10 Things to do in Mallorca at Christmas

The best things to see or do in Mallorca always have to do with the natural beauty of this island and the warmth and friendliness of its people. Christmas is a very special time to visit this community and that is why I bring you a couple of plans that can help you enjoy the Christmas festivities to the fullest, while experiencing the most populated Balearic Island on your own terms.

Traditions, events, attractions and much more. These are some of the activities you will be able to do if you follow this list of places to see and things to know that I have prepared for you, thinking that you will return home being able to say that you have lived a Christmas like a true Balearic citizen.

Traditionally in many places in Spain the Christmas season begins with the celebration of the Day of the Immaculate Conception, which falls on December 8 and is celebrated in style among the community of the Balearic Islands. Specifically in Palma de Mallorca there are several activities worth visiting as a tourist in the city, as Catholic worship and rites are one of the most interesting cultural aspects of many cities in the region.

If you are on the island for this date you could attend the mass that is celebrated every year in the Cathedral of Mallorca. Which is an excellent idea due to the fact that you will also take this opportunity to walk the streets of the historic center of the city at a time when hundreds of parishioners will be on a kind of pilgrimage of their faith and beliefs.

If you do not want to attend the mass you can still enjoy the commercial scene of the date, because all the streets near the cathedral and the Royal Palace of the Almudiana also have restaurants that will be offering you the best of their disposition to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season without the need to incur in all the Catholic mysticism of the date.

Being in this date in this area is one of the best things to do in Mallorca in December for that reason and also for the fact that it is a good time to enjoy the Parque del Mar at a time when it will be full of people celebrating just like Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.

Another Mallorcan tradition that is celebrated every Christmas is the creation of nativity scenes. They are scale models representing the village where Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Eve and for some cultural reason in Palma de Mallorca it has become a custom to visit the most important Nativity Scenes in the city. And there are a couple of institutions and commercial establishments that year after year comply with this beautiful tradition creating true works of art that try to surpass the effort of the previous Christmas.

The Nativity Scene of Cort is one of the most iconic of the city, as it is the one that takes place in the facilities of the City Council of Palma. The El Corte Inglés Nativity Scene, the Sant Roc Church Nativity Scene, the Santa Catalina Market Nativity Scene and the La Misericordia Cultural Center Nativity Scene are other of the best known. At least among those that annually form part of the route of these allegorical representations that have to be visited by fans of this peculiar tradition.

Keep in mind that following this route is an excellent way to tour Palma de Mallorca during the Christmas holidays, knowing that this is one of the most beloved attractions among the local population during the season. A good way to move from one point to another of the city the day you decide to visit these nativity scenes is with the Hop on Hop off buses of Mallorca, as they also offer you accompaniment in the audio guide of the bus that will help you understand many historical details of the capital of this beautiful island.

Right in Mallorca farmers and local producers reinvent themselves during the season and leave the Christmas style and aesthetics as the real protagonists of the events they traditionally use to sell their handmade products. So by visiting some of them you will have access to the best elements of the local gastronomy, but now under the Christmas identity that you are so interested in experiencing.

In Palma de Mallorca you will find several Christmas markets every weekend of the season, leaving those in Plaça de Cort and Plaça del Mercat as one of the best known and most central of the whole city. However, other towns on the island will also have these picturesque events throughout the season and therefore it is a good idea that you venture to know them.

For example, the one in Puerto Portals without going too far from the capital is one of the best on the island for its combination of German aesthetics with the best of the Mediterranean Christmas traditions. As well as those held in Alcúdia in the far north of the island can be the perfect excuse for a short, but entertaining road trip out of Palma de Mallorca.

Keep in mind that touring several points of the island in a private car is one of the best things to see or do in Mallorca in winter, as you will always have accommodation available in the town you decide to spend the night in due to the low tourist influx of the season.

The Town Hall of Palma de Mallorca is a building that would be worth visiting at any time of the year for its privileged location, for its beautiful and typical Majorcan architecture and for its historical and cultural importance for this community. However, Christmas becomes an even more special time to visit it, as every year a corner is set up to receive the loads that the children of the island wish to send to Los Reyes Magos with their list of gifts.

This can be a good activity if you are spending the holidays on the island and want to make your child feel that there is no risk of the kings not knowing where to take the gifts while they are still in Mallorca. In fact, it's a good idea to start the day if you have one of those little day trips planned in Mallorca with kids, as it prepares them to have a good attitude from the early hours of the morning.

Keep in mind that the mailbox set up at the town hall is also available for those children who choose to believe that Santa Claus is in charge of the gift delivery on December 25, instead of January 6. The truth is that no matter what you believe in your family, when you visit this place you find a corner decorated under the best of Christmas aesthetics and this can be very special and convincing for the little ones in the house.

