Balearic Islands
Information
Islands
The group of Balearic Islands is located in the western Mediterranean between the peninsula
Iberian, southern France and the coasts of North Africa. The archipelago is made up of four major islands,
in order of magnitude Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, as well as other islets among which we remember the island of Cabrera known for the famous terrestrial maritime National Park. The islands as a whole develop one
area of about 5,000 square kilometers with 1,240 kilometers of coastline.
Archipelago
Transportation
Administratively, the Balearic Islands, officially called Illes Balears,
constitute an autonomous region with its own autonomous government. In the Spanish state there are a total of seventeen autonomous regions with local institutions, the archipelago is represented by the Balearic Government, the Balearic Parliament and three island councils, that of Menorca, Formentera and Ibiza. As far as transport is concerned, only the major islands are connected to each other by planes and boats, in particular Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca are also connected with the major European airports. Currently only Majorca has a railway network, but public transport allows you to reach any place on the islands. The means mostly used by tourists who reach the archipelago is the rental car as it allows you to move around in full flow
autonomy.
Vacation,
Tourist structures, elegant summer resorts, coves and beaches combined with sunny days present for about 300 days a year, transform these places in the Balearic Islands into wonderful tourist destinations, especially for those who come from Nordic countries and are not used to this splendid climate.
Tourism.
Attraction of the places are the climate and the splendid beaches of white sand, bathed by a crystalline sea and surrounded by untouched nature. Several tour operators each year organize numerous trips with air flights to these tourist resorts equipped with comfortable and modern hotel facilities. However, there is no shortage of people who prefer to manage their holidays independently, arriving by car with the ferries from Barcelona to spend their summer holidays. The south and east of the island of Majorca are the areas with the greatest tourist concentration.
Climate.
Classic of the Mediterranean area, the climate in the Balearic Islands is mild, sometimes with a high level of humidity. Seasonal temperatures fluctuate around 27°C in summer, 19.5°C in spring and 20°C in autumn, while in winter they settle around 15°C. However, overall the average annual temperature in the archipelago is around 17 degrees Celsius with small variations from one island to another. The presence of the sun during the year for more than 300 days transforms the balearic islands in a popular tourist destination. Overall the Balearics have a population of about 700,000 inhabitants of which the half reside in the capital Palma.
Fun
On the beaches, in addition to sunbathing, it is possible to carry out the main water activities such as sailing, fishing, tennis, windsurfing, water skiing, diving, parasailing and much more. In particular, it should be remembered that the Balearic Islands are famous for their social gatherings, discos, open-air evenings, nights full of fun.
Recommended period
During the year the rainy days vary from 70 to 90, concentrated mainly in the months of November, February and April, during the other periods the climate of the Balearic Islands boasts over 300 days of bright sunshine. The months indicated for visiting the islands are May, June, September and October, when the climate is still mild, avoiding the crowding of tourists during the high season. Sometimes the islands are affected by the Tramontana wind characteristic of winter in the Balearic Islands, which makes a pleasant refreshing breeze during the summer months. Many vacationers prefer these lands for the delightful mild climate and for their geographical position, for this reason the Balearics are also called like the islands of eternal spring.
General informations
Regarding the use of the telephone, remember that to call the Balearic Islands v the prefix to use is 0034. Generally for mobile phones there are no particular problems. Traditionally imported by the British to the Balearic Islands, in bars, restaurants and hotel staff it is customary to tip around 10-15% of the bill. Many tourists prefer to take their pet with them on holiday, in this regard it is necessary to verify that the chosen hotel accepts pets or not. However, we would like to remind you that generally it is forbidden to bring animals into public establishments and some beaches. Spain has also joined the single currency, therefore the official currency in the Balearic Islands is the euro, as in the rest of the Spanish territory. Healthcare in the Balearic Islands is of a good standard with excellent facilities, Europeans can use the treatments free of charge using the European Health Insurance Card or Health Card which replaced the E 111 model, while a form is required for tourists from non-European countries of private health insurance. In the Balearic Islands the official languages spoken are Catalan and Castilian. Good diffusion in the tourist areas of English and German. Even the Italian always in the areas devoted to tourism is easily understood and often even spoken, this due to the ever-increasing presence of compatriots present in Spain for tourism reasons. To travel to the Balearic Islands, the necessary documents require an identity card valid for expatriation. The European conventions on transport recognize the validity of the European driving license for those who want to reach the Balearic Islands with their own car or rent on site.
