The summer heat is peaking, and at times we feel like a melting ice cream cone in a car with no AC. So, we start thinking – where should we go for a summer holiday? This year, the decision was a bit of a compromise between our travel style and that of my parents. Trip to Mallorca with Our Parents.
Most teenagers think traveling with parents is the definition of uncool. We weren’t any different at thirteen. But with time (and a bit of wisdom that comes with your forties), you realize that traveling with your parents can actually be fun.
Mallorca with the Parents
My parents, now retired, had never flown before. So we decided to give them that experience. And about those compromises? Well, we’re used to traveling light – low-cost flights, no agencies, finding places on Booking.com, renting a car, and exploring remote islands like Norway, Iceland, or the Azores on our own.
Our folks? Not so much. They wanted a Slovak tour guide on-site – just in case, you know. So this time, we booked an all-inclusive package with a tour agency (unnamed for diplomacy). After much back-and-forth about where to go, we settled on Mallorca – the jewel of the Mediterranean.
Mallorca
Mallorca is the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands and offers far more than just beautiful beaches with turquoise waters and white sand. There’s so much more worth discovering.
So this time, we swapped our tent for a hotel room with a private bathroom, and the coffee from our camping stove for icy drinks at the bar. And honestly? It felt good. Doing nothing, recharging. In today’s fast-paced, burned-out world, stopping for a while is not a luxury – it’s necessary.
That’s what I told my husband Ľubo, but he’s not exactly a passive relaxation type. Every morning, before sunrise, he ran 13 km loops around the resort.
I tried to follow his lead… but only in spirit – horizontally, from the bed. Still, to get something more out of this holiday than sunbathing, we rented a car for a day and set off to explore Cap de Formentor and the Jardines D’Alfabia.
Cap de Formentor
The drive to Cap de Formentor is an adventure in itself – full of sharp turns, tunnels, and dramatic scenery. It’s a favorite route among cyclists. We only got as far as the shuttle parking lot, where we hopped on a bus for the final leg. Tickets were €3 per person.
Cap de Formentor is located on the northeastern tip of Mallorca and is often called “the end of the world.” The sea views are breathtaking – cliffs rise up to 300 meters above the Mediterranean. At the farthest point sits the Far de Formentor lighthouse, built in 1863. It’s the highest lighthouse on the island and still actively guides ships today.
A Nature Reserve
The area is a protected nature reserve, home to birds of prey like falcons and eagles, and also to unique endemic plants and animals. On the way back, we stopped at Mirador Es Colomer, one of the island’s most iconic viewpoints. It’s the kind of place that leaves you speechless.
Fun fact: the dramatic landscape here has inspired countless artists, poets, and writers – including none other than Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin.
Jardines D’Alfabia
We spent the morning exploring Formentor, and later in the afternoon headed in the opposite direction to admire the Jardines D’Alfabia. These lush gardens are located between Palma de Mallorca and Sóller, in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains.
Unlike the busy tourist spots, the gardens offer peace, shade, and a meditative atmosphere – a perfect escape from the heat and crowds.
Thanks to their serene setting and preserved historical character, the gardens are often used for weddings, films, and ad campaigns. You’ll find palm trees, citrus orchards, bamboo, old vines, lotus flowers, and ponds with water lilies. One of the highlights is the water walkway – arched jets of water spray across the path. On a hot day, it was too tempting to resist, and we cooled off right under the jets.
The gardens date back to the Moorish period (10th–13th century), when Mallorca was under Arab rule – and that influence is still visible.
Mallorca with Our Parents
We discovered something new, we learned something new, and my parents boarded a plane for the very first time. They loved it – glued to the window the whole time. They even picked up a few English phrases (nailed “white wine” like pros), and honestly, the whole trip was a blast.
So: mission accomplished. And we’d happily return to Mallorca again – maybe off-season next time.
Mallorca reminded us that slowing down is perfectly okay. And that even if package holidays and buffet lines aren’t part of our usual travel DNA, it’s good to switch gears once in a while and just float along. Because in the end, rest isn’t about what you do – it’s about who you’re with.