The Canto de la Sibila is one of the most important traditions of all Spanish culture and specifically takes place in Mallorca during Christmas. It is a liturgical drama that has a medieval origin and has to do with the final judgment in the Christian imaginary just before the arrival of the son of God in the human condition. Mallorca is one of the only two places in the world that has a continuous celebration of this tradition from the Middle Ages of the Chant to the present times. For this reason it is an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity declared by Unesco.

If you wish to experience this important event you can participate in the Midnight Masses that are celebrated on Christmas Eve both in the Cathedral of Mallorca and in the Sanctuary of Lluc. Both are very important centers of worship from an architectural and historical perspective. Although you should keep in mind that the Lluc Sanctuary is a pilgrimage center where you will have to book accommodation if you want to live the full experience of this tradition of Catholicism with medieval origins.

This event is so important that both masses are televised by local and national broadcasters. In fact this is one of the most important points in the itinerary of many travelers who have a 4-day visit to Mallorca, just before Christmas.

Another Christmas tradition that is repeated every year in Palma de Mallorca and that is worth a visit is the concert performed by the city's choir at the Teatro Principal. The musical repertoire consists of a mix of traditional Spanish songs, other strictly Christmas pieces and every year the choir performs its own version of the Song of the Sibyl. Which makes this plan even more interesting if you do not have the opportunity to go to the Misa de Gallo to enjoy the other event.

The date changes every year and on some occasions two consecutive performances have been offered during the same weekend. The truth is that the most common is that it falls on the Friday and Saturday before December 24. Talking about ticket prices is something incalculable, because every year they change and it all depends on the seat chosen and the number of local choirs that are invited to the concert.

However, what I can emphasize is the fact that this is an elegant event that requires a certain level of decorum in the dress of its attendees. Therefore, I advise you to attend only if you have an evening gown in your luggage or at least if you have clothes that make you look appropriate for a night with these characteristics.

The Spanish Village of Mallorca is a rather curious space, as it is a replica of a typical rural village of the Iberian Peninsula that receives visitors throughout the year and in which all kinds of events are held. Christmas time stands out as an excellent time to go to this place due to the fact that during the whole month there is a cultural agenda that seeks to promote the experience of an Iberian Christmas. That among the significant amount of foreign tourists that come to this small theme park.

Para ti can be highlighted as an interesting place due to the fact that very peculiar handicraft markets are held every weekend since the beginning of the Christmas season. The truth is that it is not an expensive or complicated activity, as it would occupy half of your morning or afternoon and the usual admission costs about 10 euros per adult and about 5 euros per minor throughout the Christmas season.

For many locals it is one of the best activities to do in Mallorca throughout the year. But the truth is that its relevance increases during the Christmas season due to the low tourist influx compared to the summer and the decorations that are developed all over the place to set the atmosphere of these weekend markets that I have mentioned.

The simple and free activities are also worth visiting when spending Christmas in Mallorca and that is why I can not stop advising you to dedicate one of your nights on the island to visit the areas that year after year are decorated with allegorical illuminations by the City Council of La Palma. The Plaza de España is one of the most beautiful squares in the island's capital and its commercial offer can make a quick visit to admire the Christmas decorations a good decision for your spirit and also for your appetite.

La Rambla street is another of the cultural epicenters of the city and many of the best things to see or do in Mallorca at night are directly connected to the locals in the area. The street in its entirety is also lit up with beautiful Christmas decorations and so it's another good plan if you're looking to marvel at the reconstruction of urban beauty that takes place during the end-of-year festivities.

One of the first stores created for the lifestyle in Mallorca was Rialto Living and today it has established itself as a true institution when it comes to elegance. It is located very close to Paseo del Borne.

The same history of local progress and the care for aesthetics that has characterized the store since its beginnings has turned the experience of shopping for Christmas decorations in this store into a true tradition. At least among those who want to have a bit of luxury in their Mallorcan Christmas.

You have to keep in mind that Rialto Living is located in an expensive and quite famous shopping area of Palma de Mallorca. So it is a good idea to visit it just to admire the beauty of their holiday merchandise and not to have such high expectations of getting something at a great price. You are unlikely to succeed if you feel there are serious budget constraints to join this local tradition.

Balearic gastronomy is one of the most interesting in all of Spain and it really is a priority that you have a Christmas dinner in the best style of the families of this archipelago if you decide to spend the Christmas festivities on the beautiful island of Mallorca. Spun Eggs, battered seafood, stuffed galets which are actually a kind of Christmas soup, turkey together with suckling pig and the famous Mallorcan turrones are just some of the dishes that should be on your table tonight.

On the other hand, it is true that due to your accommodation conditions you do not have the last word on what will be prepared for Christmas dinner because it all depends on the chef of your hotel's restaurant.

That is why it is also a good idea to guarantee yourself the possibility of tasting these dishes by participating in some of the best gastronomic tours in Mallorca. Especially those that take advantage of Christmas to fully focus on the culinary preparations that define the season.