The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Spain:
Balearic Islands
For most Europeans, the Balearic Islands represent the height of hedonistic vacationing. Los Baleares are an autonomous Spanish province, and each of the four main islands--Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca, and Menorca--has been gradually replacing Castilian Spanish with the Catalan language that dominated before Franco banned its use. Ibiza is the wildest resort island in the Balearics. Cross-dressers, hippies, the ultra cool, the utterly normal, and everyone else meet on the streets of Ibiza's main town every night. Off Ibiza's southern tip, Formentera is the smallest of them all and has absolutely spectacular beaches and nature trails. Mallorca, the biggest, most-visited, and best-known island, is the home of the capital of the archipelago, Palma. Menorca, the most easterly of the group, is pretty mediocre for nightlife but has a cool countryside and some out-of-the-way beaches. All the islands share the same near-perfect Mediterranean climate--warm, but with relief in the form of lovely sea breezes--and arguably the prettiest beaches in Spain.
Your biggest challenge as a traveler to the Balearic Islands will be the battle to find a place to stay. Rooms are sometimes booked weeks in advance, and even if they're available, you'll have to pay through the nose. The rugged traveler will rent a moped and crash on a deserted beach. Camping in unofficial campsites is forbidden, but in practice few people ever get moved along from obscure beaches. The next-greatest cost will be transportation between islands and to the mainland. The small number of companies conspire to keep prices high, but some flights on Aviaco--Iberia's sister line--from Palma to Ibiza or Palma to Mahón are as much as 900 ptas cheaper than ferry tickets, and flights take only 25 minutes.
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