Car hire Majorca

Introduction

Since the 1960's, Mallorca has developed into a popular holiday destination. The island has beautiful beaches on the south and east coats, and the weather is almost always fine. Especially the British, Germans and Dutch love to visit this island. In addition to the beaches, the mountain massif of Serra de Tramuntana is well worth a visit. There are also some very fine golf courses, and the capital Palma has a beautiful historical center with an impressive cathedral.

Population

The island as a whole has about 800,000 permanent inhabitants, half of who live in the capital Palma de Mallorca. Throughout the year, many people stay on Mallorca. The island attracts millions of tourists every year. Also, there are almost 100,000 people from Northern Europe who live on the island permanently or during the Winter.

Location

Mallorca is located to the east of Spain in the Mediterranean. It is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which include Ibiza. The capital Palma de Mallorca is located on the south-western coast.

Economy

Tourism, tourism, tourism. That is what the island's economy is built on. That is obvious along the popular beaches on the south and east coast. The boulevards are filled with tower blocks, all of them hotels and apartments for tourists.
However, there are also other economic activities on the island. Agriculture provides citrus fruit, almonds and olives, which are exported via Palma's port or airport. In addition, fishery and livestock (pigs and sheep) are also important. In the capital there is textile and paper industry.

Airports

Nine kilometers to the east of the capital lies Palma de Mallorca International Airport, along the road to Santañí. There are daily regular and chartered flights to European destinations. The airport is also used by a few budget airlines. Bus line 1 maintains a service between the airport and the center of Palma.

Public transport

If you feel like not using your rental car for a day: the public transport network on Mallorca consists mainly of buses. On Sundays, there is a limited bus service and during the off-season there are also fewer buses.

In the capital Palma, buses are operated by Empresa Municipal de Transports (EMT). There are good connections to nearby beaches. Bus 50 is a tourist bus along the main attractions and shopping centers. It is a double-decker bus with an open top. Furthermore. In Palma there are night buses from the entertainment district Passeig Marítim.

Mallorca has one railway line, from Palma via Inca to Manacor. In addition, there is a historical train: the Tren de Sóller, between Palma and Puerto de Sóller, through an impressive landscape.

Traffic and Parking

Driving on Mallorca is certainly not difficult. In recent years, most roads on the islands have been renovated and re paved. Also, a number of roundabouts have been added, which makes the traffic flow more efficient as well as safer. The speed limited outside inhabited areas is 90 km/h.

Parking is only paid in the center of the capital Palma. Underneath the road near Palma's harbor there is a car park, which means that you can park your car safely in the city center, at a reasonable rate.

Hotels

Mallorca is filled with hotels. During the Winter you may take a chance on finding a hotel room, but during the Summer your chances are zero. Besides, booking a package deal is often cheaper.

External Sources

For more information about Mallorca, we recommend Google, and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Mallorca
• Mallorca Council
• Palma de Mallorca
(several languages)