Balearic Islands
The Balearics are Spain's summer islands: a short flight from anywhere in Europe, Mediterranean water that is warm from June to September, and a resort for every kind of trip. Mallorca carries almost all of the all-inclusive scene and is the all-rounder, with family beaches on the north bay at Alcúdia and Playa de Muro, the Tramuntana mountains behind them, coves down the east coast, and Palma for a day of city and tapas. Ibiza is smaller, prettier and more expensive than its reputation suggests, and its all-inclusive choice is thin.
- Airports
- Palma de Mallorca (PMI), Ibiza (IBZ)
- The islands
- Mallorca for nearly every resort
- Ibiza for the scene
- Best for
- Family summer weeks, short flights from Europe, mountains and coves in one trip
- Season
- May–October
- June and September are the sweet spots
- Weather risk
- None tropical
- dry, reliable Mediterranean summers
Where Balearic Islands splits
The resort areas are not interchangeable. What each one is actually for.
Mallorca
The north bay at Alcúdia and Playa de Muro for long shallow family beaches, the Palma bay for the city and the airport, and the east-coast coves for quiet. It is a summer island, so the season is shorter than the Canaries and the peak is busy.
Start with Hotel MySeaHouse Flamingo, four-star, adults-only.
Ibiza
Cove beaches, a walled old town, and the clubs, with a quiet north for people who want the island without the scene. All-inclusive is thin here and prices are the highest in the Balearics.
Start with TRS Ibiza Hotel, five-star, adults-only.
When to go to Balearic Islands
Climate normals for Palma de Mallorca, and our verdict on each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily high | 60 degrees Fahrenheit | 61 degrees Fahrenheit | 64 degrees Fahrenheit | 68 degrees Fahrenheit | 74 degrees Fahrenheit | 81 degrees Fahrenheit | 87 degrees Fahrenheit | 87 degrees Fahrenheit | 81 degrees Fahrenheit | 74 degrees Fahrenheit | 66 degrees Fahrenheit | 61 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Rainfall | 1.7″ | 1.5″ | 1.1″ | 1.5″ | 1.4″ | 0.5″ | 0.2″ | 0.8″ | 2″ | 2.7″ | 2.2″ | 2″ |
| Verdict | Shoulder | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Off-peak | Off-peak | Shoulder |
Sweet spot. June and September for warmth without peak crowds; July–August for full beach season; rainy season runs September–November brings the odd storm; many resorts close from November to March.
Storm risk. No tropical systems; dry, reliable Mediterranean summers.
Figures are long-term climate normals for Palma de Mallorca, good for planning. They are not a forecast.
Which coast of Mallorca?
The north bay is the family answer: Playa de Muro and Port d'Alcúdia share a long, shallow, sandy beach with dunes behind it and the mountains beyond, and the big all-inclusives are strung along it. The Palma bay, around Playa de Palma, is the shortest transfer from the airport and the closest to the city, at the cost of a busier, more urban strip. The south-west, Camp de Mar and Andratx, is the upscale corner, with small coves and the mountains dropping into the sea. The east coast is the quiet option: cove after cove, smaller resorts, and the longest drive from the airport.
Pick the north for children and sand, Palma bay for convenience, the south-west for a polished couples' week, and the east for calm.
When to go
The Balearics run on a summer calendar. The sea is warm enough from June to September, and June and September are the sweet spots: full beach weather without the July and August crowds and prices. Many resorts close from November to March, which is the honest sign that this is not a winter destination; for winter sun the Canaries are the Spanish answer.
Mallorca's north bay can be breezy in the afternoons, which the windsurfers like and the sunbathers notice. There is no tropical weather to plan around at all.
Beyond the resort
Palma is the day trip: the cathedral, the old town, and a long lunch. The Tramuntana mountains are a UNESCO landscape of stone villages, Deià and Sóller the prettiest, and the vintage train from Palma to Sóller is the easy way in. Coves like Cala Mondragó and Formentor's beach are worth a car for a day. Ibiza's old town, Dalt Vila, is walled and worth an afternoon even for people who never see a club.
Where the Balearic Islands resorts are
13 resorts mapped stars are five-star properties
The best all-inclusive resorts in Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands properties we would actually book. For the full numbered ranking, see the best all-inclusive resorts in the Balearic Islands.
Where to stay in Balearic Islands
The resort areas we cover, and which properties sit in each.
Resort chains in Balearic Islands
The brands operating here. The ones we rank in full link through to the chain, what its plan really covers, and every resort of theirs we track.
Where these companies came from
Almost nobody in this category publishes it. Read oldest first and the list is a short history of how Balearic Islands came to look the way it does.
Balearic Islands, head to head
Price, flights, sand, food and safety, compared honestly.
Balearic Islands vs JamaicaMexicoDominican RepublicMaldivesGreeceTurks & CaicosArubaBarbadosSt. LuciaItalyPortugalTurkeyAntiguaCuraçaoBrazilCosta RicaPhilippinesFrench PolynesiaMoroccoEgyptSouth AfricaMauritiusKenyaTanzaniaMozambiqueThailandIndonesiaMalaysiaPunta CanaCancúnRiviera MayaLos CabosPuerto VallartaMontego BayNegrilOcho RiosGuanacasteCreteBahiaBora BoraMalé AtollsRodney BayBarbados South CoastBarbados West CoastViti LevuVanua LevuCanary IslandsCosta del SolSharm el-SheikhHurghada & the Red Sea CoastBelekRhodesFijiCroatiaU.S. Virgin IslandsSri LankaSeychellesBahamasChileArgentinaUnited States
Reading on Balearic Islands
Frequently asked questions
Is Mallorca good for a family all-inclusive?
Yes, and the north bay around Alcúdia and Playa de Muro is the reason: long, shallow, sandy beaches with big family resorts along them and a short season that suits school holidays. Our ranking below orders every Balearics resort in our catalog by real guest data.
Can you do an all-inclusive holiday in Ibiza?
You can, but the choice is small and the prices are the highest in the Balearics. Ibiza's hotels lean towards room-only and the island's food and clubs are the reason people go. If the plan matters, Mallorca has far more of them.