The stunning Balearic island of Mallorca is a dreamland for the modern remote worker. Many come for its glorious beaches, sea and sunshine; but there is another, lesser-known side to Mallorca. Its dramatic mountains and cliffsides are navigated by some of Europe’s most scenic roads. Its characterful towns and villages stand upon thousands of years of history. And Palma, the oceanside capital, has all the facilities that any remote worker needs, its cobbled old town riddled with vibrant coworking spaces and cosy coffee shops. Ready for your remote working getaway? Here is how to plan your perfect workation in Mallorca.
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Why Mallorca is a great destination for a workation
The rise of remote working spurred by a global pandemic has given millions of people a new freedom to work remotely. Like many people in this situation, it took us a while to realise that we could take our home office to anywhere we choose.
Taking a few days away from your regular working environment to change your surroundings, find focus and also mix in a little exploration can be just the break you need.
So, with the world as your remote-working oyster, where will you choose to set up office? Let’s take a look at why Mallorca should be high on your list of options.
All the ingredients for a remote working paradise
Mallorca was the first overseas destination we visited since the onset of Covid-19. Our trip was primarily to attend the brilliant Traverse conference – a community gathering of travel content creators from all over the world. But we decided to extend our stay to work remotely and explore.
And what a breath of fresh air it was! We spent ten fabulous days on the island, interspersing our working time with food, wine, great company, seaside walks and cultural discovery. But what makes Mallorca such a great workation destination compared to other options?
A great infrastructure for remote working? Check.
300 days of sunshine a year? Check.
The possibility to drive from one side of the island to the other in less than an hour on your days off? Check.
Friendly people, incredible food, and a hotbed of history to discover? Check, check, check.
All of this is great for remote working. But there’s also one final ingredient that makes Mallorca the ideal environment for a workation, and that’s the Mediterranean slow pace of life.
This might sound counterintuitive to some of our readers in the USA and the UK, who are used to working dawn ’til dusk with little respite. But doesn’t it sound better to divide your work shifts between morning walks on the seafront, artisan coffee breaks and afternoon tapas?
A relaxed and mindful approach to work is guaranteed to leave you refreshed and more productive – and the lifestyle and surroundings of Mallorca provide the perfect setting.
How to plan a workation in Mallorca
Planning a workation is quite different to planning a regular trip. In the next steps we provide some pointers on how you can get the most out of a workation in Mallorca by getting the logistics right.
When is the best time to take a workation in Mallorca?
As a popular vacation destination, Mallorca is busiest in the hottest months (May to August). This is a fine time for sunbathing and al fresco dining, but not necessarily ideal for a workation.
To find the right balance between a suitable working environment and good conditions for exploring, it’s better to visit Mallorca when it’s a bit cooler and quieter. Thankfully, the weather in Mallorca remains mild throughout the cooler months. You can expect nice weather at pretty much any time of year!
For us, the sweet spot for a workation falls in the shoulder seasons, around October and April. At these times of year there are still long daylight hours, including around 6–8 hours of sunshine per day, and average high temperatures around 20–24ºC.
In these seasons either side of summer, most tourist attractions are still open for visiting in your downtime, and you may find that prices are cheaper in some places too.
Our visit was in November, which was fine. But we did find that some tours had stopped running, fewer restaurants were open, and some hotels were beginning to close for winter. The road to the famous Cap de Formentor Lighthouse had just closed, to our disappointment.
However, if you’re not too bothered about partaking in some visitor attractions or organised tours, and you are happy making the most of the quietest time of year, winter in Mallorca can be a truly restorative time to take a workation.
Where to stay in Mallorca on workation
The island of Mallorca is riddled with intriguing towns and villages, and its 550 kilometres of coastline bestowed with an abundance of seaside resorts. The best location will depend on the kind of workation experience you’re looking for.
Many of the resorts around the island have a good setup for working remotely. The travel company TUI has been actively promoting workations and has some great hotel deals in Mallorca at any time of year.
But if you prefer to be at the heart of Mallorca’s history, with great facilities close at hand and easy access to get around the island, the capital city of Palma is the place to be.
Palma is Mallorca’s capital and the largest city in the Balearics. It has a well established infrastructure for remote working, and the compact old town in its centre is navigable on foot. And the city has been quick to cater for the workation trend, with 35% of its hotels staying open throughout the winter season.
The city is where we focus our attention in this guide. Further below you can read our recommendations on the best accommodation options in Palma for a workation. If you’re interesting in a remote work escape on a quieter part of the island, check out our guide to taking a workation in Alcúdia.
Getting around Mallorca
For maximum freedom on your workation in Mallorca we recommend hiring a car, especially if you want to explore beyond Palma. We used RentalCars to compare the best local car hire options in Mallorca. This helped us find a two-day deal for just €26!
There are some good public transport links around the island as an alternative. Distinctive yellow and red TIB buses run frequently between the main transport hubs, and are cheap and reliable. Check out the TIB bus timetables for more info.
