secluded-coves-on-the-island-by-sailboat-with-her-family-.jpg)
Noyen visited Mallorca for the first time in 2012 on a family vacation. During the stay, they rented a sailboat that allowed them to visit major ports like Andratx as well as some secluded coves.
The experience left her with an impression of Mallorca as a serene island offering plenty of family fun as well as being the perfect place to enjoy delicious and authentic Spanish seafood. She particularly enjoyed the traditional paella cooked over wood at a restaurant in Sa Foradada, a small cove only accessible by boat or by walking on the north coast of the island.
Besides eating, she recalled spending hours out at sea with her family playing cards, talking, snorkeling, enjoying water sports, and watching the sunset and sunrise.
When she returned a decade later, Noyen stayed in a basic, clean hotel in Magaluf.
![When she returned a decade later, Noyen stayed in a basic, clean hotel in Magaluf.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326686,width-700,height-525,imgsize-180730/when-she-returned-a-decade-later-noyen-stayed-in-a-basic-clean-hotel-in-magaluf-.jpg)
Noyen and her friends booked three different rooms for a three-night stay at Bahia Principe Sunlight Coral Playa, a four-star hotel in Magaluf. Individually, they paid $229.
While Noyen didn't find the rooms particularly memorable, they were spacious and clean, and came with an en-suite bathroom as well as a balcony offering sweeping views of the seaside town.
Most evenings, the group had drinks on the balcony at sunset before dinner. From afar, Noyen couldn't help but notice how Magaluf looked almost peaceful.
At night, the neon-lined streets of Magaluf became crowded with throngs of tourists looking to party.
![At night, the neon-lined streets of Magaluf became crowded with throngs of tourists looking to party.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326683,width-700,height-525,imgsize-692124/at-night-the-neon-lined-streets-of-magaluf-became-crowded-with-throngs-of-tourists-looking-to-party-.jpg)
Unlike Noyen's previous experience in Mallorca with her family, she quickly realized that tourists who come to Magaluf are mostly there to party.
Most of the people that Noyen came across were young tourists in their late teens to early 20s from either the UK or Germany.
The businesses in Magaluf appeared to be geared toward entertaining them. The streets were lined with nightclubs, bars, strip shows, and cheap dining options, and there was even an amusement park open well into the early hours of the morning.
During the day, Noyen found that the beaches around Magaluf were crowded.
![During the day, Noyen found that the beaches around Magaluf were crowded.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326680,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1102866/during-the-day-noyen-found-that-the-beaches-around-magaluf-were-crowded-.jpg)
The beach Noyen visited in Magaluf was the opposite of the pristine shoreline she remembered from her previous visit.
As the beach was right next to the main strip, which was lined with cafés and bars selling cheap drinks, the atmosphere was far from serene as it had been in other destinations she'd visited on the island.
It also felt crowded to Noyen, and the sheer number of visitors meant that the water wasn't as clear as other parts of the island. On top of the volume of tourists, she found litter such as plastic bags and discarded food on the beach, which she doesn't remember experiencing on her first trip to Mallorca in 2012.
She found that quieter and cleaner beaches are located just a short car ride away from Magaluf.
![She found that quieter and cleaner beaches are located just a short car ride away from Magaluf.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326675,width-700,height-525,imgsize-930470/she-found-that-quieter-and-cleaner-beaches-are-located-just-a-short-car-ride-away-from-magaluf-.jpg)
In order to escape the crowds of Magaluf, Noyen and her friends made several trips outside of the busy town to Andratx and Sant Elm along the coast.
The journeys, often less than 30 minutes by taxi, took them to beaches where the water was crystal clear and where it was relatively easy to get a sunbed and an umbrella, unlike in Magaluf where Noyen found they ran out more quickly due to the number of tourists.
That said, she found that the beach equipment — if you could get your hands on it — wasn't expensive in Magaluf. (This summer, tourist website GoMagaluf says renting two sunbeds and an umbrella costs €12, or around $13.)
In the smaller towns, Noyen also noticed there were more locals than tourists, which gave the atmosphere a more authentic feeling than Magaluf.
Magaluf isn't the place to visit in Mallorca if you're interested in sampling authentic Spanish cuisine, Noyen found.
![Magaluf isn](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326674,width-700,height-525,imgsize-182946/magaluf-isnapost-the-place-to-visit-in-mallorca-if-youaposre-interested-in-sampling-authentic-spanish-cuisine-noyen-found-.jpg)
Noyen noticed that many restaurants in Magaluf served food that catered to what tourists eat in their home countries, such as fast food, steaks, and burgers.
Many restaurants also advertised their menus in English, which somewhat took away from the experience of visiting a Spanish-speaking country with a rich culinary heritage.
In order to get a more authentic taste of what Mallorca has to offer, Noyen visited smaller towns outside of Magaluf.
![In order to get a more authentic taste of what Mallorca has to offer, Noyen visited smaller towns outside of Magaluf.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326670,width-700,height-525,imgsize-198032/in-order-to-get-a-more-authentic-taste-of-what-mallorca-has-to-offer-noyen-visited-smaller-towns-outside-of-magaluf-.jpg)
During a day trip to Sant Elm, a beach town less than a half-hour drive from Magaluf, Noyen and her friends were able to enjoy traditional Spanish dishes, including slices of cured ham, seafood paella, and pan con tomate, or bread with tomato.
Noyen thought the meal was worlds away from what was offered in Magaluf.
