8 Things to Do in Mallorca in January

Mallorca is one of the favorite destinations in Europe during the summer, but the island has a lot to offer throughout the year, including January, a time when there is less tourism, but the temperatures are equally pleasant.

Festivals, markets, gastronomic routes, shopping and much more. Who said that winter in Mallorca was boring? Check out the best things to do on the island to start the year.

On a visit to Palma de Mallorca you cannot miss a stop at the Cathedral. La Seu is an icon of the city and also during the month of January you can enjoy it. Those who travel during the Christmas vacations can attend the various special masses that are celebrated there.

This emblematic building of Palma de Mallorca dates back to the 14th century, is Gothic in style and is one of the tallest structures of this style in Europe. The windows (there are a total of 61) are one of the most spectacular parts of this Cathedral. The central rose window is worth mentioning, as it takes advantage of the sunlight. I recommend you to book a ticket for the Cathedral of Mallorca to delve into each of its details.

The visit to La Seu begins with its museum, where you can see some relics, as well as learn more about the history of this emblematic building, how it has changed over time and the importance it has in Mallorca.

Another ideal plan if you are visiting Mallorca in January is to visit the Bellver Castle. This castle currently houses the history museum of the city. The circular building is an interesting fortification, unusual in its type, which makes it worth a visit.

Not only the building, with its rooms that tell us more about the history of Palma, are interesting. From this castle we have some of the best views of the city. This castle was built 112 meters above sea level, so we can enjoy the Mallorcan capital from it.

To enjoy its views it is best to come on a sunny day, luckily, January in Mallorca has many sunny days, so do not hesitate and book your ticket to Bellver Castle as soon as possible.

An ideal proposal in January if you wake up on a day when the weather plays a trick on you is to visit the Aquarium of Palma. There you will discover a whole underwater world that will surprise you, you will see eight different habitats and admire numerous marine species such as sharks, turtles and corals.

I recommend that you book your ticket for the Aquarium of Palma in advance so you do not have to wait in line at the ticket office and you can access directly.

And if you want to live the experience to the fullest, buy tickets for a 3D movie in the Aquadome, where you will learn all about humpback whales.

The winter sales start at the beginning of January in Mallorca and last throughout the month. The sales are available on all kinds of products such as clothes, accessories and also decoration.

Other options to buy the best proposals are:

• Mallorca Fashion Outlet shopping center, located just 15 minutes from Palma de Mallorca. It is open every day of the week
• Fan Mallorca and Porto Pi Center are two other popular outlets to consider.
• Of course, you can also stroll around Palma, discover its shop windows and find the best sales in the month of January. The streets Sant Miquel, Jaime Tercero and Sindicato are the best known in Palma. There you will find many stores with great discounts.
• If you like street markets, you have an appointment in the village of Consell. Every Sunday morning there is a flea market with hundreds of stalls with a huge variety of second hand products, antiques and Mallorcan handicrafts available. If you want to find the best products we recommend you to go early. There are fewer people and you will be able to see all the stalls at your leisure. It starts at 9 o'clock in the morning, so you will have to get up a little early.

Mallorca offers a wide variety of museums and galleries, a good option to turn to if you face one of the few rainy days in January. There are several museums that cannot be missing in your list:

• Es Baluard: Located in Palma de Mallorca, it is possibly the most outstanding or important. This museum of modern art has a wide collection with works by Picasso, Calatrava or Miquel Barceló. Throughout the year temporary exhibitions are organized. The entrance fee is 6 €, but if you go on a Friday you can give whatever you want.
• The Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation is another obligatory stop on your visit to Mallorca in January.
• For sports lovers, you can also visit the Nadal Museum, and learn more about his career or his academy.
• Joan Miró is a name closely associated with the island and in this museum there are more than 6,000 pieces available, a large part of them on display. The collection consists of paintings, sculptures, drawings, sketches and documents. In addition, Joan Miró's studio can be visited. It has hardly been modified since the painter's death and so you can see the way he worked. During the month of January it is open from Tuesday to Saturday, you can check its opening hours here.
• The Juan March Foundation is another interesting museum to visit. Its permanent collection has works by renowned artists such as Miró, Dalí or Juan Gris. In addition, it organizes various exhibitions of different styles and artistic movements, so there is always something new to enjoy. You can also opt for a guided tour in this museum.

Mallorca is an ideal destination for wine lovers. Something that many do not know is that there are 70 wineries spread across the island, so you have a good variety of local wines to discover during your visit. This is a route sponsored by the Binissalem appellation of origin.

There is a list of wineries that are part of this Mallorca wine route (14 in total), as well as a list with the route you can follow during your visit. Also if you want to know more about the different wines that Mallorca has to offer, or the villages in which these various wineries are located.

Besides wine, Mallorca is a paradise for lovers of good food. There are many ways to enjoy the best food on the island. From restaurants that cook the best food on the island to its markets and delicatessen stores. There are gastronomic tours available that allow you to discover the traditional cuisine of Mallorca. In some of them you can even cook for yourself, or you can get the best ingredients directly from the island's farmers.

You even have boat excursions to enjoy food, with local and traditional Mallorcan products available.

