Top things to do for families in Majorca

On any list of things to do for families in Majorca, exploring the island's sandy beaches is a must. Wherever you decide to stay – be it Alcúdia, Pollença, Palma, Palma Nova, or any of the east coast resorts – you’re spoilt for choice with Majorca's sandy beaches. The island's coast is famously sandy and not overly windy, making it an ideal place for families to swim with children, lounge on inflatables, and snorkel.

Alcudia Beach, known for its long stretch of custard-coloured sand (around 10 km), is one of the most picturesque and family-friendly beaches in Majorca. It's backed by restaurants, hotels, and various facilities, and leads to a sandy-bottomed sea, perfect for safe swimming. The beach also offers water sports opportunities and has lifeguards on duty.

Port de Pollença, just along the coast, is equally sandy and child-friendly, with a gently sloping seabed ideal for swimming. In Cala d’Or, a serene and luxurious family destination, all four main beaches boast calm, crystal-clear waters – perfect for snorkelling and exploring underwater life. Remember to bring your goggles and snorkel to fully enjoy these beautiful Majorca sandy beaches.

Majorca is a haven for water park enthusiasts, boasting three exciting parks that cater to all ages. HidroPark in Alcúdia is particularly family-friendly, with a multi-pool design ideal for younger visitors. It features colorful slides, shallow splash zones, and fountains in the dedicated tots’ areas, while older kids and adults can enjoy larger slides, a kamikaze drop, side-by-side racers, and a wave pool.

In Magaluf lies Western Water Park, with a Wild West theme, popular among teens and young adults. Here, you’ll find vertical drop slides, plunge bowls, twin racer slides, and a half-pipe, plus family-friendly attractions like ring slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river. The park also includes three kids’ zones – La Ponderosa, Coyote Park, and El Álamo – filled with numerous water-based activities.

Aqualand El Arenal, the largest water park in Majorca, offers varied experiences for all ages. Young children can enjoy shallow, themed pools and smaller slides, while older kids and adults can try out larger slides, vertical drops, plunge bowls, and race slides. The park also features a fun wave pool and a relaxing lazy river, making it a comprehensive destination for water park fun on the island.

Palma, the island's capital, is a must-visit city, even if you're here on a beach-based getaway. It's easy to reach via public transport from most big resorts and home to key attractions like the jaw-dropping cathedral, the castle (Castell de Bellver), and beautiful tree-lined streets strewn with pretty buildings, shops and restaurants.

If you encounter a cloudy day (unusual), make a beeline for the aquarium, which is very popular with children and is probably one of the best things to do in Palma for families. You can also explore the S'Hort del Rei palace gardens or the Es Baluard Modern Art Museum, set in the old city walls and filled with quirky sculptures.

Parc de Sa Feixina and the park just outside the cathedral are popular, shady spots for families on hot summer days. First-time visitors to the city should max out on sightseeing with the hop-on/hop-off city bus, which offers a great view from its open top.

The Jungle Parc high-ropes adventure course in Santa Ponsa is one of the best things to do for families in Majorca who have an adventurous spirit. It’s just 30 minutes by bus or a 12-minute drive from Palma Nova and a half-hour bus or car journey from the capital.

The park is set in a pine forest with three ropes courses to choose from depending on your age and how much of a challenge you enjoy. The Explorador is designed for families and adults with a minimum age of 10, while Extremo is the harder course for ages 12 and up. Younger families should look to the Piratas option – a continuous belay route between 1 and 7 metres high and designed specifically for younger kids. All the courses feature bridges, nets, swings and zip lines.

Explorador has a tree-top bike, while Extremo features wobbly swings, snowboarding and tightropes, and Piratas has a fantastically fun pirate boat.

Make the most of Majorca’s beautiful coastline and take a family boat trip together. From most of the ports on the island (Alcúdia, Port de Pollença, Palma Nova/Magaluf and Palma), you can take boat trips of varying lengths.

You might like to take a full-day trip around the Formentor peninsula in the north or Sa Dragonera nature reserve island in the south, or perhaps book on a dolphin-spotting boat for an unforgettable family experience.

Along the east coast – between Cala Bona, Porto Cristo, Cala Romántica, Cala d’Or, etc. – you’ll find two family-focused glass-bottom boat companies. Majorca Sea Paradise runs trips on its glass-bottomed boat, stopping in towns for shopping and lunch, visiting former pirate caves and with breaks for swimming and using the built-in slides. Starfish Boats also run glass-bottomed catamaran trips between several towns, with an eye-to-eye viewing pod to spot fish and a stop for swimming, snorkelling and sliding.

Adventurous family activities in Majorca include exploring the island’s stunning geography. Majorca is home to miles of caves filled with fascinating stalagmites, stalactites, crystals and underground lakes. The Drach Caves and Hams Caves, both near Porto Cristo, are two of the most popular on the island.

They both boast equally impressive geology and have around the same accessible area to visit, so you can’t go wrong. Hams Caves are also next door to Dinosaurland Dino Safari, while Drach Caves have a guided tour including a boat ride on the subterranean ‘Sea of Venice’ lake. They’re so close – just a seven-minute drive apart – that you could take in two cave complexes in one day.

The Campanet Caves are another popular option in the north. There’s a stunning inland complex of stalactite-laden caverns with an interesting audio guide tour along a winding, 500-metre route. There’s also a handy terrace café, shaded by bougainvillea, for post-cave refreshments.