Train services are limited, but there are some memorable rail journeys you can take. The 27-kilometre Orange Blossom narrow-gauge rail service between Palma and the port town of Sóller has been running for over a century, and is a tourist attraction in itself. In only departs five times a day, so you need to be well organised!
Other train services in Mallorca connect Palma with the popular market town of Inca, and from there to Sa Pobla and Manacor.
It’s very easy to get around Palma itself. We mostly used the public bus service in the city. There is also a light metro system, with two lines covering 18 stations in the city and the surrounding municipality.
Another fun option we tried is the Palma hop-on hop-off bus, which navigates the city’s top attractions with an open rooftop and audio guide. This is great if you have a spare day or afternoon to explore at your own pace.
Your remote office in Palma de Mallorca
Whether you decide to work in your accommodation or in a coworking space, Palma has a range of options to cater for various styles of remote working. Let’s take a look at the best options for your remote office setup in the city.
Accommodation in Palma for a workation
Choosing your accommodation is the most important decision when planning a workation. We usually prefer to stay somewhere that has a work desk separate from the bedroom. As a rule, we avoid working where we sleep, as it makes it difficult to keep your downtime truly separate.
Great workation hotels in Palma
The old town in Palma features some gorgeous hotel options for a reinvigorating workation. Here are three that caught our eye.
At the high end of the scale, Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden is one of the city’s hotels that stays open throughout the year, and offers a luxurious environment for remote working in the heart of the old town. Here you can take time out on your break to dip in the rooftop pool with a cathedral view.
Protur Naisa Palma is a four-star hotel situated in the Santa Catalina quarter, a stone’s throw from the old town. Rooms all feature a desk, while the restaurant and lounge areas have plugin facilities and fast wifi. In your downtime you can relax at the rooftop open-air pool and sky bar, or unwind at the spa and wellness centre. You can book weeklong packages at the hotel via TUI that can save you money on nightly rates.
The conference we attended in the city was hosted at the Palma Convention Centre and the Melia Palma Bay, about a ten-minute walk along the seafront from the old town. The hotel has a pristine seafront setting on the Paseo Marítimo promenade. Its rooms are modern and spacious, with stylish facilities to make you feel at home in your remote office.
Self-catered accommodation
We booked self-catered accommodation for our workation in Palma, as we were sharing with a group of friends for the conference. Six of us stayed in a three-bedroom townhouse in the Es Molinar district, about half an hour’s walk along the promenade from the old town. This is a nice quiet area with plenty of shops and cheaper restaurants than the city centre.
Setting up in a self-catered apartment around the old town itself is a good option if you want your own space for a workation while staying well connected. Here are a few great one-bedroom apartments in Palma we found:
- Vintage apartment in converted old toy museum
- Àguila Suites Sagrera apartment in the heart of the old town
- Modern apartment in a beautifully restored finca
Check out more great self-catered accommodation in Palma on Vrbo.
Coworking in Palma
One major benefit of Palma as a workation base is the city’s thriving coworking culture. A variety of coworking spaces have opened in recent years, offering a wide choice of environments from studious and focused to vibrant and communal.
We tried out several coworking spaces around the old town during our visit. In our guide to coworking in Palma, we review our two favourite coworking spaces in the city, both of which have day and week rates – ideal for workationers.
Palmapolitan is a new coworking space set on a restored floor of the iconic century-old Triquet building. The space has an array of desk settings and meeting rooms emanating out from its plush central lobby room. Whether you want some peace and quiet or to connect with others, there is always somewhere to go.
The bright and colourful artworks on the walls are all painted by the owner, Pilar, and her mother – an example of the personalised touches in the space’s design. There is also a wooden balcony area where you can escape for a break or a conversation while looking down onto the city streets.
The HUB Mallorca is located a little outside the old town, about ten minutes’ walk to the west. Its bright open-plan space provides a peaceful setting for getting work done.
The minimalist style and desks interspersed with hanging plants make it easy to find focus and knuckle down on a big project. There’s also a phone booth room for when you need to make those private calls.
Coffee shops in Palma with power sockets and wifi
Hotels and coworking spaces are not the only places in Palma where you can get some work done. One of the city’s best-kept secrets is its coffee culture.
The old town and surrounding streets are dotted with artisan cafés and coffee shops. Many have their own roasters, and each has its own unique atmosphere. Importantly for remote workers, quite a few have plug-in points too.
La Molienda in the old town proclaims to serve the best coffee in Palma. It’s a bold claim, but not an unreasonable one! The coffee is indeed delicious, and you can enjoy it while sifting through some emails and charging up at one of the power sockets.
Tucked away on a quiet side street nearby, Nano Coffee Lab is a bit of an undiscovered gem. It’s a cosy place but less busy than other cafés, and you shouldn’t have a problem grabbing a perch with a power supply. Oh, and the coffee is sensational!
