Mallorca is large enough to keep you busy for weeks, but it also makes a convenient base for excursions further afield. The most obvious is Cabrera, the small protected archipelago about 15 km off Mallorca's southern tip, where boat trips depart daily in season from Colònia de Sant Jordi. Numbers are limited to protect the island's marine reserve, so book ahead — what you get in return is one of the cleanest stretches of water in the Mediterranean, a small fourteenth-century castle, and the chance to swim in the famous blue grotto, the Cova Blava.
The other Balearic islands are reachable by ferry from Palma or Alcúdia. Menorca is quieter and more rural than Mallorca, with extraordinary prehistoric monuments and a string of unspoilt coves. Ibiza is the famous party island but also has a beautiful walled old town and a quieter north coast. Formentera, smaller still and reached via Ibiza, has some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. Day trips are tight on the schedule for any of these — if you can, allow at least an overnight stay.
