Guided Tours
What to do in Mallorca: Guided tours with The Thinking Traveller
We’ve worked hard to develop Mallorca guided tours that share the very best of the island. We have experiences to suit all types of adventurers, from invigorating hikes in the Tramuntana Mountains to tours of Palma’s art galleries and private artist workshops. Do you yearn for sea views, fishing villages, pine forests, wine tasting in the heart of the Mallorcan countryside or something else? We can add one of our Mallorca guided tours to your stay in one of our Mallorca holiday villas so you can explore this rich and multifaceted Balearic Island. Read more about some of our favourite Mallorcan experiences below, or contact us for alternative activities should you desire more options.
1. Trek the Tramuntana mountains
The stunning Tramuntana mountain range – known as Serra de Tramuntana – stretches 90km from Andratx in the southwest of Mallorca to Cap de Formentor at the island’s northern tip. Along the range you will find glittering lakes, ancient monasteries, charming villages – including Deià, a stone’s throw from our picturesque villa, Sa Vista – and Puig Major, the highest mountain peak on the island, clocking in at 1,436m above sea level. In 2011, this spectacular mountain range was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status, testament to their natural beauty and cultural wealth. By following the historic cobbled paths and earthen tracks of the Serra de Tramuntana, hikers will find themselves surrounded by a landscape peppered with dry stone walls that have sat there for centuries and gnarled olive trees, which can live to be thousands of years old. Some other unmissable sights include:
- Mallorca’s highest mountain peaks – Puig Major, Teix, Massanella and Tomir
- Gorgeous villages – Deià, Valldemossa, Fornalutx and Sóller
- The atmospheric Lluc Monastery
- Torrent de Pareis – A river gorge at Sa Calobra, which plunges between two spectacular, rugged beaches
- Lovely river reservoirs – Gorg Blau and Cúber
We only work with local guides who know the Serra de Tramuntana intimately, allowing us to craft informed walks and hikes for all tastes. Choose a gentle afternoon stroll through this picturesque landscape and visit its rural villages or set out on an invigorating hike to the top of the Tramuntana’s highest peaks. If you are interested in our personalised guided tours through the Tramuntana Mountains, simply tell us what you want to get out of your experience and we will suggest the perfect expedition and accommodation in our luxury villas in Mallorca.
2. Visit the vineyards of Alaró
If you prefer to enjoy your mountain scenery accompanied by a nice glass of merlot, may we suggest our Mallorca wine tours? Many of Mallorca’s finest vineyards and bodegas lie nestled in the eastern flanks of the Serra de Tramuntana, thanks to the location’s admirable vine-growing conditions. Despite the banning of alcohol while the island was under Islamic rule from 902 to 1229 CE, and the damage caused to Mallorcan vines by the phylloxera insect blight of 1891, this Balearic Island has a strong wine-growing culture and past, and a burgeoning reputation in modern times. Today, the island’s vineyards continue to cultivate many local and regional grapes including:
- Manto negro
- Gorgollassa
- Callet
- Prensal Blanc
- Giró Ros
- Moscatel
Our Mallorcan wine experience will take you to the spectacular terraced vineyards of the Oloron Winery in Alaró, which is just a short drive from our renovated eighteenth-century farmhouse Rural. During the tour, you can enjoy exploring the bodega before taking in the breathtaking views of the Serra de Tramuntana on a guided walk. The tour concludes with sumptuous food in Mallorca in the vineyard, paired with local wines produced on-site.
3. Uncover Palma’s artistic soul
Mallorca has attracted artists and writers to its mountains, fincas and beaches for centuries. Frédéric Chopin and George Sand stayed in the beautiful mountain village of Valldemossa during the winter of 1838-1839 CE. Here, Sand wrote A Winter in Majorca, describing their time on the island, while Chopin completed his preludes. The famed war poet Robert Graves also found inspiration in Mallorca. He spent his final years in the village of Deià, and is buried beneath a cypress tree in the local churchyard. While the island’s villages, mountains and coves nurture creativity, Mallorca’s artistic heart beats in the historic city of Palma. Ruled over by the Romans, the Moors and the Spanish Kingdom of Aragon in turn, the wealth of historic, architectural and cultural influences in Palma provide a rich fount of inspiration and tradition for local artists and visitors alike. Perhaps Palma’s most famous ‘artist in residence’ is the surrealist painter and ceramicist Joan Miró. Born in Barcelona, Miró fell in love with Mallorcan Pilar Juncosa – and with Mallorca itself. The couple married in Palma in 1929 CE, and Miró lived in the city from 1956 until his death in 1983. Very little has changed since 1983, thanks to his instruction, “I want everything that I leave behind to stay just as it is when I am gone.” Our tour will also allow you to explore the city’s artistic heart and the influences that keep it beating. From vibrant local markets and gothic cathedrals to tenth-century CE Arabic bathhouses, this Think Experience will show you Palma’s most iconic sites and hidden gems.
4. Where to stay in Mallorca: Sa Vista
Mallorca’s diverse natural beauty leaves visitors spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a villa on the island. From beautiful mountain villages to scenic coastal retreats, our collection of villas in Mallorca includes daydream-worthy locations for all tastes. One of our favourite villas, perfect for exploring the mountains of Mallorca, is Sa Vista. This villa occupies an unrivalled position on its own headland above Cala Deià, offering breath-taking coastal views as well as easy access to our guided tours of the Tramuntana Mountains. Nearby, the scenic village of Deià is nestled into the Serra de Tramuntana, just a winding 10-minute drive inland from the beautiful beach of Cala Deià. From Sa Vista, visitors can make the journey to the village by car. The town is around 3km from our villa Spectacular Sa Vista is surrounded by a private 25-acre estate and can accommodate 10 guests. The enchanting grounds are a wonderland for nature lovers, filled with Mediterranean pine woods and evergreen coastal maquis. With a heated seawater pool, a pool house and shower, daily maid service, freshly prepared local breakfasts and terraces designed for al fresco living – including a barbeque – Sa Vista is one of Mallorca’s most desirable villas.
