Mallorca’s fine sandy beaches have always been one of the main reasons the island is so popular. For parents of young children, like me, the fact that there are wonderfully family-friendly beaches in Mallorca helps make it a great place to raise my son.
These are my top five family-friendly beaches in Mallorca that we’ve come to love over the years.
One of the great pleasures of being in Palma is the fact that the beach is always just minutes away. Ciudad Jardin, just east of the city and upfrom the chic outpost of Portixol, has everything you and your children might need from the beach, including golden sand, shallow water, sun loungers and parasols for hire.
Although it’s predominantly Spanish, Cuidad Jardin is also an up-and-coming area so, as well as seaside restaurants and ice-cream parlours, there are a few rather more interesting bars and cafés to check out when you’d like to take a break from the beach.
There’s a good reason Magaluf became perhaps the most popular resort in Mallorca and one of the best family-friendly beaches in Mallorca. The beach. And, now that ‘Maggers’ is becoming both a little more upmarket and much more family friendly, it’s the perfect place to spend a long day on the beach.
Also, because of its status as a tourist resort, there are still plenty of family-friendly restaurants and cafés next to the beach. Should your children want to explore Magaluf a little, there are tourist attractions such as the great fun Upside Down House.
Magaluf is around 30 minutes’ drive from Mallorca. There’s usually space to park but, if you’re staying in Palma and want to relax without having to think about driving, there are frequent buses and taxis.
Growing up in Mallorca, as I did, Playa de Muro was always a favourite beach. Its fine sand and warm, shallow, turquoise waters make it perfect for children of all ages and nice and relaxing for parents – everything you need for a family-friendly beach in Mallorca.
If you have older children, they can try everything from SUP and surfing to wingsurfing, the latest aquatic sporting fashion.
When they’ve worked up an appetite, there are plenty of places to sit in the shade and enjoy everything, from a classic Mallorcan paella at Figueret or La Ponderosa to fusion at Fusion 19 and thoroughly indulgent ice-cream (or, indeed, cocktails) at Grand Café 1919.
Playa de Muro is on the other side of the island from Palma so it’s about an hour’s drive. If you can, it’s worth taking your time and enjoying the experience of driving through the green heart of the island.
When you spend the day at Alcudia, you have the choice of enjoying the beach in the town itself or, my preference, heading for the one on the peninsula that separates the bays of Alcudia and Pollensa.
This is a sandy beach with shallow water, lined by aromatic pines. When my son was a baby, I used to take him to the shaded areas where he could take a nap, eat his snacks and play. It’s lovely to have some natural shade so it doesn’t become too hot for a small one.
Although it has its fair share of friendly, cheerful restaurants and bars, there’s something rather mysterious about this beach that’s hard to define. Perhaps it’s because it has such intriguing views across the bay.
If you’re in no hurry, I would suggest you spend the day at the beach on the peninsula and watch the magnificent sunset before heading into the ancient, atmospheric town of Alcudia for the evening.
While I love the 3 kilometres of white sand and shallow water that is Es Trenc and it’s definitely one of the best family-friendly beaches in Mallorca, I prefer to base myself in the tiny village of Ses Covetes for the day.
This is because you have all the advantages of the beach as well as a couple of laidback restaurants, including one of my favourite places on Mallorca, the bar/restaurant S’Embat.
Throughout the summer, S’Embat, a short walk from the beach and open from 11am, has live music most nights. As well as live reggae, funk, soul, swing and flamenco, you can also see acrobats and circus performers.
Spending the day on the beach and heading for S’Embat in the evening is one of my great pleasures in summer in Mallorca.
Wherever you choose to go in Mallorca, always remember that the island does get crowded in the summer. While this is great because your children – and you – have plenty of opportunities to make new friends, it does mean that you should plan your day at the beach carefully.
If you’re driving to one of the more remote beaches, leave as early as you can in the morning to make sure you have somewhere to park. Or, you could go to the beach later in the afternoon, when people begin to go home, and enjoy the cooler hours on the beach before watching the sun go down.
For more knowledge on Deia and Mallorca, have a look at our Deia Guidebook.