Directory A–Z

PRACTICALITIES

AWeights & Measures The metric system is used.

ANewspapers English- and German-language dailies are widely available in resorts. Major Spanish newspapers include centre-left El País (http://elpais.com) and centre-right El Mundo (www.elmundo.es). For Mallorca news, try Diario de Mallorca (www.diariodemallorca.es), Ultima Hora (http://ultimahora.es) or English-language Majorca Daily Bulletin (http://majorcadailybulletin.com).

ARadio Regional stations include Radio Balear (www.radiobalear.net) and English-speaking Radio One Mallorca (www.radioonemallorca.com).

ASmoking Many Mallorcans smoke, although the ban on smoking in all enclosed public places, once often flouted, is now enforced more rigorously.

Climate

Customs Regulations

There are no duty-free allowances for travel between EU countries and no restrictions on the import of duty-paid items into Spain from other EU countries for personal use.

VAT-free articles can be bought at airport shops when travelling between EU countries.

Duty-free allowances for travellers entering Spain from outside the EU include 2L of wine (or 1L of wine and 1L of spirits) and 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.

Discount Cards

Students, seniors (over 65s), families and young people get discounts of 20% to 50% at many sights. Museum entry is often free for under 12s. From October to April, some 4-star hotels and car-hire companies offer discounts for over-55s.

City Cards Some Mallorcan centres offer discount cards entitling holders to entry to multiple attractions, and other perks. The most useful is the Palma Pass.

Senior's Cards Reduced prices at museums and attractions (sometimes restricted to EU citizens only) and occasionally reduced costs on transport.

Student Cards An ISIC (International Student Identity Card; www.isic.org) can save you up to 50% off stays, attractions and more.

Youth Card Travel, sights and youth hostel discounts with the European Youth Card (Carnet Joven in Spain; www.euro26.org).

Palma Pass Useful three-day pass (€33), one-day express pass (€16) or family pass (€92) includes entry to 35 museums and monuments, access to public transport, and discounts. See www.palmapass.com.

Electricity

GLBTI Travellers

Homosexuality is legal in Spain. In 2005 the socialist president of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, gave the conservative Catholic foundations of the country a shake with the legalisation of same-sex marriage. In Mallorca, Palma is the natural epicentre of a proud and prominent gay culture.

Resources

Ben Amics The island’s umbrella association for gays, lesbians and transsexuals.

Gay Mallorca (www.gay-mallorca.blogspot.com) Weekly events listings.

Guía Gay de España (http://guia.universogay.com/palmademallorca) More useful listings of cafes, saunas, nightclubs and restaurants.

Mallorca Gay Map (www.mallorcagaymap.com) A handy guide to gay-friendly attractions (restaurants, hotels, clubs etc); a printed version is available from some municipal tourist offices in Palma.

Health

Mallorca doesn't present any health dangers – your main gripes are likely to be sunburn, insect bites, mild stomach problems and hangovers.

Before You Go

Health Insurance

AIf you’re an EU citizen, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), available from health centres or, in the UK, post offices, covers you for most medical care. It will not cover you for nonemergencies, emergency repatriation or procedures you've travelled specifically for.

ACitizens from other countries should find out if there is a reciprocal arrangement for free medical care between their country and Spain.

Vaccinations

No jabs are necessary for Mallorca but the WHO recommends that all travellers be covered for diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, regardless of their destination.

In Mallorca

Availability & Cost of Health Care

AIf you need an ambulance, call 061.

AClinical standards and waiting times are amongst the best in Europe, and costs are equivalent to other Western European countries.

AFor emergency treatment go straight to the urgencias (casualty) section of the nearest hospital. The island’s main hospital is Palma’s Hospital Universitari Son Espases, but other important ones are based in Inca and Manacor.

AAt the main coastal tourist resorts you will generally find clinics with English- and German-speaking staff.

AFarmacias (pharmacies) offer advice and sell over-the-counter medication. When a pharmacy is closed it posts the name of the nearest farmacia de guardia (duty pharmacies) on the door.

Health Risks

AHeat exhaustion occurs following excessive fluid loss. Symptoms include headache, dizziness and tiredness. Treat by drinking plenty of water and/or fruit juice.

AHeat stroke is much more serious, resulting in irrational and hyperactive behaviour and eventually loss of consciousness and death. Rapid cooling by spraying the body with water and fanning is ideal.

AIf you have a severe allergy to bee or wasp stings, carry an EpiPen or similar adrenaline injection.

AIn forested areas, watch out for the hairy reddish-brown caterpillars of the pine processionary moth. Touching the caterpillars’ hairs sets off a severely irritating allergic skin reaction.

