Mallorca with kids: nature days out and family excursions

Mallorca is one of the easiest islands in Europe to explore with children, because nothing is far. From Palma you can be underground in a cave, on a wooden train in the mountains or on a quiet cove inside a natural park in about an hour. The days that work best combine one proper outing in the morning with a swim and a long lunch afterwards.

Our print guide had a page of family excursions, and we have checked every one of them again. Some have closed or changed hands since, so they are gone from this list. What is left, plus a few public parks we would add today, is below.

What are the best family days out in Mallorca?

Choose by age and by weather. Caves and the train suit every age; the island parks and the boat trips are better from about six, when children can walk for an hour and enjoy the crossing.

Which Mallorca caves are best to visit with children?

The Coves del Drac at Porto Cristo are the cave children talk about afterwards. The walk leads through chambers of stalactites to Lake Martel, one of the largest underground lakes in the world, where you sit on tiered benches in the dark while musicians play a short live concert, a tradition that goes back generations.

Buy tickets on the caves' own website: it is cheaper, you skip the ticket queue and your time slot is guaranteed. The path has steps and can be slippery, so leave the pushchair in the car and bring a baby carrier. Plan around an hour inside, then lunch by the harbour in Porto Cristo.

Is the old Sóller train a good day out with kids?

Yes, it is the classic family day on the island. The Tren de Sóller has run between Palma and Sóller since 1912 in its wooden carriages, climbing through the Serra de Tramuntana and its tunnels before dropping into the orange groves of the Sóller valley. In Sóller, change to the tram for the ride down to the beach at Port de Sóller.

The timetable changes with the seasons (a new one starts on 2 November 2026), and a combined train and tram return ticket is sold, so check the official site the day before. Take the train out in the morning and the bus back if the children are tired. Our Serra de Tramuntana guide has more for the rest of the valley.

If you are staying in Sóller for a week, a few hours of sport break up beach days nicely. Sóller Tennis Club runs tennis and padel classes for children and summer camps, and has a pool.

Mountains, Padel & Pool · Community & Sports

Sóller Tennis Club

Kids' tennis and padel classes, summer camps and a pool below the mountains in Sóller.

See on our guide →

Where can children walk and swim in Mallorca's natural parks?

The two easiest parks for families are Mondragó in the south and s'Albufera in the north. Both are free, both have information centres, and neither asks more than a gentle walk.

Mondragó Natural Park, near Santanyí

Mondragó covers more than 700 hectares of coast near Santanyí and was declared a natural park in 1992. Its four marked routes take 15 to 45 minutes each, which is exactly the right length for children, and two of the prettiest coves on the island sit inside it: Cala Mondragó and the quieter s'Amarador, which has no buildings at all.

There are two paid car parks, at s'Amarador and at Ses Fonts de n'Alis, and recreational areas with toilets, playgrounds and picnic spots. The information centre beside the Ses Fonts de n'Alis car park opens daily from 9:00 to 16:00. Lunch in Santanyí, ten minutes inland, makes it a full day.

S'Albufera Natural Park, in the north

S'Albufera is the largest wetland in the Balearic Islands, about 2,036 hectares of marsh and canals where some 303 bird species have been recorded. Flat paths lead to wooden hides with pictures of the common birds inside, and bikes are allowed on signed routes at up to 10 km/h. Entry is free: collect your visit permit at the Sa Roca information centre when you arrive.

The park opens 9:00 to 18:00 from April to September and 9:00 to 17:00 from October to March. It closes from time to time for work on its paths and hides, as it did in October 2026, so check the park's page before you go. Spring and autumn migration are the most rewarding times.

Can you take children by boat to Cabrera or Sa Dragonera?

Yes, and for children over six it is often the highlight of the holiday. Both islands are protected, both are reached only by sea, and both reward you with water clearer than almost anywhere on Mallorca.

• Cabrera National Park: visitors arrive with authorised passenger boats from Colònia de Sant Jordi, or on their own boat with a permit from the park. Booking ahead is recommended. Many day trips stop for a swim at the Cova Blava, the Blue Cave, and pass below the castle above the harbour, currently closed for safety reasons.
• Sa Dragonera Natural Park: the only landing point is the dock at Cala Lledó, where the information centre is. The quickest and most frequent boats leave from the pier at Sant Elm, usually between March and October. Nothing is sold on the island, so take water, food and sun hats, and allow at least two hours for the shortest walk.

What can you do with kids in Palma on a rainy day?

Palma has enough under cover for a wet day, and the same places work in the heat of an August afternoon.

• Palma Aquarium: the Big Blue tank with its sharks and a tropical seas route with 275 coral species.
• Bellver Castle: the round Gothic castle on the hill above the city, with ramparts to walk and views over the whole bay. More on it in our guide to Mallorca's museums.
• Pueblo Español: an open-air museum in the city with charming lanes, galleries and a museum showing works by Miró, Calder and Saura, plus events for every age through the year.

Iconic Private Venue · Events

Pueblo Español

An open-air museum in Palma with lanes to explore, galleries and works by Miró, Calder and Saura.

See on our guide →

Which farm and animal days out suit younger children?

For toddlers and early school age, the centre of the island has two easy outings within 40 minutes of Palma.

• Els Calderers, near Sant Joan: a historic country estate kept as it was, with its rooms, tools, outbuildings and fields showing how a Mallorcan farm lived. It opens every day; buying in advance is cheaper.
• Natura Parc, Santa Eugènia, about 20 minutes from Palma: an animal park where children can feed lemurs, meet exotic birds and stroke farm animals. It opens Wednesday to Sunday.

How do you plan a family day out in Mallorca?

1. Go early. Caves, boats and the train are calmest before 10am, and the heat from June to September makes the afternoon a time for shade and swimming.
2. Book online where you can: the caves, the train and the island boats all sell out on summer days.
3. Check the official site the day before. Parks close for works, boats stop in wind and timetables change with the season.
4. Pack water, hats and food for the islands and the parks; there is little or nothing to buy once you are in.
5. Pair a morning outing with a market: our weekly markets guide shows which town has one on which day.
6. Pick lunch and the bed carefully. Our restaurant selection and hotels list the places we recommend, and our community and sports clubs cover holiday courses for children.

The best family days on Mallorca are rarely the busiest. A cave in the morning, a cove after lunch and an ice cream on a harbour wall at dusk: that is still the island at its kindest.