Spain · the Balearic Islands
The trip
We've hopped over to Spain's Balearic Islands at different points across the summer, and they are truly beautiful — stunning beaches, crystal-clear blue water and so much to do. Ibiza gets written off as just a party island, but it quietly has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Mallorca is the largest, and its capital Palma is a gorgeous city in its own right. And Menorca feels calmer and more family-friendly — simply stunning. Our tip for all three: rent a Vespa and drive around. It was by far the easiest way to reach the coves the crowds miss.
Island one
Forget the clichés — beyond the clubs, Ibiza is all dramatic cliffs, hidden calas and some of the clearest water in the Med. We spent our days chasing coves on the Vespa and our evenings chasing the island's legendary sunsets.
📍 Ibiza's south-west coast
The mysterious rock island of Es Vedrà rises straight out of the sea off Ibiza's wild south-west coast, and the clifftop viewpoints looking out to it are pure magic — especially near sunset. It's an easy Vespa ride out, and one of the most beautiful, least "party" corners of the island.
Best at sunsetGo by Vespa
📍 Cala Comte, Cala d'Hort & the west
This is Ibiza's best-kept secret — world-class beaches. The west coast is a string of turquoise calas backed by ochre cliffs, and the water is unreal. Bring water shoes for the rockier coves, go early for space, and snorkel wherever you can — the clarity is incredible. A guided kayak-and-snorkel trip is a lovely way to reach the bits you can't walk to.
Bring water shoesSnorkel the calas
📍 The west coast & out to sea
Ibiza's sunsets are world-famous for a reason. The whole west coast glows, and the best seat in the house is on the water — a sunset boat trip with a swim stop lets you watch the sky change with a drink in hand and the cliffs turning gold behind you.
Sunset on the seaSwim stop includedIsland two
The quiet one — greener, calmer and more family-friendly, with water so clear it barely looks real. Menorca is all unspoiled coves, a wild north coast of red rock and natural arches, and some of the darkest skies in the Med for stargazing.
📍 The calas of the south coast
Menorca's beaches are the stuff of postcards — soft sand and shallow, glassy water in every shade of blue. The south coast holds the dreamiest calas, many reached by a short walk or, best of all, by boat. A south-coast boat excursion lets you hop between coves you'd never reach by land and swim straight off the deck.
Unreal clarityBest seen by boat
📍 The rugged north
The north of the island is rawer and more dramatic — think the Pont d'en Gil natural sea arch and the rust-red rock and sand of coves like Cala Pregonda, which feel almost Martian. It's windier and wilder here, and all the more beautiful for it. Great riding country for the Vespa.
Natural sea archRed-rock coves
📍 Inland & the coastal caves
Menorca has more than sand. Its coast is dotted with hidden sea caves where beams of light pour through the roof, and the interior is a patchwork of green fields, dry-stone walls and quiet lanes. Renting the Vespa let us wander it all — half the fun here is the drive between the coves.
Hidden light cavesLovely to drive
📍 The cliffs & the dark-sky coast
End the day on the west-facing cliffs for a proper Mediterranean sunset, then look up — Menorca is a certified Starlight destination with some of the clearest night skies around. A guided stargazing session on the coast is a magical, unexpected way to spend an evening here.
Dark-sky islandSunset then starsIsland three
The biggest of the Balearics, and the most varied — a beautiful capital city, a soaring mountain range, jaw-dropping turquoise coves and vast sea caves. There's more here than you can fit in one trip.
📍 Palma de Mallorca
Palma is a genuinely beautiful city — a walkable old town of honey-stone lanes, courtyards and tapas, crowned by the enormous seafront Gothic cathedral, La Seu. Its interior (with a Gaudí-designed chapel and one of the world's largest rose windows) is worth the skip-the-line ticket to see the light pour through.
Beautiful old townSee La Seu inside
📍 South-east coast
The tiny Caló des Moro is one of the most photographed beaches in Spain, and in person the colour of the water genuinely stops you in your tracks. It gets busy and the scramble down is steep, so go early. The whole south-east coast is dotted with coves like it — perfect for a day of swimming, kayaking and cliff-jumping into sea caves.
Go early — it's smallSteep path down
📍 The Tramuntana coast & the east
In the north, the pretty harbour town of Port de Sóller sits below the Serra de Tramuntana mountains — reachable by a gorgeous vintage tram and worth it for the setting alone. Over on the east coast, the Caves of Drach (Coves del Drac) are a highlight: a vast underground world of stalactites and one of the largest underground lakes in the world, complete with a little live concert on the water.
Vintage tram townUnderground lake concertSave these
If you only chase a handful of frames across the islands, chase these. Tap through to see them on our feed.
The full roll