Where to stay in Mallorca: the short answer
Pick the base by what you want to do. Palma suits city breaks and easy airport access. Sóller and Port de Sóller sit below the Tramuntana mountains with a historic tram to the harbour. Valldemossa and Deià are mountain villages on one bus line. Alcúdia combines a walled old town with long beaches in the north. Cala Ratjada on the north-east coast has two very different beaches and a harbour.
This guide compares areas, not individual hotels, and it names no prices for rooms. Room rates change by season and date, so use a booking site for your dates and use this page to choose the area.
Places to stay in Mallorca: areas compared
A quick comparison of the five bases. Details follow below.
| Area | Setting | Beaches | Getting around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palma | City with old town, cathedral and palace | See our beach guide | Airport bus A1; car access limited by low-emission zone |
| Sóller and Port de Sóller | Mountain town and separate harbour | See our beach guide | Train from Palma, tram to the harbour, boats to Sa Calobra |
| Valldemossa and Deià | Mountain villages | Cala Deià, a stony cove on foot | Bus line 203 |
| Alcúdia and Playa de Muro | Medieval centre plus coastal resorts | Long beaches, about 5.2 km at Muro | Formentor shuttle in season |
| Cala Ratjada | Harbour town on the north-east coast | Son Moll and Cala Agulla | Seasonal buses, harbour boats |
Tours to book from any base
Boat trips, the caves, mountain and city tours that you can reach from most areas, with live prices and availability.
Planning a Mallorca stay
For a Mallorca stay, choose the area first and the room second. The five bases above differ in setting, beaches and transport, and the tourist tax depends on the category of your accommodation.
Best area of Mallorca to stay
The best area of Mallorca to stay depends on the plan. Palma suits a city break, Sóller and the mountain villages suit walkers and day trips by tram, bus or boat, and Alcúdia and Cala Ratjada suit a beach week. There is no single best town to stay in Mallorca, and this page does not rank hotels.
Where to stay in Palma de Mallorca
Where to stay in Palma de Mallorca comes down to the old town, within walking distance of the cathedral, the Almudaina palace and the Plaça Major, against a base further out with an airport bus. If you hire a car, remember the low-emission zone in the centre. For the best beaches in Mallorca, stay in the north (Alcúdia and Playa de Muro) or the north-east (Cala Ratjada) instead.
Palma
Palma is the island capital. The cathedral and the Almudaina palace face each other at the edge of the old town, and Plaça Major, Santa Eulàlia and the courtyards are within walking distance. It is the easiest base without a car, because the airport bus A1 runs to the city.
If you hire a car, remember Palma's low-emission zone. Until 31 December 2026, vehicles in categories B, C, ECO and 0 are allowed inside the zone, and foreign plates need a separate authorisation. Extra restrictions apply in the old town, and fines are listed at €200. Park outside the zone if in doubt.
Details of the sights are in our Palma guide.
Sóller and Port de Sóller
Sóller is a town in the mountains, and Port de Sóller is a separate harbour with a historic tram between them. In 2026 the train from Palma to Sóller was listed at €23 one way and €30 return, the tram at €10 per direction, and the combined train and tram return at €40. Boats to Sa Calobra leave from Port de Sóller.
The area suits day trips on foot, by tram and by boat. Read about the Sóller train and Sa Calobra.
Valldemossa and Deià
Both villages are on bus line 203, which runs Palma, Valldemossa, Deià, Sóller and Port de Sóller. Staying here means a mountain village base, away from the sea. Cala Deià is a stony cove about 70 m long and 6 m wide, around 1.5 km on foot from the village, so a hotel in Deià is not at the beach. Check the current timetable before you plan evenings out.
See Valldemossa for the Carthusian monastery and the village.
Alcúdia and Playa de Muro
Separate the medieval centre from the beach resorts. The old town has 14th-century walls and a pedestrian centre. Playa de Muro is a separate stretch of coast of about 5.2 km, with developed sections and the natural section of Es Comú. Check how far a place is from the sand before you book.
The Formentor shuttle 334 serves Alcúdia in season. See Alcúdia.
