Mallorca's prettiest towns and villages, from the Tramuntana to the south

Updated on 2/10/2026

Serra de Tramuntana: Valldemossa, Deià, Sóller and Fornalutx

The best known villages are in the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011.

• Valldemossa: the village sits more than 400 metres up. It is known for the charterhouse, which passed to the Carthusian order in 1399 and where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838 to 1839. Catalina Thomas, the patron saint of Mallorca, was born here.
• Deià: the municipality has 741 inhabitants (2025 figure). The British writer Robert Graves lived here, and his house Ca n'Alluny, built in 1932, has been a museum since 2006. The church stands on top of the hill called es Puig.
• Sóller: the small town lies in a bowl-shaped valley, 3 kilometres from its harbour, Port de Sóller. Its centre is Plaça Constitució with the parish church of Sant Bartomeu, whose façade was designed by Joan Rubió i Bellver, a pupil of Gaudí. The tram to the port runs straight across the square.
• Fornalutx: about 700 inhabitants, natural stone houses with red tiles and green shutters, and Plaça d'Espanya at the centre. A circular walk listed by the Consell de Mallorca starts there, 6.4 kilometres long with 2 hours of walking and 522 metres of ascent.

Further west are Banyalbufar, with about 2,000 terraces where Malvasia wine once grew, and Estellencs at the foot of Puig de Galatzó, whose parish church is first recorded in 1422.

North: Pollença and Alcúdia

Pollença is inland, about 6 kilometres west of its harbour, Port de Pollença. The name goes back to the Roman city of Pollentia, although its remains are in Alcúdia. On Sunday there is a market in Plaça Major. A path of 2.1 kilometres climbs Puig de Maria, a 323-metre hill at the edge of town, in 50 minutes according to the Consell de Mallorca.

Alcúdia was founded as a new town in 1298, according to Wikipedia. The medieval wall around the old town was finished in 1362 and the street plan from that time survives. Market days are Tuesday and Sunday. More under Alcúdia and Pollença.

North-east: Artà and Capdepera

Artà is about 60 kilometres from Palma in the north-east. More than half of the municipality is taken up by the Artà massif, and the Llevant peninsula natural park lies to the north. About 400 metres south-east of the edge of town is Ses Païsses, one of the best preserved settlements of the Talaiotic culture in the Balearic Islands.

Capdepera is 6 kilometres further on. Above the town, on the 159-metre Puig de Capdepera, stands a walled castle complex from the 14th century. Both towns are also covered under east coast.

Centre of the island: Sineu and Petra

Sineu lies on the es Pla plain in the middle of the island and was a residence of King James II in the Middle Ages. It is known for its Wednesday morning market, which according to Wikipedia has existed since 1306 and includes a livestock market. Sineu is a stop on the railway line from Inca to Manacor.

Petra is about 44 kilometres from Palma and is the birthplace of Junípero Serra (1713 to 1784). The Franciscan friar founded the first nine Spanish missions in California, and his birthplace and a museum in the town recall him.

South and east: Santanyí, Cala Figuera and Portocolom

Santanyí is 56 kilometres from Palma. On Plaça Major stands the 18th-century church of Sant Andreu, with a Baroque organ by the organ builder Jordi Bosch. The Porta Murada gate from the 14th century survives from the town wall. Market days are Wednesday and Saturday.

About 5 kilometres away, Cala Figuera lies in a fjord-like inlet and was once the harbour of Santanyí. Wikipedia lists Cala Santanyí and Cala Llombards as nearby beaches. Portocolom, in the municipality of Felanitx, has the largest natural harbour in Mallorca according to Wikipedia. Small fishermen's houses with coloured doors and windows line the old harbour of Es Riuetó. More on the area under south.

How to combine the towns

Plan the towns by region and, where it fits, on their market day. All verified weekdays are under markets.

1. The Tramuntana in a day: Deià is on the road from Valldemossa to Sóller, and Fornalutx is in the same valley as Sóller.
2. North: Pollença and Alcúdia are close together and combine with Formentor.
3. Centre: Sineu and Petra are both on the es Pla plain.
4. North-east: Artà and Capdepera are 6 kilometres apart.
5. South-east: Santanyí, Cala Figuera and Portocolom.

The map of Mallorca shows where the towns are. Parking charges are not quoted here because they change.

Written and maintained by the Mallorca Planer editorial team. Independent travel guide, not an official body and not a travel agency.