Making the most of your leisure time in Mallorca
Taking a workation in Mallorca is an opportunity to swap your regular daily grind at home for the backdrop of the Balearics. You probably won’t want to spend all your time on the island working, though. We recommend allowing at least a few days in between to explore.
Here are some ideas to make the most of your time off.
Things to do in Palma while on workation
Palma de Mallorca is a city like no other. Perched between the Mediterranean shore and the dramatic Serra de Tramuntana mountains, it is surrounded by beauty, and filled with history.
The old town forms the city centre, and this is where you will find its most charming sandstone buildings, mazy cobbled roads and quirky shops.
It’s worth setting aside at least half a day to explore the delights of the old town on foot. Taking a Palma free walking tour is a good way to familiarise yourself with the area and its highlights.
Our guide to 23 things to do in Palma de Mallorca gives a comprehensive list of activities you can try during your leisure time in the city.
Palma Cathedral, also known as La Seu, is without a doubt the city’s masterpiece. It has dominated the skyline standing proudly over the seafront for nearly eight centuries, and renovation works in the early 20th century were overseen by none other than legendary Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.
With a spare afternoon, you can walk three kilometres up through forestland to the 14th-century Bellver Castle, Spain’s only circular castle. At the top you will be greeted with a spectacular panoramic view of the city, the bay and the mountains.
Why not break up your working day with some fresh air in beautiful surroundings? Scenic walks around the city include the 400-year old Torrent de Sa Riera canal, and the Paseo Maritimo promenade that traces along the seafront.
Incredible gastronomy and wine
Mallorca’s gastronomy scene flies under the radar, and deserves a lot more attention than it gets. We were blown away by the quality of the food and drink on the island, rooted in traditions that stretch back for centuries.
Mallorcan food is grounded on natural products from its rich orchards and the surrounding seas. Olive oil, tomatoes and fish are a cornerstone of many dishes, while wine plays a vital supporting role!
In Palma you can sample the delights of Mallorcan cuisine at the many tapas restaurants sprinkled around the city. Bar España was a personal favourite of ours: try the amazing pintxo, organic bread with a range of toppings, presented with an artistic touch.
Pa amb oli is another staple Mallorcan dish, consisting of bread covered in tomatoes, salt, olive oil and sometimes other toppings too. You will find it pretty much everywhere.
If you get a chance to venture beyond Palma, pay a visit to the Vins Nadal winery in the old village of Binissalem. We enjoyed a wonderful wine tasting with typical Mallorcan products and brought a couple of bottles home with us.
Exploring beyond Palma: day trips and overnight stops
Venturing beyond Palma will allow you to discover the many different dimensions of Mallorca on your workation. If you can spare two or three days for a road trip around the island, you will be rewarded with an immersive and varied experience.
On the north side of the island you will find captivating historic old towns. We spent two nights in Alcúdia at Can Tem, a charming family-run hotel inside the old town walls. See our article on 15 things to do in Alcúdia to plan your itinerary.
Nearby, the old town of Pollença is another gem. Walk up its 365-step staircase (known as the Calvari Steps) to reach an old white church and a stunning view of the neighbouring mountains and coastline.
Above Pollença you can drive up to Mirador Es Colomer, one of Mallorca’s most impressive viewpoints. The road is not for the faint-hearted, but it’s worth it for the mountainous vistas. Depending on the season, you can continue on to the Cap de Formentor Lighthouse, maybe stopping to relax at Formentor Beach en route.
From Pollença you can also drive over one of Mallorca’s most majestic mountain roads to the historic port town of Sóller, stopping at the many vantage points on the way. If you’re game for braving a 26-hairpin road, you can take a detour out to the idyllic secluded cove of Sa Calobra.
For an insight into Mallorca’s old trading traditions, head to the town of Inca on a Thursday morning for its famous weekly market. While here you can also stop by at the Museum of Footwear and Industry, and have a traditional lunch at Celler Ca´n Ripoll, set in an underground 18th-century vault.
Discovering the ocean around Mallorca
Mallorca is world-famous for its beaches. At seaside towns like Cala Millor, Cala D’Or and Can Picafort you will find glorious golden sands, while the coastline is rife with hidden coves. Some can only be reached by hiking, such as Platja des Coll Baix near Alcúdia.
Thanks to its crystal clear waters and array of marine life, Mallorca is one of Europe’s premier scuba diving locations. Conditions and visibility are typically good for diving all year round in Mallorca, so you can even partake when on a winter workation. You can get started in Palma with a scuba diving experience in a nature reserve.
You can even find a slice of Mallorcan marine life without leaving Palma’s city limits. The city’s aquarium is one of a kind, featuring a 33-metre-wide shark tank and a rooftop tropical rainforest garden. If you have PADI diving qualifications, you can even go diving in the tank with the sharks!
Book your aquarium entry ticket in advance to secure a spot.
Have you spent time working remotely in Mallorca? We’d love to know about your experiences in the comments below.
Check out our work trip packing list for everything you need to bring on a workation.
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