ASome Spanish centipedes have a very nasty, but nonfatal, sting. The ones to watch out for are those with clearly defined segments, for instance, black and yellow stripes.

AIn summer, waves of stingers (jellyfish) can wash up on the island’s beaches. Vinegar, ice and Epsom salts can soothe the pain of a sting. If unavailable, rub in salt water; fresh water can stimulate the sting. Head to a Red Cross stand (usually present on the main beaches) if you are stung.

ASandflies are found on many Mallorcan beaches. They usually cause only a nasty itchy bite but can occasionally carry a rare skin disorder called cutaneous leishmaniasis, a raised lesion at the site of the bite which can leave atrophic scarring.

Tap Water

Tap water is safe to drink across Mallorca, but is often unpalatable because of high sodium or chlorine levels; bottled water is cheap to buy.

Insurance

Comprehensive travel-insurance to cover theft, loss, medical problems and cancellations is highly recommended. Read the fine print, as some policies exclude 'high risk' activities such as scuba diving and canyoning.

EU citizens are entitled to health care in public hospitals (present your European Health Insurance Card).

Check that the policy covers ambulances or an emergency flight home.

Keep all documents and bills if you have to make a claim.

Worldwide travel insurance is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online any time – even if you’re already on the road.

Internet Access

ANumerous cafes and bars have free wi-fi. You may need to ask for the password when ordering.

AMost hotels have wi-fi, but in some cases the signal is weak beyond the lobby.

AInternet cafes are increasingly rare, but tourist offices should be able to point you to the nearest place, where one exists. Typical rates are €2 to €3 per hour.

Legal Matters

ABy law you are expected to carry some form of photographic identification at all times, such as a passport, national ID card or driving licence.

AThe blood alcohol limit for driving in Spain is 0.05%. There are stiff fines (up to €1000) for anyone caught exceeding this limit. Levels of 0.12% and above carry a risk of imprisonment.

ACannabis is legal but only for personal use and in very small quantities. Public consumption of any drug is illegal.

AIf arrested, you will be allotted the free services of a duty solicitor (abogado de oficio), who may speak only Spanish (and Mallorquin). You are entitled to have the nature of the accusation against you explained in a language you understand, and to make a phone call.

AIf you end up in court, the authorities are obliged to provide a translator.

Maps

Maps of Mallorca

Among the better and clearer island maps:

AFreytag and Berndt’s Mallorca (1:50,000)

AMichelin’s No.579 Balears/Balearics (1:140,000)

AMarco Polo’s Mallorca (1:125,000)

ABike Mallorca's Mallorca Bicycle Map (1:100,000)

Walking Maps

Walking maps must at least 1:25,000 in scale; anything bigger is nearly useless. Purchase your maps at hiking shops, or check out map specialists in other countries, for example Stanfords (www.stanfords.co.uk) in the UK.

AAlpina Editorial produces three maps to the Serra de Tramuntana range (Mallorca Tramuntana Sud, Mallorca Tramuntana Central and Mallorca Tramuntana Nord). These come with detailed walk descriptions in a solid booklet. The third map is in Catalan and German only.

ADiscovery Walking Guides publish detailed guides to different regions of the island. Their Walk! Mallorca (North & Mountains), for example, is packed with walks, basic maps and GPS coordinates. You’ll need to buy additional maps though.

AThe Kompass Wanderführer 5910 Mallorca (in German), by Wolfgang Heizmann, comes with detailed walking maps.

ASpain’s Centro Nacional de Información Geográfica (www.cnig.es) covers a good part of the island in 1:25,000 scale sheets.

Money

ATMs are widely available in towns and resorts. Credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops.

ATMs

AMost debit and credit cards, such as Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus, can be used to withdraw cash from cajeros automáticos (ATMs).

AATMs are ubiquitous in towns and major resorts, and accessible 24/7.

AThere is usually a charge (around 1.5% to 2%) on ATM cash withdrawals abroad.

Cash

ACash is king for small purchases in Mallorca, and spare change is handy for coffee pit stops and spontaneous market buys.

AAvoid taking more money to the beach than you need for ice cream, drinks, and sunbed and parasol hire (€10 to €15 per day).

AMost banks exchange major foreign currencies and offer the best rates. Ask about commissions and take your passport.

AExchange bureaux (look for the sign ‘cambio’) tend to open longer hours but usually charge outrageous commissions.

Credit & Debit Cards

ACredit and debit cards are generally accepted in hotels, with the exception of some rural B&Bs.

ASmall, family-run restaurants and cafes might insist on cash – check before ordering to be on the safe side.

ACards can be used to pay for most other purchases. You’ll sometimes be asked to show your passport or some other form of photo ID.

