8 Nights in Mallorca, Spain With Kids

Our Family visited Mallorca in the summer of 2023.  We scored $30 roundtrip flights from Valencia Spain and spent 8 nights on the island.  It ended up being a perfect week with our three kids ranging in ages from 4-9.  We truly appreciated the Spanish culture, prehistoric history, food, stunning coves (known as Calas), and incredible architecture.  

We decided to stay in Porto Cristo as a home base, and though it was more of a local area with a beautiful beach, it was not our favorite location on the island.  It was easy to navigate the shops and beaches with children and it provided a good base to explore some of the areas we spent time in, but it had more of an industrial or working feel.

Porto Cristo

Renting a car and driving around the island is relatively easy but there are a few resort areas that would require less driving and there is a great bus transportation system that can be used on Mallorca as well.  

Valldemossa

Below are seven highlights on the island of Mallorca specifically for families with kids.

  • Swimming Hole Cala Domingos.  We visited this cove later in the day and found plenty of parking, cliff jumps of about 8-10 feet that our older two children could do into a safe area with crystal clear water.  Note they are not incredibly strong swimmers.  There were also a few beach cafes and bars and a sandy beach to enjoy.
  • The historic town of Alcudia.  The village is absolutely charming with shops and dining and contains an extensive Roman settlement to tour. Just down then road, the beach area with the same name contains a large sandy stretch, trees to wander through, and easy entry swimming.
  • Cala Esmerelda.  Located in Cala d’Or resort town, this cove is kid friendly and gorgeous.  There is sand, areas for snorkeling and swimming and wonderful beach cafes.  It’s also walking distance to the resort area restaurants and shops and two other swimming coves.
  • Valldemossa.  Unlike quiet Deia, Valledmoss has a lark walkable town and beautiful monastery with gardens to visit.  It’s set high in the mountains, but we found it to be very family friendly and an easy place to enjoy wandering, play, and cafes.
  • Drach Caves.  Located in Porto Cristo, these underground caves have a lake you can even enjoy a boat ride in!  With every entry, there is an underground string quartet concert on the underground lake.  
  • Palma de Mallorca.  The main city on the island offers a wonderful castle to visit, free art museums, and even a playground at the foot of their cathedral.  
  • Port de Soller.  This scenic port town and beautiful beaches charming buildings and even an old fashioned street tram! 
Cala Domingos
Palma Cathedral
Drach Caves
Cala Esmeralda

Our Cost for 8 nights was $5,600

  • RT flights from Washington DC to Spain, Mallorca, and home were $3,000 for five.
  • Accommodations were $1,500 for five
  • Automatic car rental was $400
  • Food was about $700 for groceries and cafe meals.

Exploring the Lesser Traveled Side of Miami, Florida

Shark Valley Trail, Everglades National Park

I had been to Miami seven times before we took our kids. We flew down for five days and we decided to stay outside of South Beach. Though I had been to beautiful resorts, beaches, and amazing restaurants along Ocean Drive, my favorite part of Miami is the authentic side. The cherished memories I wanted to share with my own kids were the nature and culture that makes Miami so unique. We got plenty of beach and resort swimming in as well, but the kids really appreciated the nature, food, and music of Miami.

North Miami Beach

On our family trips, we try to prioritize natural settings and hiking when we can. We wanted to give Everglade National Park a try, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see a single alligator. We drove and parked at Shark Valley Visitor Center and we opted out of the tram ride and said yes to a two mile hike. As we started on the path, we saw alligators on all sides relaxing in the swamp! We counted 30! total. They were right next to us, and after we passed a few, we realized they were content and we could safely view them from the path with confidence. We also saw various species of birds, plants, and flowers. The visitor center gave the kids wonderful information and the kids left with souvenirs and their first gator spotting experience!

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