Rivalling even the red-hot Ibiza nightspots, Majorca’s amazing selection of clubs, pubs and bars include many of the trendiest in the whole of the Mediterranean. The island’s capital, Palma de Mallorca, has a reputation as one of the funkiest towns anywhere on the European tourist trail, the place to see and be seen when the sun goes down and the night lights up! With literally hundreds of night spots, Palma attracts international bands, famous DJs and solo stars to huge venues holding thousands of revellers, with the rest of the island’s resorts including Magaluf and El Arenal not far behind.

Palma’s Pacha Mallorca is a landmark favourite with its 3,000sq m of space set on three floors, each featuring areas defined by dining and music options, all packed in the high season. Retro rock and roll, Elvis and Stones standards and memorabilia define Atlantico, a must for fans of the iconic period, and dressing to impress is mandatory at Tito’s, a major player in Palma’s all-night scene, famous for following the latest sounds trends. For a seriously retro evening and a rare experience on the island, trendy Abaco’s candlelit décor features bizarre artwork and classical music.

Magaluf is heaven for the wild crowd in high summer, with the massive BCM Planet Dance holding up to 5,000 clubbers every night and grabbing the hottest DJs and bands. A mega-decibel sound system and laser light shows complete the picture, with weekenders as well as longer stay visitors arriving just for this club. The classiest lap-dance club in Megaluf is undoubtedly Honey’s, set on the strip, and right in the heart of the clubs is Pachas Pub, with its live music, great parties and screens showing all current live sporting events. For house and dance fans eager to get their clubbing fix while on holiday in Majorca, Bananas is number one choice.

Medieval Alcudia is home to Europe’s largest beach resort, the Hotetur Bellevue, and offers a wide choice of pubs, bars and clubs, many with English themes. Canny Lad is the Geordie version, with live sports TVs, adult comedy videos and Newcastle Brown Ale, and Bells Disco has a Spanish feel and hot music. Many of the clubs and bars serve tapas as well as spirits, beers and cocktails, with Festas Bar specialising in secret vodka recipes. Stylish Menta is the biggest club here, with seven bars, live music and a pool, all set within its unique Roman temple design.

El Arenal is favoured by German holidaymakers and has a great selection of German-themed beer halls and clubs. Oberbayern is one of the most popular for its German folksongs and karaoke as well as its entertainment programmes and beauty contests, and Club 471 is a laid-back alternative to Riu Palace with its hip-hop, R&B and huge dance floor. The beach promenade hosts endless bars, eateries and small live music venues, with beach parties a great way to finish off the night as the sun rises. All of the island’s secondary resorts feature vibrant nightlife venues on a smaller but no less lively scale.

YourMajorca.net, your number one destination for all the hottest deals on Majorca holidays.

Sun, sea and sand holidays on the Balearic island of Majorca have been drawing millions of tourists from the chillier regions of Northern Europe since the 1950s, when the dream of cheap Mediterranean flights became a welcome reality. The island grabbed the opportunity to become a number one destination with both hands and, by now, has every possible visitor amenity in place as well as the best beaches in the region.

Most visitors will arrive at the capital Palma de Mallorca’s international airport and head straight for a dose of sun and fun on one of its famous beaches. Stunning but crowded white sands and azure seas backed by towering hotels run the length of the coastline here, with the five kilometre Playa de Palma stretching from s’Arenal to Can Pastilla and boasting fine sand and shallow waters perfect for families. Water skiing, jet skiing and paragliding are the sports here, with the busy beach backed with palm tree shaded eateries.

To the west of the capital is Cala Major, another major destination during the summer season, with its shallow crystal waters safe for children and pedal boats for hire. A true urban beach two kilometres from Palma’s downtown district is Playa Ca’n Pere Antoni, backed by a wide promenade with cycle paths and beach restaurants. The shore slopes away to a good depth of clear water although no water sports are offered and it’s less safe for children.

The north of the island is its mountainous area, with the resort of Alcudia a favourite destination for its glorious beach and shallow sea, the best for families on the entire island with even a children’s playground set along the sands. Paragliding, water skiing and jet skiing are popular here. The child-friendly beach at nearby Port de Pollensa is less crowded, with spectacular views of the mountains and a wider selection of watery activities than its neighbour. Quieter Port de Soller hugs the foot of the mountain range in beautiful Bahia de Soller bay with Playa d’en Repic, the lovelier of its two beaches, a narrow, natural sandy strand steeply sloping to deep water.

