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At one end of a very scenic mountain road, under the shadow of the commanding Castell d’Alaró, this pleasant village dates from at least the time of the Moors. If you want to climb up to the castle, drive up to Es Verger restaurant and proceed on foot: the ascent takes about 45 minutes and the view is marvellous (see Castell d’Alaró).

Most people pass through the outskirts of this small town on their way to Puig de Randa, but it’s worth stopping for some good restaurants, where the people of Palma dine at weekends (see Es Recó de Randa, Algaida). The Gordiola Glassworks are also nearby.

An extensive complex of pools and water slides to keep kids happy for a full day. Parents can relax in the garden areas.

This 10th-century brick hammam (bath house) is one of the few architectural reminders of a Moorish presence on Mallorca. A small horseshoe-arched chamber, with a dome supported by irregular columns and what would once have been under-floor heating, it has survived in its original form. This would have been the tepidarium , the lukewarm room; there would have also been a hot room and a cold plunge. Apart from this, there’s not much to see, but the pleasant garden has tables and chairs.

During the Middle Ages, this was Palma’s most fashionable church, and to be buried here was a major status symbol. Aristrocratic families competed with each other by building ever more ostentatious sarcophagi in which to place their dead. The dark interior contains many fine works of art. Next to a 17th-century statue of the Madonna is the carved figure of the famous medieval mystic Ramon Llull, who is buried in the church. Standing in front of the basilica is a statue of Junípero Serra, a Franciscan monk and native of Mallorca, who was sent to California in 1768 and founded Los Angeles and San Francisco. (See also Basilica de Sant Francesc, Palma).

Don’t be put off by its brutal appearance from the highway. Hidden behind the commercial tackiness, the historic centre dates back to the ancient Romans, and is now dominated by centuries-old stone mansions very much worth a stroll around. The town’s wealth arose from its pre-eminence as the island’s wine producer, starting 500 years ago. In recent years, after a century or so of decline, its reputation has again been on the rise, as evidenced by the important winery outlets along the main road (see José L. Ferrer, Binissalem).

The town is probably second only to Palma in the number and splendour of its mansions, dating from the 18th century, when it became the centre of a booming wine business. All that ended at the end of the 19th century, when phylloxera wiped out the vines, but wineries are making a comeback these days, producing good reds.