January is an ideal month for hiking on the island of Mallorca. The weather is pleasant, relatively dry and with temperatures that can exceed 15ºC on many days. The low number of tourists will allow you to complete many of these routes in comfort. There is a varied program available, with several clubs offering routes around the island. Also for those interested in Nordic Walking, increasingly popular in Mallorca, there are routes designed specifically for this modality.

In addition, the recently inaugurated Via Verde (from Manacor to Artà) has become a popular hiking route and is a good way to see the island. It is a 29 km route, which those who hike regularly will have no problem.

Take your hiking boots out of the closet and discover the island like the locals. Bring warm clothes (it can be quite windy in some areas), a backpack with enough water, sunglasses and you have everything you need to enjoy your day of hiking on the island.

If Mallorca stands out for something, it is for its festivities. Both Palma de Mallorca and many towns on the island have fairs and markets during the month of January, where you can discover local products, food and crafts. Here are the main proposals that you can enjoy during the month of January:

The feast of Sant Antoni

The feast of Sant Antoni (Saint Anthony) is celebrated on the night of January 16th to 17th and is a must for all those who visit the island of Mallorca. Many villages on the island have fiestas, processions or markets on the occasion of Sant Antoni's day, so there is plenty to do on these dates.

In the villages there are bonfires located in various places. People dress up as devils and dance and sing around the fire all night long. Villages such as Arta, Sa Pobla or Manacor host the most spectacular celebrations on this day. You can enjoy the spectacle of fire and devils in the town square.

Sant Sebastià: The festivities of the patron saint of Palma

Sant Sebastià is the patron saint of Palma de Mallorca and is celebrated on January 20, with events in the days before and after. Concerts of all kinds are organized, with options for all audiences. The day before Sant Sebastià the city starts the big party: the cabezudos invade the streets of Palma and the big bonfire is lit in the Plaza Mayor. After several days of concerts and activities, the climax comes with the celebration of the traditional correfoc.

The correfoc, which can be translated as fire races, is a festival in which people parade through the streets dressed as demons and spitting fire. They dance to the beat of their drums and set off fireworks. Those who dare can run into the tunnels of fire with long sleeves and hoods to protect themselves from possible burns.

This festival is considered the most dangerous and feared in Palma de Mallorca, but it is a must-see if you are in January in Mallorca. You will experience first hand one of the most important traditions of the island. If you are up for it, here you can get an idea of what this festival is like.

Barbecue in a big way: Festes de Sant Julià

Another outstanding festival in the second half of January in Mallorca is the Festes de Sant Julià, held in the town of Campos, in the southwest of the island. It is a religious festivity celebrated in honor of the patron saint of Campos and a mass is organized in the village church. But the highlight takes place afterwards, as a huge barbecue is organized in the center of the village.

This barbecue is a good opportunity to enjoy all kinds of meats and products of the area, in addition to being able to meet the people of the village and its surroundings. A tradition that is still alive in the village and that you should not miss if you travel in January.

Fiesta del Quarteró: celebrating the end of the harvest

This is a festival held on the last Sunday of January, although for many years it was not celebrated. Fortunately, about 20 years ago it began to be celebrated again and is another interesting festival and tradition typical of the island. It is celebrated in the town of Bunyola to commemorate the end of the harvest.

Its name refers to the measure of wine that the workers received at the end of the harvest. A traditional lunch is organized, a good opportunity to taste local specialties, accompanied by dancing and music. There are also cultural activities and a route available showing the village and its highlights.

The number of tourists on the island is much lower in January compared to the summer season. Especially during the last two weeks of the month, once the Christmas vacations are over, the number of tourists is usually quite low. You will be able to visit the island free of crowds and crowds. Moreover, this allows you to discover the most authentic side of Mallorca.

The fact that there are fewer tourists is noticeable in the prices. January is generally an affordable month in Mallorca. Many airlines offer special prices to fly to Mallorca during this month, so you can save money. Also hotels or other accommodations, such as apartments, have lower prices in this month. It is low season, so there is a lot to choose from and prices are much friendlier than in summer.

January is the coldest month of the year in Majorca, but it is a relatively dry month. Temperatures reach an average of 15ºC during the day, a pleasant temperature for outdoor activities such as hiking or strolling around the city and villages. They rarely drop below 11ºC, another aspect that helps to make outdoor activities in January in Mallorca so pleasant.

On the hottest days you can even go for a dip in the water. The water temperature drops significantly in January, but on those warmer days you can get your feet wet and the braver ones can take a dip. Of course, it should be on those days when the temperature exceeds 18ºC, which happens on some occasions.

There are about eight days of rain on average in January, a month with little rainfall for the island. It may rain one day during your visit, but it won't be too much and the next day the sun will most likely shine again.

As I mentioned before, Mallorca has a quite dry and pleasant climate in January, as we have just mentioned. If you want to visit the island in this month, you will not have to worry too much about excessively low temperatures. With an average of 15ºC during the day, spring clothes are perfect for your stay on the island.

Several long pants, thin jackets or sweaters (if you are one of those who are quite cold, some a bit fatter), some shirts and a jacket that resists rain (if you find yourself in one of those eight rainy days in the month). If you are going hiking, appropriate footwear is a must.

In January you can also bring a pair of shorts if you want, there are days when it reaches a pleasant 18ºC on the island, so it feels like spring has just begun.