Insider's Anneta Konstantinides went to Mallorca for a girl's trip in July 2022, not realizing she had booked a hostel on the island's other main tourist hub.
![Insider](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326665,width-700,height-525,imgsize-420448/insideraposs-anneta-konstantinides-went-to-mallorca-for-a-girlaposs-trip-in-july-2022-not-realizing-she-had-booked-a-hostel-on-the-islandaposs-other-main-tourist-hub-.jpg)
El Arenal, which is on the south coast of Mallorca, has become known as "German Magaluf."
The main streets by the Playa de Palma beach are nicknamed "Schinkenstraße" (ham street) and "Bierstraße" (beer street), while popular clubs have names like Bierkönig and Mega-Park. Mallorca is even jokingly referred to as the 17th state of Germany, according to The Guardian.
"If there are no tourists, there's no jobs," one Mallorca resident told the site as the island began opening up to visitors again in June 2020. "And without the Germans, there's no work."
Konstantinides had been attracted to El Arenal because it was close to the airport and had hostels just steps from the beach.
![Konstantinides had been attracted to El Arenal because it was close to the airport and had hostels just steps from the beach.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326655,width-700,height-525,imgsize-79866/konstantinides-had-been-attracted-to-el-arenal-because-it-was-close-to-the-airport-and-had-hostels-just-steps-from-the-beach-.jpg)
Konstantinides and her friends booked three nights in a private, three-bedroom with an en-suite bathroom at The Hostal Tierramar for €270, or around $292, total.
The hostel was simple, clean, and far more tame than many of the other backpacker hostels Konstantinides had stayed in.
She found the best time to visit the main beach was in the early morning, when most of the tourists were still asleep.
![She found the best time to visit the main beach was in the early morning, when most of the tourists were still asleep.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326651,width-700,height-525,imgsize-474940/she-found-the-best-time-to-visit-the-main-beach-was-in-the-early-morning-when-most-of-the-tourists-were-still-asleep-.jpg)
After partying for a week straight in London, Konstantinides wanted to relax in the Balearic Islands. And her favorite memories in Mallorca were her early morning swims in Playa de Palma.
Konstantinides and her friends would often walk to the beach around 8 a.m. and were often the only people in the water. They'd spend more than an hour swimming, talking, and watching the drunk partygoers still stumbling home.
When they returned to Playa de Palma hours later, it was a completely different scene. The sand would be packed with tourists, and the air was often bumping with German techno as bachelor parties and football clubs marked their territory.
As with Noyen's experience in Magaluf, Konstantinides struggled to find authentic Spanish cuisine in El Arenal.
![As with Noyen](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326647,width-700,height-525,imgsize-124378/as-with-noyenaposs-experience-in-magaluf-konstantinides-struggled-to-find-authentic-spanish-cuisine-in-el-arenal-.jpg)
There were dozens of beer gardens and restaurants offering the likes of kebabs, burgers, and fast food — most of them packed with young tourists.
While there were some fun spots to grab cocktails by the water, Konstantinides and her friends realized fairly quickly that they needed to explore elsewhere for dinner.
Konstantinides took a 15-minute bus ride every night to Palma de Mallorca's Old Town to soak in Spanish food and architecture.
![Konstantinides took a 15-minute bus ride every night to Palma de Mallorca](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326638,width-700,height-525,imgsize-228082/konstantinides-took-a-15-minute-bus-ride-every-night-to-palma-de-mallorcaaposs-old-town-to-soak-in-spanish-food-and-architecture-.jpg)
Walking through the town's cobbled streets was another highlight of Konstantinides' trip. The stunning Gothic architecture, including the beautiful La Seu Cathedral, seemed to glow during the sunsets.
Old Town was always humming with tourists but never felt too overcrowded. Every corner revealed a new small restaurant or café offering pitchers of sangria, pans of paella, and endless plates of fresh seafood.
Konstantinides also ventured out of El Arenal by booking a day at a beach club.
![Konstantinides also ventured out of El Arenal by booking a day at a beach club.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326622,width-700,height-525,imgsize-108300/konstantinides-also-ventured-out-of-el-arenal-by-booking-a-day-at-a-beach-club-.jpg)
Their last day in Mallorca was scorching hot, so Konstantinides and her friends decided to splurge on a beach club where they knew they'd have all-day access to shade and cabanas.
They spent the day at Purobeach Palma, which offered a stunning pool, delicious drinks, and food. It was also right next to the sea. As the sun set, they took one last dip in the ocean.
Both Noyen and Konstantinides found that Mallorca has so much to offer. Just make sure you do your research before picking the area you visit.
![Both Noyen and Konstantinides found that Mallorca has so much to offer. Just make sure you do your research before picking the area you visit.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-103326608,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1279488/both-noyen-and-konstantinides-found-that-mallorca-has-so-much-to-offer-xa0just-make-sure-you-do-your-research-before-picking-the-area-you-visit-.jpg)
It's clear Magaluf and El Arenal hold a really special place in the hearts of young Brits and Germans. The towns are lively, vibrant, and sure to excite anyone who's looking to party on their European vacation.
One tourist told Konstantinides that they've been visiting Mallorca every year for a decade with the same group of friends.
But the island also has fantastic Spanish cuisine, stunning beaches, and breathtaking architecture. If you want a low-key vacation, you can definitely still get it in Mallorca.
As long as you know where to go, the island truly has a place for everyone.
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