Trade
The Balearic economy sees the greatest development in the industries for the production of costume jewellery, footwear, furniture and the cultivation of pearls in the characteristic area of Manacor. Lately the economic structure has undergone a transformation due in particular to the considerable evolution of tourism since the fifties with the construction of high-level tourist complexes for the reception of vacationers.
Majorca
Each Balearic island differs from the others, Majorca has buildings with aerials that recall the domestic profiles of classical Rome, also in Majorca is the capital of the Palma archipelago and the seat of the regional government. During the summer holidays, the city reserves the presence of the Spanish royal family and other important personalities of social, political, cultural and artistic life. The interior of the island is mainly agricultural, the Serra de Tramuntana with the Puig Major reaches a height of 1445 meters, in the steepest area there are the characteristic villages of Valdemossa, Soller and Deia. The mountain cordillera exceeds a total of one hundred kilometers, among the famous beaches located in the north we mention Cala Tuent or sa Calobra, Port de Soller, Cala di Deia. In the southern part the land is more arid with wonderful beaches among which we mention ses Covetes, es Trenc, Mondragò, Cala Figuera and Cala Santanyi.
Caves
The eastern area of the island of Majorca is still not very urbanized between the noteworthy coves Cala Mesquida, Cala Agulla or Cala Torta. For those who want to go on excursions, you can visit the fantastic caves of Artà in the locality of Canyamel, those of the Drac equipped with a huge underground lake and those of the Hams in the locality of Portocristo.
Menorca.
Second island by surface Menorca has the northern coasts overlooking the sea, with beaches made up of pebbles and reddish sands, while in the southern coast there are white sand beaches fine and truly crystalline sea. The northern part of the island of Menorca resembles any northern European landscape, while the southern area is made up of splendid white sand coves. The main centers are the capital of the island Mahón (Maó) of British origin and Ciutadella, the ancient capital of the island, characterized by its palaces and historic buildings. To visit Cala Galdana and the numerous megalithic monuments
Ibiza.
Famous for its intense social life and nightlife with its numerous discos, the capital of the island of Ibiza has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. To visit Portinatx, one of the most famous ports.
Formentera.
Known as the Caribbean of the Mediterranean, Formentera offers the beautiful Ses Salines nature reserve.
Flights
The majority of tourists arrive in the archipelago by plane to the main islands with international airports which connect them daily with convenient daily flights to the main European capitals. The airport of Palma, Son sant Joan is one of the most important tourist airports in Europe and is about eight kilometers away from the city. from Malpensa Airport of Milan, numerous flights are made during the summer period low cost to the islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza, with the possibility of using trips last minute really cheap with flight + hotel combination.
Addresses of tourist interest:
Mallorca: Conselleria de Turisme Montenegro, 5 - 07012 Palma de Mallorca Tel.: + 34 971 176 191 - Fax + 34 971 176 185 Fomento del Turismo Constitución, 1- 1º - 07011 Palma de Mallorca Tel.+ 34 971 725 396 - Fax + 34 971 713 540
Menorca: Menorca Tourist Board Carrer del Nord, 4 - Maó 07702 Tel.: + 34 971 362 377 - Fax + 34 971 352 06
Ibiza: Ibiza Tourism Promotion Historiador José Clapés, 4 - Ibiza 07800 Tel. + 34 971 302 490 - Fax + 34 971 302 262
Formentera: Formentera Tourism Board Port de la Savina ? 07870 Tel. + 34 971 302 490 - Fax + 34 971 302 057