I remember a few years back in Berlin, when locals would ask a Spanish colleague and friend of mine where he was from. Whenever he mentioned he was from the island of Mallorca, the reaction was almost always the same: a look of disbelief, followed by the inevitable question, “So what are you doing here, man?” I’d always been curious about the island and wanted to understand the appeal of the Balearics, and a few days ago I finally got the chance to see it for myself on a visit to Mallorca. It truly is beautiful, just as my friend had told me.

One of the activities I enjoy most when visiting a city is cycling, whenever possible, and on this trip, staying in Can Pastilla, I found that the hotel offered affordable full-day bike rentals. So I set off to visit the cathedral and its surroundings, as well as Bellver Castle, where I took the photo you can see above. I really enjoyed this visit, and I can’t wait to go back!