© J. Rains
Christmas & New Year in Mallorca - The best things to do
The festive season is now well and truly upon us
With a dash of Mallorcan glamour and a tonne of local good cheer, the beautiful island of Mallorca glitters and shines over Christmas and New Year, making it an ideal place to visit during the Christmas break.
A time to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends and, of course, for the little ones to meet Father Christmas and to be spoilt with gifts and love. All across Mallorca at Christmas time you’ll find traditional sweets, fireworks and streets hung with twinkling lights. Dine at cosy restaurants with stone cave walls and open fires, go to midnight mass in the local church or listen to live music spilling out over a busy square and coloured lights reflecting off the water.
The island boasts many Michelin Star and fine dining restaurants so you certainly won't be lacking in choice for a family meal or a special dinner with a loved one.
When New Year’s beckons, the whole island gathers for a celebration. New Year is called 'Año Nuevo' in Spanish and New Year's Eve is 'Nochevieja', so watch out for any advertised events with these names. While New Year’s Eve is brought in with fireworks and parties, the Spanish traditionally celebrate on January 6th, the 'Día de Reyes' or Three Kings Day with a feast, so you’ll also find some elaborate dining events and traditional parades and festivals well into the beginning of January.
The whole island is putting on an action-packed schedule of events over the festive season. Here’s our guide to the top things to do over Christmas and New Year in Mallorca.
Christmas markets
The ever-popular Christmas Fair & Ice Rink is hosted once again in the city of Palma with plenty of food stalls and other handicrafts available. Most of the stalls are found around Plaça d'Espanya, with others in Plaça Major and along the Ramblas. Open daily from 10:00 until 21:00.
Palma’s Pueblo Español’s Christmas market is always a much anticipated occasion, and many of the towns, villages and ports will host their own festive markets throughout December and into January. Alaro, Alcúdia, Andratx, Artá, Campos, Felanitx, Llucmajor, Manacor, Muro, Santanyí and Sóller are just some of the towns hosting festivities worth attending.
The market in Puerto Portals is one of the most famous in Mallorca and puts on a wonderful display across a couple of weeks with some fabulously presented arts and crafts and bubbles flowing alongside mulled wine.
Check out our events calendar for the dates of these markets for this year.
Ice skating
If you want to get your skates on, then there are a few ice skating rinks popping up around the island throughout December, Port Adriano's ice skating rink is always popular amongst families. Puerto Portals usually has a little ice rink in the middle of the port, perfectly positioned in close vicinity to some top-notch restaurants and bars. Son Amar’s Christmas Wonderland also claims an ice skating rink that offers a beautiful backdrop of the Royal terrace whilst skating around their famous water fountains.
Traditional Christmas celebrations
Those after the authentic Mallorcan experience must head to Palma cathedral or one of the big churches throughout the island after Christmas Eve dinner – remember that, in Spain, the big family dinner takes place on the 24th. During the 'Misa del Gallo', just before midnight, you'll be able to witness the oldest tradition in the Balearics, the Cant de la Sibil-la, a beautiful medieval chant that represents the sibyls' apocalyptic prophecy and has been declared a UNESCO world heritage event.
Christmas lunch in Mallorca
Take the strain out of Christmas by booking lunch at one of the many wonderful restaurants on the island. A whole variety of restaurants will be offering their own renditions of Christmas lunch for a set price, so you can just kick back, relax and enjoy the Christmas festivities. Whether you prefer to be in Mallorca's majestic mountains or are more drawn to a sea view there will be something to satisfy your Christmas cravings.
New Year's Eve
Mallorca has a huge variety of New Year’s Eve experiences to choose from. The city of Palma will once again be hosting a great street party in the centre with free music, festivities and fireworks from 23:00. Theatre Shows always provide a memorable experience with first-class entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. Hotels often host glamorous gala dinner's and restaurants, top-notch tasting menus and often include champagne or cocktail receptions. To continue the fun well into the early hours of the morning, Palma's nightclub’s will of course be putting on the biggest parties on the island – we would recommend booking your tickets in advance.
Many bars, nightclubs, restaurants and hotels across the island will be creating their own celebrations so you can just check out where will be open near you.
Three Kings Day
Unlike many countries, the Spanish festive season lasts well into January and, in fact, one of their biggest celebrations is on January 5th when all of Spain celebrates the Three Kings Day, celebrated in memory of the three wise men who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. Even though the actual fiesta is on January 6th, it is on the day before that they visit all the places around the island and hand out sweets in what is one of the biggest parades of the year. The city of Palma celebrates the main one but most resorts, villages and towns have their own version. That night, Spanish children leave their shoes under the tree as well some food and champagne for the kings – and some water for their camels – and, next morning, there are gifts all around them.
More inspiration...
Christmas and New Year are magical times to visit Mallorca. With the celebrations going well into January, why not book a quick, last-minute trip to the island?
