Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It's the little things that are likely to spark imaginations: eating snail-shaped
en-
saïmada
pastries for breakfast, building castles in the sand, taking a (whoa!) helter-skel-
ter ride along the coast to Sa Calobra, or a rickety train ride to Sóller.
There's plenty to appease older children too: mountain biking, scuba diving, spelunk-
ing in sea caves or even cliff jump ing - sure to gain them kudos in the classroom back
home.
Sights & Attractions
Mallorca is full of kid-friendly attractions. Swap the beach for a ramble around hilltop
forts in Capdepera (
Click here
)
Alaró (
Click here
)
and Artà (Santuari de Sant Salvador;
Click here
)
- perfect for playing king (or queen) of the castle. Children are enchanted by
the petrified forests of stalactites and stalagmites in the labyrinthine caves that honey-
comb the east and interior, such as the Coves del Drac (
Click here
)
, Coves d'Artà (
Click
here
)
and Coves de Campanet (
Click here
)
.
Water parks take the heat out of summer -
Aqualand
( 971 13 08 11;
www.aqualand.es
;
Carretera de Cala Figuera; adult/child €21/13; 10am-6pm Jul-Aug,
to 5pm mid-May-Jun & Sep) in Palma is arguably the best, but Western Water Park
(
Click here
)
in Magaluf and Hidropark (
Click here
) in Alcúdia also offer cooling fun,
with wave pools, slides and pulse-raising flumes. Palma Aquarium (
Click here
)
is a big
hit with marine life from sharks to glow-in-the-dark jellyfish, as is Artestruz (
Click here
)
near Ses Salines, where kids have a whale of a time petting and feeding ostriches.
Tourist offices should be able to point you in the direction of child-geared activities
and playgrounds.
Outdoor Activities
Mallorca is an outdoorsy wonderland. Kids can release energy playing on the beaches
and swimming in the sea. Depending on how old they are, there's all manner of water -
based activities to engage their interest in the main resorts: from bouncy banana boat
rides to PADI Bubblemaker scuba diving courses, snorkelling and coastal kayaking.
Glass-bottomed-boat rides allow a peek at marine life with minimal effort.
On dry land, rent bikes and make the most of the island's bike paths, like the flat
stretch that heads through the Parc Natural de S'Albufera (
Click here
) wetlands. Horse
riding is a thrill for older kids, and even toddlers will enjoy the pony rides available at
many of the stables.
Just off the highways of the Serra de Tramuntana are two dozen or so public recre-
ational areas, parks and rural estates that now have barbecues and play areas.