AAmong the most widely accepted cards are Visa, MasterCard, American Express (Amex), Cirrus, Maestro, Plus, Diners Club and JCB.

Taxes & Refunds

Spain's IVA (VAT) goods-and-services tax of up to 21% is included in stated prices. Refunds are available on goods costing more than €90, if taken out of the EU within three months. Collect a refund form when purchasing and present it (together with the purchases) to the customs IVA refunds booth when leaving the EU. For more information, see www.globalblue.com.

Tipping

AHotels Discretionary: porters around €1 per bag and cleaners €2 per day.

ACafes and bars Not expected, but you can reward good service by rounding the bill to the nearest euro or two.

ARestaurants Service charge is included, unless 'servicio no incluido' is specified, but many still leave an extra 5% or so.

ATaxis Not necessary, but feel free to round up or leave a modest tip, especially for longer journeys.

Opening Hours

We’ve provided high-season hours; hours will generally decrease in the shoulder and low seasons. Many resort restaurants and hotels close from November to March.

Banks 8.30am–2pm Monday to Friday; some also open 4–7pm Thursday and 9am–1pm Saturday

Bars 7pm–3am

Cafes 11am–1am

Clubs midnight–6am

Post offices 8.30am–9.30pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am–2pm Saturday

Restaurants lunch 1–3.30pm, dinner 7.30–11pm

Shops 10am–2pm & 4.30–7.30pm or 5–8pm Monday to Saturday; big supermarkets and department stores generally 10am–9pm Monday to Saturday

Post

The Spanish postal system, Correos (www.correos.es), is generally reliable, if a little slow at times. Delivery times are erratic but ordinary mail to other Western European countries can take up to a week; to North America up to 10 days; and to Australia or New Zealand between 10 days and three weeks.

Sellos (stamps) are sold at most estancos (tobacconists’ shops with ‘Tabacos’ in yellow letters on a maroon background), as well as post offices. A postcard or letter weighing up to 20g costs €1.15 from Spain to other European countries; rates are higher to other countries. For a full list of prices for certified (certificado) and express post (urgente) mail, check the ‘Fee Calculator’ on the Correos website.

Public Holidays

The two main periods when Spaniards (and Mallorcans are no real exception) go on holiday are Semana Santa (the week leading up to Easter Sunday) and August, which also happens to be when half of Europe descends on Mallorca. Accommodation can be hard to find and transport is put under strain.

There are 14 official holidays a year, to which most towns add at least one to mark their patron saint’s day. Some places have several traditional feast days, not all of which are official holidays, but which are often a reason for partying.

The main island-wide public holidays:

Cap d’Any (New Year’s Day) 1 January

Epifania del Senyor (Epiphany) 6 January – in Palma, a landing of the Three Wise Men (Reis Mags) is staged in the port, followed by a procession

Dia de les Illes Balears (Balearic Islands Day) 1 March

Dijous Santa (Holy Thursday) March/April

Divendres Sant (Good Friday) March/April

Diumenge de Pasqua (Easter Sunday) March/April

Festa del Treball (Labour Day) 1 May

L’Assumpció (Feast of the Assumption) 15 August

Festa Nacional d’Espanya (Spanish National Day) 12 October

Tots Sants (All Saints) 1 November

Dia de la Constitució (Constitution Day) 6 December

L’Immacula da Concepció (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) 8 December

Nadal (Christmas) 25 December

Segona Festa de Nadal (Boxing Day) 26 December

Safe Travel

Mallorca is safe, but the usual precautions are advised. The main thing to be wary of is petty theft: keep an eye on your valuables, and you should be OK.

Report thefts to the national police (%902 10 21 12; www.policia.es). It is unlikely that you will recover your goods, but you need to make a formal denuncia for insurance purposes. To save time, you can make the report by phone (in various languages), or on online (search for ‘denuncias’).

Telephone

Mallorca's blue payphones are easy to use for international and domestic calls. They accept coins, tarjetas telefónicas (phonecards issued by the national phone company Telefónica) and, in some cases, credit cards. Calling using an internet-based service such as Skype is generally the cheapest option.

Mobile Phones

Local SIM cards are widely available and can be used in European and Australian mobile phones. Other phones may need to be set to roaming.

Phonecards

Cut-rate phonecards from private companies can be good value for international calls. They can be bought from estancos, news-stands and locutorios (call centres), especially in Palma and coastal resorts – compare rates if possible.

Telephone Numbers

AAll telephone numbers in Mallorca (including mobile numbers) have nine digits.

AAlmost all fixed-line telephone numbers in Mallorca begin with 971, although a small number begin with 871.

ANumbers starting with a ‘6’ are for mobile phones.