Majorca’s east coast is rockier, with small sandy beaches set in narrow coves, crowded in summer although the resorts here are less touristy. The best-known is Cala d’Or with its five fabulous beaches and great snorkelling below the cliffs. Isolated Cala Mondrago, flanked by two headlands, has pale turquoise waters, with neighbouring s’Amarador beach 400ms away and far less crowded even in high season.

Majorca’s south coast holds Es Trenc beach, one of the island’s loveliest, unspoilt and carefully preserved. Nearby Colonia Sant Jordi has a few hotels and Cala Pi beach is surrounded by pine trees and set in a romantic cove with just a few small guesthouses. On the island’s western peninsula is Magaluf – party central with noisy nightlife in its over 100 bars and clubs. The beach is good, with a great selection of water sports facilities, but used mainly for recovery from riotous nights out! Adjacent Palma Nova is the family-friendly equivalent, with three pretty beaches.

For more information on Majorca, including the latest money saving deals on Majorca holidays and Majorca villas check out our website www.YourMajorca.net.

Popular as a Roman colony and later conquered by the Vandals, followed by the Byzantine empire, the Moors, invaders from North Africa and finally the forces of King James of Aragon in 1229AD, the island of Majorca’s present incarnation is as holiday heaven for sun-starved northern Europeans. The largest of the Mediterranean Balearic Islands, Majorca has been a hub for tourism since cheap flights ushered in the package holiday era in the 1950s. Nowadays, over eight million visitors arrive for their summer getaways each year, with the coastline of the entire island given over to resorts, hotels and facilities for fun in the sun.

Majorca’s endless white-sand beaches and their crystal-clear waters are the main attraction, with the busiest and most popular strands the closest to the charming, historic Balearic capital of Palma de Mallorca, famous for its long heritage and delicious food. Other popular resort towns include Magaluf, a favourite with Brits escaping chilly, wet summers, and the smaller beach resorts of Ses Illetes, Cala Major and Puerta Pollensa, popular with families. Beaches, of course, equal water sports, with a fabulous selection on the island including windsurfing, snorkelling, diving, sailing, fishing, sea-kayaking and water-skiing.

Outdoor sports on the island aren’t just confined to watery activities, with a huge choice of land-based sports including hiking, biking, horse-riding, golf, rock-climbing, caving, hang-gliding, canoeing and hot-air ballooning. Hiking and walking trails across the island’s mountainous northwestern region may be challenging at some points, but offers spectacular views and a chance to get to know the real Majorca, away from the tourism hotspots. For serious golf aficionados, courses here are set in magnificent surroundings and maintained to a high standard.

Given the island’s impressive history, it’s no surprise to find glorious heritage sites scattered across Palma de Mallorca and the many small towns and villages along the coast and inland. History and heritage buffs are in heaven here, with much to explore from all eras of Majorca’s chequered history. The massive, magnificent cathedral in the capital is a good place to begin, and the medieval Castell de Bellver, looming over the city in its unique circular design, holds a fascinating museum as well as superb vistas across the bay. The 13^th century Valldemossa Monastery set high in the mountains was originally a royal palace and now holds the Musee Municipal Art Contemporani.

For most holidaymakers, shopping and dining out in exotic locations are essential enjoyments on a foreign holiday, with Majorca holidays scoring high on both. Palma de Mallorca is a shopaholic’s dream destination, with everything from factory shops offering fashions at budget prices, specialist stores selling traditional local products for the home including colourful ceramics, embroidery and basketwork to wines, local foods and delicious pastries. The weekly markets held in towns and villages across the island give great opportunities for people-watching as well as stalls selling jewellery, leather goods, souvenirs and much more at great prices. A sunset supper sampling Majorca’s delicious seafood and its local wines is the perfect end to your day.

There are a number of operators who offer fantastic deals to sunny Majorca, Thomson Holidays and Thomas Cook Holidays are two of the main agents with a range of package holidays and flights for you to enjoy this beautiful island.

Well known British housebuilder Taylor Wimpey have highlighted the island as a great place for retirement, invoking good health and wellbeing among the reasons why it’s popular.

Majorca is one of the top holiday destinations for British tourists, with many wanting to live there having seen what it is like on their vacations.

To see their press release click here

If you live in the UK and are considering a luxury holiday in Mallorca, it might be worthwhile visiting the Luxury Travel Fair, where the Mallorca Tourist Board will be participating.

It’s at the Olympia National Hall in Kensington and runs from Thursday November 3 through to Sunday November 6.