Cala Ratjada
Cala Ratjada is on the north-east coast and has a harbour with boat trips, for example to Cala Millor and Cala Bona. Two beaches lie close by and are quite different. Son Moll is a sand beach about 150 m long with a promenade and services. Cala Agulla is about 600 m long, set among pines, with paid parking.
In 2026, buses 422, 423 and 424 are listed in season towards Cala Mesquida, sa Font de sa Cala and Porto Cristo. See Cala Ratjada.
Getting there: Palma airport (PMI)
Palma airport lies about 8 km from the city centre. The EMT bus A1 links the airport with Palma, and the A2 runs to S'Arenal. A single A1 ticket is about €5 in cash, and paying by bank card is possible. Confirm the current fare when you board.
For other areas, airport lines are listed as orientation: A11 towards Camp de Mar, A32 to Can Picafort via Alcúdia, A42 to Cala Bona via Manacor and A51 to Campos. Check the timetable of the island bus network for your date.
On interurban buses you can pay with a bank card, and you must tap the same card or device when boarding and leaving. A missing tap out costs €0.30 more per person. In 2026 trips with the island's personal travel cards are free, but ordinary tourists with a bank card still pay.
Taxi and hire car
The taxi tariff published for Palma for 2025 lists a minimum fare from the airport of €16.95. It includes the base fare, the airport supplement and 7 km. A supplement of €4.65 per trip applies for port and airport. It is not a fixed price to the centre. Luggage, pushchairs and wheelchairs cost no extra, and card payment is provided. Mountain supplements apply to Sa Calobra, Cala Tuent and Cap de Formentor (€8.52) and, for example, to Deià via Sóller (€4.26). The two cannot be added together.
A draft law to limit vehicles arriving on the island was approved by the Consell on 5 June 2026 and was still going through parliament at the end of September. It is not in force. If you rent a car for a later season, check the status.
Tourist tax in Mallorca
The sustainable tourism tax is charged per person and night, based on the law as published in 2025. Check whether it appears as a separate line on your invoice. Children under 16 are exempt.
| Accommodation | 1 May to 31 October | 1 November to 30 April |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels 5 stars and 4 stars superior | €4 | €1 |
| Hotels 4 stars and 3 stars superior | €3 | €0.75 |
| Hotels 1 to 3 stars | €2 | €0.50 |
| Holiday homes, rural hotels, agroturismo | €2 | €0.50 |
| Hostales, guesthouses, campsites, hostels | €1 | €0.25 |
From the ninth day in the same accommodation the amount is reduced by a further 50%. Some operators add 10% VAT on top. For holiday apartments rated 3 keys superior, the law lists €3 while one hotel group lists €4, so ask your host. A call by unions for a higher tax in 2026 is not an enacted rate.
Rules to know when choosing a base
Special alcohol rules apply only in defined zones of Platja de Palma, S'Arenal and Magaluf, not across the island. In those zones, drinking in public streets is banned except on permitted terraces, shops selling alcohol must close from 21:30 to 08:00, and happy hours and pub crawls are banned. The rules are set until the end of 2027. They are one factor to weigh against your plans for evenings.
Where to stay in Mallorca: frequently asked questions
What is the best area to stay in Mallorca without a car?
Palma is the easiest, because the airport bus A1 runs to the city and the old town, cathedral and palace are close together. Sóller and Port de Sóller also work, with the train and the tram. Check timetables for buses to the other areas.
Is Deià on the beach?
No. The village is on bus line 203 and Cala Deià is a stony cove about 1.5 km away on foot.
Where do I stay for the beaches?
Alcúdia and Playa de Muro in the north and Cala Ratjada in the north-east have beaches nearby. Muro is about 5.2 km long. Compare the beaches before you pick.
How much is the tourist tax?
From €1 to €4 per person and night from 1 May to 31 October, depending on the category, and 75% less from 1 November to 30 April. Children under 16 are exempt.
How do I get from Palma airport to the city?
The airport is about 8 km from the centre. Take the EMT bus A1, or a taxi with a minimum fare of €16.95 on the 2025 tariff. Taxis charge a supplement of €4.65 for airport and port trips.