Majorca Holiday Guide.
Majorca (Spanish and Catalan: Mallorca) is the largest island of Spain. It is located in the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Balearic Islands archipelago. The name derives from Latin insula maior, "larger island"; later Maiorica. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca (in the municipality of Palma). The anthem of Majorca is La Balanguera.
Like the other Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Formentera, and Minorca, the island is a popular tourist destination. In Germany, the United Kingdom and to a lesser extent, Ireland, where package tourism to the island started in May 1952, Majorca has remained a popular destination.
Palma de Majorca
The capital of Majorca, Palma, was founded as a Roman camp called Palmaria upon the remains of a Talaiotic settlement. The turbulent history of the city saw it subject to several Vandal sackings during the fall of the Roman Empire. It was later reconquered by the Byzantine, colonised by the Moors (who called it Medina Mayurqa), and finally established by James I of Aragon. In 1983, Palma became the capital of the autonomous region of the Balearic Islands.
The official languages of Majorca are Catalan and Spanish. The local dialect of Catalan is Mallorquí, even though the dialects are different in each island and in most villages. Typically, young Majorcans are bilingual in Catalan and Spanish, with some knowledge of English or German as a foreign language, especially due to the large number of tourists and foreign residents on the island.
MAJORCA WEATHER
The climate of Majorca is typical of much of the Mediterranean. The summers are very hot, yet in the winter temperatures remain mild and considerably warmer than in Northern Europe. Rainfall is generally fairly low especially during the summer. In the Autumn around October time the rains come and this through to January is considered the wettest time of the year. With the rain in October and November known as the winters spring, the landscape changes and many plants burst into life sprouting leaves, even blooming. In the Autumn there is still a very good chance of seeing the sunshine for many days. Temperatures have in recent years held up very well in October. In 2004 record temperatures were reported (3 years after the solar maximum). November is cooler and the winter is near. It is still often pleasantly warm for several hours a day although the nights can be quite chilly especially in the mountains of the north west. If you are sitting out in the midday sun during the winter in Majorca it can be quite hot in a t shirt. Considerably more comfortable than one might be in Manchester or London at this time of year. Head to the south and east for the best temperatures and shelter from the Serra da Tramuntana. With fewer tourists the winter is still a good time to visit with reduced rental rates on accommodation.
Come the middle of February and spring is already in the air. The scenery is blessed with the stunning Almond blossoms covering Majorca's countryside. Longer days, more light and increasing temperatures make spring the ideal time to visit. The island is mild almost all year long and low levels of precipitation on the island make it an ideal holiday destination. During the high season which runs from July through to August rain is an almost unheard of phenomenon and the sunshine's almost every day. The average temperature in July is around 24ºC. In January it is approximately 11ºC. The islands geography, particularly the Tramuntana Mountains in the north provide shelter from the wind and rain. As a result precipitation in the south of the island is considerably lower than in the north. Despite the possibility of rain out of season Majorca has many more sunny days than countries in northern Europe. In January there is still an average of 5 hours of sunshine per day!
MAJORCA AIRPORT INFORMATION
Palma de Mallorca Airport or Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca (IATA: PMI, ICAO: LEPA) is an airport located approximately 8 km east of Palma de Mallorca, adjacent to the village Can Pastilla. Previously known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeropuerto de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid Barajas International Airport and Barcelona International Airport. During the summer months it is one of the busiest airports in Europe. The airport is a hub for German carrier Air Berlin. Son Sant Joan Airport occupies an area of 6.3 km². Due to rapid growth of passenger numbers, additional infrastructure was added to the two terminals A (1965) and B (1972). This main terminal was designed by local architect Pere Nicolau Bonet and was officially opened on April 12, 1997. The airport now consists of four gate areas: Terminal A is mostly used for domestic flights, while Terminals B, C and D are for international traffic. The airport can handle 25 million passengers per year, with a capacity to dispatch 12,000 passengers per hour. Future plans include an increase of the passenger capacity to 32 million passengers in 2010 and to 38 million passengers in 2015. Over 22.8 million passengers used the airport in 2008.
Check Palma de Majorca live departures and arrivals here.
CURRENT MAJORCA WEATHER
MAJORCA 5 DAY - 15 DAY WEATHER FORECAST
