In 2018 we ventured to the Spanish island of Mallorca with toddler in tow for a little family vacay to enjoy the last of the European summer sun.  Mallorca is not a destination I would have ever thought to have visited whilst living in Australia.  Although I do vaguely recall it being a far away exotic paradise based on the reality TV show, Airline, showcasing the daily happenings of EasyJet passengers, and crew in the late 90s.

Keep reading to discover how our family travel to Mallorca with toddler played out.

MALLORCA WITH A TODDLER

TRAVEL TO MALLORCA

We took a flight directly from Leeds Bradford Airport to Mallorca with Ryanair.  I must say, we have not had much luck with Ryanair when travelling with them and have experienced numerous delays and little communication from the airline.

Now I know it is a budget airline and sh!t happens when you travel, but when you are travelling with a young child it makes it somewhat painful.  You are always running the complicated timed gauntlet of snacks, naps, nappy changes and having enough toys to entertain them.  And to be honest, by the time you choose a seat and check in a bag, the airfare never seems to be that cheap anyway.

WHERE TO STAY IN MALLORCA

We booked the last minute family travel to Mallorca and I had no idea what to expect.  I also had no idea where to stay.  There are so many little towns and accommodation options spotted all over the island, and whilst I trawled TripAdvisor for hours trying to make a decision, it was really difficult to pinpoint where would make the best holiday spot for us.

Unfortunately on this occasion I royally screwed it up, despite investing in DK Eyewitness Top 10 Mallorca book, aka the bible.  The area of town we stayed was filled with groups of party goers of all ages, downing their San Miguels and stumbling from one party venue to the next.  There was no trace of class or culture here but hey, at least the drinks were cheap 🙂

MALLORCA ACCOMMODATION

We stayed at Llaut Palace in Les Meravellas which is about a 10 minute taxi ride from the airport (approx. 20 Euros) and a 25 minute drive from Palma Town (also about 20 Euros when the airport taxes are excluded).  It is a new and lovely hotel where we were greeted with a glass of rose upon arrival.  We booked a suite for our 4 night stay which was incredibly spacious with a generous balcony and a spa bath.  The bathrooms are open plan which looks very chic, but in hind sight was not the best option with a young child who would wake during the evening if we needed to use the toilet.

As a couple’s holiday this would be a perfectly romantic hotel to stay but I think there would be much better options suited for a family elsewhere on the island.  There is a spa at the hotel and an outdoor swimming pool, along with a little splash pool which was perfect for the baby.  We had a buffet breakfast every morning which was included in the price of the room.  There were high chairs available and plenty of food options, however I would say it caters to a German market i.e. lots of cold meats, cheeses and pastries.  The rooftop bar and restaurant was pretty special though (see below).

PALMA TOWN

Now Palma Town is much more my cup of tea.  As we wandered around the back streets it reminded me of a mix between the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona and the Old Town in Nice.  Lots of lovely little shops and many of the usual European retailers (Zara, Mango etc.) including some of your high end designers.  I think we would have been much more comfortable staying closer to town, however the beach is not as close.  A good solution to this would be hiring a rental car from somewhere like StressFreeCarRental.com, as that would allow trips out to the town or beach without having to rely on expensive taxis. A friend had recommended that we tried Ombu for tapas.  Whilst we were a little too early for lunch, we still enjoyed their coffee and pastries on offer.

FOOD IN MALLORCA

Dining out can sometimes prove a challenge with a toddler whom is keen to run off and explore the big wide world.  So my visions of delicious tapas each evening, washed down with Cava as the sun set in the background were slightly shattered.

Two evenings we dined at the roof top restaurant at our hotel, Katagi Blau.  It was delicious, the view was incredible and it was easy enough with the little one.  I could at least enjoy once glass of Cava in peace whilst she demolished a packet of raisins.  Ha! The Teppanyaki at Katagi Blau was a special treat which we all really enjoyed and would highly recommend if you are close by.

If you love trying the local cuisine when travelling, why not check out some of the amazing food tours in Mallorca!

WHY I WOULD TRAVEL TO MALLORCA WITH TODDLER

We are that weird couple that visited zoos and aquariums pre-baby, so we have been to a great variety all over the world.  Now with a valid excuse to frequent these establishment, we make it a top priority to visit them when we travel to new places.

The Palma Aquarium was really quite fabulous and the perfect way to spend a few hours in Mallorca with toddler.  It was so well maintained and was calm, peaceful and relaxing (despite children running around!).  Whilst I thought it was an expensive entrance fee (25 Euros per Adult, and children 0-3 are free), I can understand why with the quality of the attraction.

I especially liked that they had big cushions sprawled in front of some of the bigger tanks (such as the shark tank) which meant you could sit there peacefully and watch them swimming around for a while.

We enjoyed some time at the beach and the area we stayed is renowned for clean, white sandy beaches.  There are lots of people trying to sell their usual wears, sun loungers for hire and impressive sand castles dotted along the shorelines.  It was a perfect time of year to visit as it was warm enough to dive straight into the water but not too hot that you were sweltering all day.

I do hope you enjoyed reading about our family travel to Mallorca with toddler in tow.  If you are looking for an alternate family friendly Spanish Island, you could also check out Menorca.  If you are travelling with your baby soon, don’t forget to download my FREE eGuide – An Essential Packing Guide for Travelling with your Baby 0-12 Months.  Click here to obtain your copy.