Majorca or Mallorca, whatever way you prefer to spell it, is the largest of Balearic Islands, and along with its sister islands of Minorca/Menorca and Ibiza, lies in the Mediterranean Sea off the South East coast of mainland Spain.

In Mallorca you will find an unspoilt world of dreams, where you can take a truly leisurely holiday. The whole theme of the island is based on authenticity and tranquility - far from the noise of conventional tourism. It still keeps its cultural tradition and is an oasis of peace amidst the beauty and variety of its landscapes.

The west coast of Mallorca has one of the most spectacular landscapes in the Mediterranean. The small town of Sóller with its backdrop of mountains, lays in a fertile valley lined with orange groves, and the south-east coast is littered with small bays and caves, the most famous being the magnificent Cuevas Drach near Porto Cristo. Within the caves is one of the largest underground lakes in the world, where concerts are given by classical musicians boating across the lake.

There are 76 beaches on the island, 35 of them holding the European Blue Flag status. You will find a range of magnificent beaches with fine sand and crystal clear waters at any point around the Island, such as Platja de Coll Baix, in Alcudia - a stunning, remote and completely unspoilt pebbly beach surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of rocks, Torrent de Pareis, Escorca where a strip of pebbly sand protected by two vast walls of rock, or Magaluf where you will find many water attractions such as parascending, windsurfing, snorkelling and scuba-diving.

The Island is not wanting for nightlife either, although not 'buzzing' like Ibiza, there are many discos, bars, and clubs to choose from.

The resort of Alcudia is spread either side of the busy coast road, and the warm shallow waters of Alcudia Bay make this resort very popular with families with young children. The beach is a major attraction to this resort with 8km of fine, clean sand with a wide variety of water sport and other facilities available to suit all tastes. Evening entertainment is based mainly in the hotels, but the resort does have a small number of discos. Alcudia has a number of attractions to suit an active family, which include a water park and go-kart track, as well as the usual array of bars, shops and restaurants.

The resort of Cala Millor is on the East coast, separated from the quieter resort of Cala Bona by a small rocky headland. Most of this coast is dotted with tiny creeks and coves, however, the beach at Cala Millor stretches for more than 1km along a wide sheltered bay. This beach is considered to be one of the best on the island, with clear water and gently sloping sands. Cala Millor is the more lively of the two resorts and has a wide selection of bars and discos providing evening entertainment catering for all tastes. Close to the resort of Cala Bona are the magnificent Caves of Drach.

The twin resorts of Palma Nova and Magaluf are situated on the islands south west coast of the Island, separated by a rocky headland between the two beaches. Both resorts have long sandy beaches, with many shops, bars and restaurants located along the promenades, with Palma Nova being the quieter of the two. Many watersports can be found as can many American fast food 'eateries', like McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Wimpey, and Pizza Hut and English Pubs and Clubs. Palma Nova has more traditional Spanish restaurants.

Traditional Mallorcan cooking is based around their fishing and farming industry which was the island's main industry prior to the boom in tourism. The 'ensaimada' and 'sobrasada' are the two best known products in terms of typical Balearic cuisine, but there are many more dishes available. The 'ensaimad' is sold in all the bakeries and pastry shops and is a sweet spiral shaped pastry covered in icing sugar. It can also be filled with pumpkin jam, cream or custard. 'Sobrasada', with its own denomination of origin and quality, is spicy sausage meat made from pork mixed with spices which preserve it for several months. The basic ingredients of Mallorcan cuisine are based on those used in Mediterranean cookery: salad, vegetables, fish and olive oil.

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