Quality Time: What Can We Do With the Kids

Rainy Day Places #

Options are plentiful on sunny days, but here is what to do when the weather isn’t cooperating!

Palma Aquarium

There is so much to do at this fantastic modern aquarium! Located in Playa de Palma, just east of the capital, it is easy to get to and is serviced by several bus lines. Walking through the tunnels is like being underwater yourself as you pass under the 55 tanks that recreate the ecosystems in the oceans around the world and contain more than 700 different marine species. Visitors can also take a boat ride (€10 additional) over the shark tank, allowing up close views of these fearsome and fantastic creatures.

Cost: €22.50 for adults/€18.50 for residents; €14 for children/€12 for residents (4-12); free for under 3’s.

Address: Carrer de Manuela de los Herreros, 21, 07610 Palma

Palma Jump

Open 7 days a week, Palma Jump (palmajump.com) is a vast warehouse space in the semi-industrial outskirts of Palma. From the outside, it’s an unassuming place, much like the other warehouses around it. But walk inside, and you are hit with a cacophony of music and a swirl of people, mostly the under 13 set, but with a fair smattering of oldsters like me, all ready to do one thing: have some fun! They boast 57 trampolines, a ninja warrior sector, and obstacle course-type diversions. A great way to pass a few hours with the kids and burn a few calories, too!

Cost: €10/hour per person.

Address: P.I Son Moix, Calle Textil, 3, solar 33, 07011 Palma

Escape Rooms

Mallorca has several options when it comes to Escape Rooms. One of the better ones is the optimistically named Best Escape Rooms Mallorca at the Ocimax next to the cinemas. You and your family are locked in a themed room and you must solve puzzles, riddles and mysteries to gain clues and find your way out. It’s a great way to work together as a team and have some fun along the way. Kids as young as 8 can join in with parent accompaniment.

Cost: €17/person for 3. €16/person for 4. €15/person for 5. €14/person for 6.

Address: Ocimax, Carrer del Bisbe Pere de Puigdorfila, 1, 07010 Palma

The Great Outdoors #

Mallorca boasts 300 days of sun. Here are a few ways to enjoy them as a family!

Artà Caves

The Artà Caves, located in the limestone cliffs of Cap Vermell on the island’s east coast, are an eerie otherworldly kind of place. This labyrinth of mysterious looking stalagmites and stalactites have taken thousands of years to form, and have adopted shapes that look like monsters, zombie-like humans and even weird plants. There are enormous caverns housing formations literally dripping from the arched ceilings. Everyone sees something different, and the spectacle is enhanced by the artful use of lights and music. Tours run about 40 minutes.

Cost: €15 for adults; €7 for 7-12 year olds; under 7 is free

Address: Carretera de las Cuevas, 07589 Capdepera

Cabrera Island

Cabrera is the largest island of an archipelago off the south coast of Mallorca. It used to be a prison camp but is now a national park. Take a ferry or boat trip for the day and hike up to the 15^th-century castle, visit Ensiola Lighthouse and check out the museum, Es Celler, built by the former owners of the island in the 19^th century. Look out for kestrels, falcons, shearwaters and shags – and don’t miss the blue lizards. There is a bar on the island, but it is better to pack a picnic lunch. Boats leave from the harbour in the resort of Colònia de Sant Jordi from April to October.

Cost: Excursions a Cabrera offers trips from €44 for adults and €25 for under 12s.

S’Albufera Nature Reserve

Get your kids interested in birdwatching at the largest wetland area in the Balearics, S’Albufera. More than 200 species inhabit the reserve at any given time of the year, including purple herons, ospreys, peregrine falcons and hoopoes. There are walking and cycling routes of varying lengths for every level. Make sure to bring a backpack with water and snacks. S'Albufera is inland from Playa de Muro beach, located to the south of Port d’Alcúdia. Leave your car outside the reserve and walk to the visitor centre (roughly 20 minutes), where you obtain a permit and a map.

Cost: Free entry.

Address: Av. de s'Albufera, 07458, Playa de Muro

Train from Palma to Sóller

Who doesn’t love a vintage train? This old wooden beauty, that runs along 27km of track between Palma and the gorgeous village of Sóller, was built more than a century ago to ferry lemons and oranges from farmers to themarkets of Palma. One of Mallorca’s most-loved attractions, the trip takes about an hour, including a brief stop in Bunyola. The scenery alone is worth the trip as you pass through some 13 tunnels and cross several viaducts and bridges. Once in Sóller, you can explore the town, and then take the tram to the port for lunch by the sea. A fantastic day outing for all!

Cost: Return ticket €32, including the tram to Port de Sóller. Kids free under five.

Address: Ferrocarril de Sóller Train Station: Carrer d'Eusebi Estada, 1, 07004 Palma

If movies are your thing and you want to get out of the house: English-Speaking Movies in Spanish Cinemas (VOSE) and S'Escorxador, a Night at the Movies offer entertainment.

There is something for everyone on the island.