I went to Majorca on holiday and fell into a major tourist trap – avoid my mistake

It’s peak summer holiday season and, if you’ve been to any of the usual southern European hotspots, you will definitely have noticed. Travelling to some of the best-known coastal towns can be a bit of a gamble when it comes to crowds, but it also brings the reassurance of nice weather for the entire trip.

After living in Spain for nearly half of my life before moving to London to study, I’ve seen both sides of the coin. Despite this, I still chose to venture to the Balearic Islands in early August based on my perceived experience of finding the least touristy spots in the country. To my surprise, I ended up at the tourist resort of El Arenal, some nine miles east of Palma de Majorca.

The long stretch of sand covering the length of the strip was fabulous, and the clear, shallow waters lapping the shore were even better. Nothing to be said about the variety of tours on offer either.

However, as you’d expect with any tourist-heavy area, there was no shortage of overpriced, bad-quality food, corner shops, and, well, drunk tourists of every age. In fact, Tripadvisor reviewer Ellenjane95 refers to it as “one big, tacky, German Benidorm”, and having lived 30 minutes away from the infamous stag do destination, it seemed spot on.

While I can’t be blamed for the location of our accommodation (it was a group holiday), I could have warned the others of the perils of staying in this area. Soon enough, these were evidenced in the form of street fights (not involving us, don’t worry), loud groups of football fans chanting everywhere we went, and some seriously subpar dining experiences.

So if you want to avoid the sticky menus, loud teenagers, and lingering smell of last night’s sick, at the expense of having to accommodate a larger budget, I can give you a tip or two.

For starters, the El Llorenç Parc de la Mar Hotel or Santa Clara Urban Hotel & Spa are great accomodation choices if you still want proximity to the airport, as well as the city’s amenities. Puro Hotel is another great central choice at a lower price point.

Either way, you are encouraged to either hire a car or be prepared to book every tour and a fair few taxis. The nicest beaches and calas, like Caló des Moro and Cala Llombards, are 45 minutes to an hour away from the island’s capital, so driving is a huge perk. Seeing them during a private boat tour is an experience I can’t recommend enough, but the catamaran tours are great, too, and they often include snorkelling equipment and a barbecue lunch, making them an ideal day at sea.

Dine at Bar Espanya (this was my friend’s ChatGPT-assisted find), anywhere in the Santa Catalina area – particularly Primos Taquería or Santa restaurant, and Izizi Nunnak, if you’re feeling fancy and are up for a walk along the trendy Portixol marina and the artisan market.

For your post-meal treats, try the ice cream at CHE GELATS! – an Argentine parlour that also sells chocotorta and alfajores among other desserts, as well as a cocktail at Agabar or Chapeau if you’re in the mood for a tipple.

Lastly, you can't leave the island without watching the sun set from the beach. Es Trenc, Cala Llamp, Cap de Formentor and Sa Foradada are some of the best-known locations for this activity.