Spend Your Next Vacation Amidst Sea And Mountains: Mallorca And Lanzarote Welcome You To Spain
Surrounded by lush green scenic mountains, the island of Mallorca is an ideal holiday destination for many across the globe. It is popularly known as Majorca, and is the largest island amongst the Balearic Islands in Spain. Miles of blue sea provide the ideal backdrop for a lazy afternoon for those looking for a relaxing holiday experience. But that’s not all, for the adventurous ones; there are activities like snorkeling and scuba diving.
Another popular destination in Spain is Lanzarote, which is the easternmost island of the Canary Islands. This autonomous bunch of islands houses the easternmost island in the form of Lanzarote which is popularly known as the ‘’island of eternal spring.’’ The volcanic origin of this island makes it an ideal tourist spot for cycling and walking. Getting to surf on the moderate sea throughout the year is an added advantage.
Geographical Location: How to reach there
Mallorca, a part of the Cabrera Archipelago is an extremely popular holiday destination and has one of the busiest international airports in Spain. The capital of this island Palma, became the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in 1983. Its airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport, is the third largest airport in Spain. It was used by more than 28 million passengers in the year 2017.
Lanzarote, the third-most populous Canary Island has an international airport, Arrecife Airport. It is located 5 KMs from Arrecife, which is the capital of the island. About 6 million passengers travel to this airport every year.
Main Tourist attractions: Mallorca/Majorca
One of the most popular things which tourists love to do in Mallorca is to explore the mountainous regions Serra de Tramuntana (registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Serres de Llevant on foot or on a bike. It is a runners’ paradise and since throughout the year, this tropical island has moderate climate, you may choose your vacation time as per your convenience.
If shopping is your favorite pastime, then exploring the capital city of Palma will be a good idea. You may choose to visit the Es Baluard contemporary art museum which has more than 600 artefacts created by Balearic artists like Hermen Anglada-Camarasa, Joaquim Mir, Joaquín Sorolla, Santiago Rusiñol, and Antoni Gelabert along with renowned artists like Picasso, Fernand Léger, Joan Miró to name a few. Art lovers can further explore Juan March Foundation and also the Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation.
If you have kids with you, then don’t miss the Palma aquarium in the heart of the capital. There are activities for the young and the old. The trained botanists will feed the sharks and that’s worth watching at 13:00 hours. One can watch other forms of marine life like turtles, octopuses, and enjoy in the play area and other activities like water balloon battles and face painting.
In the lazy afternoon, you may choose to take the wooden vintage train from Palma to the pretty town of Sóller which will pass through the string of tunnels taking you into a magical world of darkness and light. While you cross through the serene Tramuntana mountains, you can watch the landscape covered with pine forests. You can also think about the cheese filled yummy pizzas while crossing the olive groves.
Favorite tourist destination for the Europeans: Lanzarote
Timanfaya National Park, spread across 51.07 square kilometers is entirely made up of volcanic soil. This place was designated as a Biosphere reserve by UNESCO for its delicate flora and fauna. The access to the park by the public is strictly regulated and one can use a camel and travel across the popular short route.
The visionary architect and environmentalist César Manrique’s work can be seen all across the island. There is a foundation dedicated to offer respect to this brilliant artist and his home is now a popular tourist attraction. You can choose to spend a day exploring the work of his contemporaries like Picasso, Tàpies, Millares and Saura. The panoramic view outside the windows will take your breath away and the five lava bubbles linked by passages in the volcanic rock is something which you will witness for the first time in your life.
There are many other attractions like the tiny island of La Graciosa or the little town of Teguise. Surfing and kiteboarding in Famara will easily make a fortnight spent in Lanzarote worth remembering for a lifetime.
So in short, if you are looking forward to a relaxing and fun-filled vacation which is full of activities and nature sports, these islands are the ideal abode for you with multiple choices of hotels and cottages. Traditional Canarian cuisine will fill your taste buds with a different experience altogether and on the whole, this will be a vacation which you would like to remember with a smile on your face in the years to come.