Some of Hollywood’s best known actors and actresses already visit Majorca for their holidays, and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have a home on the island and spend much of their time there – so perhaps it should come as no suprise that Majorca would like to see some feature films that use it as a location.

And with this in mind the local authority is applying for a grant from the central government for promoting itself to filmmakers in Hollywood, but also to film studios elsewhere including Europe.

The UK for example has a well known and extensively used film industry, with plenty of British actors and actresses appearing regularly in Oscar winning films since the very first days of cinema – and the appeal of filming in a location they know well will appeal – and with flights to Majorca taking just two hours from the UK it will be close to home for many of them too.

The benefits for any travel destination to be featured in a well made and popular film makes sound economic sense – the number of people watching a top film runs into the millions, and with DVD releases along with terrestial and satellite television taking up a film too the benefit can last years – and will be far more cost effective than advertising and marketing Majorca as a holiday destination through traditional advertising methods.

The island has some excellent beaches for a Mediterranean backdrop, Playa de Muro for example, while the interior has traditional countryside with fincas and plenty of natural landscape to ensure a wide spectrum of films would make Majorca suitable.

Playa de Muro Majorca

It’s not just post production where the island would see a direct benefit. During filming of a Brad Pitt movie ‘World War Z’ in Malta recently one local newspaper estimated that the island’s economy had an extra 30 million Euros spent during just three weeks, with quite a few residents receiving money directly for inconvenience while their roads were closed, and a similar story is likely to unfold for any films shot in Majorca.

Locals hoping to be in a film will have the opportunity to be an extra, but they aren’t likely to make a fortune – media reports in Malta suggest that extras were paid just over 6 Euros an hour, and for many it was a twelve hour day, much of it spent waiting patiently between scenes being shot.

When compared to the Mediterranean island of Malta it’s surprising perhaps that so few films have been shot in Majorca. Apart from the World War Z Brad Pitt film due for release in January, other epics that have Malta as a backdrop include Troy, Gladiator and the Da Vinci Code.

If funding is approved and more people take holidays in Majorca, what can they expect to find, and what are the main resorts to look out for when considering where to book?

For those who like the beach and the Mediterranean to be the centrepiece of their trip there are a good number of blue flag beaches – awarded to the best holiday beaches in Europe for cleanliness and facilities. One of the best is Playa de Muro, close to Arinsal, and it’s easy to access by car or public transport, and is popular with locals too.

And there are plenty of other good beaches with blue flag status available to enjoy, with some of the hotels in Majorca having direct beach access – plus good restaurants, attractions and a host of things to do. Or you could just let the world go by you, relax and enjoy the best island in the Mediterranean and see just why Majorca holidays were the choice of many in the late summer no matter when you decide to visit. And don’t forget to visit the historic capital Palma that is full of character and traditional charm, it’s one of Europe’s best capitals to visit.

No surprise perhaps that the number of people taking package holidays for Majorca has increased by over 50% since the recession started – it’s a good way of controlling costs but still being able to enjoy time on the island.

A package holiday will include your hotel, return flights to Majorca, and depending on which option you choose, meals as well.

An article in the Daily Mail recently revealed that some deals can be had for under £400 for a two week trip.

The surprise though is that for those who don’t take all inclusive trips that they can get by on just £450 spending money for two weeks.

To read the full article click through to the Daily Mail here

When you visit Majorca, are you missing one of the best places on the island to visit?

If you think Palma is just where the airport is, a recent article in the travel section of the Daily Mail is worth having a look at, to see whether you think a trip into the old town of Palma might be worthwhile.

It also reviews one of the hotels, and describes a new service provided by the hotel (rooms start at £40 a night) which takes you out on a yacht.

To read the article click here

For reviews of the hotels in Majorca visit yourmajorca.net

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If you’ve been to the island on holiday this year, like many others you might well be looking forward to another trip in 2012.

easyJet have their 2012 flights to Majorca available now, and one example we have seen this afternoon is flying out on May 8 and returning a week later May 15 for £57 (includes air taxes but not luggage, speedyboarding, etc.)

This is from Gatwick, but similar prices are available from Luton, Stansted and Southend.

Visit easyjet.com for more details by clicking here

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Luton Airport is one of the most popular air ports serving London and the South-East of England, and in July over a million passengers flew from there.

Majorca was the most popular destination, with Malaga popular too.

Both Monarch and easyJet have flights to Majorca from Luton Airport.

Meanwhile Aena, who operate Palma Aiport, report that 2.8 million passengers arrived in June, more than 10% up on June last year.

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