ANumbers starting with 900 are national toll-free numbers, while those starting 901 to 905 come with varying costs. A common one is 902, which is a national standard rate number, but can only be dialled from within Spain. In a similar category are numbers starting with 800, 803, 806 and 807.

AIt is possible to dial an operator in your country of residence at no cost to make a reverse-charge call (una llamada a cobro revertido) – pick up the number before you leave home. You can usually get an English-speaking Spanish international operator on 1008 (for calls within Europe) or 1005 (rest of the world).

Time

Mallorca runs on central European time (GMT/UTC plus one hour). Daylight saving time begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

UK, Ireland, Portugal & Canary Islands One hour behind mainland Spain.

USA Spanish time is USA Eastern Time plus six hours, or USA Pacific Time plus nine hours.

Australia During the Australian winter (Spanish summer), subtract eight hours from Australian Eastern Standard Time to get Spanish time; during the Australian summer, subtract 10 hours.

Toilets

Toilets are of the sit-down variety, although public toilets are rare to non-existent across the island. If you find yourself in need of the facilities, remember that most bars and restaurants will expect you to purchase something before or after you use the toilet.

Tourist Information

AAlmost every town and resort in Mallorca has a walk-up tourist office (oficina de turismo or oficina de información turística) for local maps and information.

ATourist offices in coastal areas usually open from Easter or May until October and keep surprisingly short hours. If you do find them open, they’re usually helpful and overflowing with useful brochures.

AIn Palma you’ll find municipal tourist offices focussing on Palma and its immediate surrounds. There’s also the Consell de Mallorca Tourist Office, which covers the whole island.

AFor general information about the Balearic Islands, visit www.illesbalears.es.

Travellers with Disabilities

Mallorca is a long way from being barrier-free, but things are slowly improving. Disabled access to some museums, official buildings and hotels represents something of a sea change in local thinking.

ABe circumspect about hotels advertising themselves as disabled-friendly, as this can mean as little as wide doors to rooms and bathrooms, a ramp into reception or other token efforts.

ACobbled streets and flights of steps in hill towns can make getting around difficult.

APalma city buses are equipped for wheelchair access, as are some of those that travel around the island. Some taxi companies run adapted taxis – they must be booked in advance.

ADownload Lonely Planet's free Accessible Travel guide from http://lptravel.to/AccessibleTravel.

Visas

Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days; not required for members of EU or Schengen countries. Some nationalities will need a Schengen visa.

Visa Requirements

Spain is one of 26 member countries of the Schengen Convention, under which 22 EU countries (all but Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the UK) plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland have abolished checks at common borders.

To work or study in Spain a special visa may be required – contact a Spanish embassy or consulate before you travel.

Citizens or Residents of	Visa Required?
EU & Schengen countries	No
Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, NZ and the USA	Not required for tourist visits of up to 90 days
Other countries	Check the Foreign Office website (www.exteriores.gob.es).

Extensions & Residence

You can apply for no more than two visas in any 12-month period and they are not renewable once in Spain.

Nationals of EU countries, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland can enter and leave Spain at will and don’t need to apply for a tarjeta de residencia (residence card), although they are supposed to apply for residence papers and must meet certain criteria.

People of other nationalities who want to stay in Spain longer than 90 days require one of two types of residence card – for less than or more than six months. Getting one can be a drawn-out process, starting with an appropriate visa issued by a Spanish consulate in their country of residence. Start the process well in advance.

Volunteering

Most volunteering opportunities in Spain are on the mainland, but it is worth checking Go Abroad (www.goabroad.com) for projects in Mallorca. Fincas (farms) and families offering work and board on a voluntary basis advertise on Work Away (www.workaway.info).

Women Travellers

Travelling in Mallorca is largely as easy as travelling anywhere else in the Western world. However, you may still occasionally find yourself the object of staring, catcalls and unnecessary comments. Simply ignoring them is usually sufficient. Eye-to-eye contact and flirting is part of daily Spanish life and need not be offensive.

Spanish women generally have a highly developed sense of style and put considerable effort into looking their best. While topless bathing and skimpy clothes are in fashion on the island’s coastal resorts, people tend to dress more modestly in the towns and inland.

Work

Nationals of EU countries, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland may work freely in Spain, and hence, Mallorca. Virtually everyone else needs to obtain, from a Spanish consulate in their country of residence, a work permit and (for stays of more than 90 days) a residence visa.

Many bars (especially of the UK and Irish persuasion), restaurants and other businesses are run by foreigners and look for temporary staff in summer. Check any local press in foreign languages, which carry ads for waiters, nannies, chefs, babysitters, cleaners and the like.

Translating and interpreting could be an option if you are fluent both in Spanish and a language in demand. You can start a job search on the web, for instance at Think Spain (www.thinkspain.com).