Tips for the Trip
Best Routes
The picture above shows where the eclipse will and will not be visible from.
With so many people possible wanting to do different things I am trying a new format. Each day has a choice of things to do. Anything on one day can be swapped to another day with the exception of the eclipse on Wednesday August 12th. The things Debbie and I will do are highlighted in Red. People are free to join us or go your own way(Fleetwood Mac). If you decide to join us seeing a castle or cathedral let me know so I can get tickets for you also.
Morning suggestion: When you wake up, turn on Location Sharing in the Mallorca WhatsApp group. It auto‑turns off after 8 hours. This keeps the group connected without anyone having to text “Where are you?”
Our rhythm: Debbie and I are up early having coffee at 6:00. Join us only if you want to. We like early starts, but nobody else has to.
Group vibe: Share what you’re doing on WhatsApp — photos, updates, whatever. It keeps the energy fun and helps people link up naturally without planning.
Day 1: Saturday, August 8 — Arrival + Welcome
✅ Arrive in Palma in the afternoon. People will be arriving at 1:20, 2:20 and 3:30.
✅. As people arrive, go to El Peñón about 15 minutes from the airport at this location . ITS ON THE BEACH. Take a taxi or drive your rental car there. Whoever gets there first, Share your Location in the WhatsApp group so the rest of us can find you . We’ll hang at the beach until our 5:30 PM check-in. It has food, shade, water, bathrooms, and a place to relax. We’ll all leave from there and go to the Airbnb. Check in is at 5:30. WE WILL NEED TO STOP AND GET JUST BREAKFAST SUPPLIES BEFORE WE GO TO THE HOUSE.
✅ supper at La Dolores Palma at 7:30 a 5 minute walk from the house
💤 Do Nothing: Lounge on the terrace and enjoy the evening
🗓️ Day 2: Sunday, August 9
✅ Ride: Bike along Palma’s seafront to Portixol (flat & scenic)
? tiill 8:00 AM: morning walk or bike ride
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM: Breakfast at the villa for late risers
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM: Shop at Eroski supermarket (Doors open at 9:00).
10:15 AM – 10:45 AM: Drive back to villa and unpack the groceries.
10:45 AM – 12:30 PM: rest at the villa.
12:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Palma museum and markets
3:00 PM – Back to the house? Stay in town?
CHANGE OF PLANS. DEBBIE AND I WII NOT BE DOING THE CHOPIN FESTIVAL. WE ARE STAYING AT THE HOUSE AND GRILLING SOMETHING THEN LAYING BY THE POOL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO GO I CAN GET TICKETS FOR THEM.
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• The Venue: The Cloister of the Charterhouse (Cartoixa de Valldemossa).
• Daily “Mini-Concerts”: If we can’t make the late-night Sunday show, the monastery also hosts short 15-minute piano recitals throughout the day (usually on the hour from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM).
✅ Or go to a Beach: Cala Tuent for a dip or lounge or Top ten things to do in Palma
💤 Do Nothing: Read or chat on the terrace
🗓️ Day 3: Monday, August 10 — Palma Cathedral
✅ 1. Visit Mercat de l’Olivar or Mercat de Santa Catalina or local bakery
✅ 2. Visit a beach Cala de Trencor
🚲 Gentle ride along the marina at sunset
✅ 3. We have 10 tickets for 9:45 am Visit Palma Cathedral
1.
- 10 Cathedral admissions
- 10 audio guides
- 10 Terrace visit entries
- All for August 10, 2026 at 9:45 AM
“Entrada Catedral: 10-08-2026 – 9:45:00
Visita Terrazas: 10-08-2026 – 10:00:00”
⭐ 2. Where to go
enter through the Portal del Mirador — the sea‑side entrance.
“Access to the visit is through the entrance of the Portal del Mirador (sea side).”
This is the correct door for Terrace visits.
⭐ 3. What to show
show the QR codes on tickets.
“Before the visit start show and validate your… reservation.”
show them on phone or printed — either works.
⭐ 4. Audio guide pickup
pick up the audio guides inside, at the audio guide desk.
“Pick up the multimedia audio guide by showing QR codes at the audio guide desk.”
Everyone gets one.
⭐ 5. Timing rules (important)
The Cathedral is strict about punctuality.
“The visits will start punctually… Once this start time limit has passed, access… will no longer be allowed.”
- Arrive at 9:45 AM
- Be at the Terrace Meeting Point by 9:55 AM
The Meeting Point is inside at Portal de la Almoina.
⭐ 6. Physical requirements
Terrace visit = 200+ steps.
“Due to the characteristics and difficulty of the route (+ 200 steps)… access is limited to people who do not have cardiorespiratory diseases, vertigo, claustrophobia or reduced mobility.”
⭐ 7. Dress code & restrictions
- No hats
- No bulky backpacks
- No food/drink
- No smoking/vaping
- No tripods
- Respectful dress (it’s a religious site)
⭐ 8. Refunds / changes
ticket is non‑refundable and cannot be changed.
⭐ 9. Summary — August 10
Arrive at Cathedral Portal del Mirador (sea side) at 9:45 AM
Show QR codes
Pick up audio guides
Go to Portal de la Almoina Meeting Point
Terrace tour begins exactly at 10:00 AM
Tour lasts about 1 hour
🗓️ Day 4: Tuesday, August 11 — The Sea
Today is a flexible sea day. Change of plans we will NOT attempt Cala Varques, we will go to Cala Anguila or Cala Romàntica. No stress, no circling,no 30 minute hike.
✅ 1. Breakfast at the house early. Pack a picnic lunch then head out early at 6:00. PARKING IS LIMITED ) After talking it over with Debbie Cala Varques is not for us. There are no facilities there. NONE!! and it is a 30 minute hike. Cala Anguila is on the other side of the island. See the map at the top of the page. it’s about 1 hour away by car. GREAT SNORKELING. Plan on several hours here. FACILITIES AND WE CAN RENT UMBRELLAS. I suggest 3 hours here then 30 minute drive to Arta where there is a produce market. Grab fruit and quick lunch then back to the house by early afternoon.
✅ 2. We should have time to explore this little town or additional areas of Palma or go through other towns in the area in the afternoon
✅ 3. Go to another beach (Cala Pi or Cala Lombard’s) there are 208 to choose from
💤 Do Nothing: Lazy afternoon at the house or pool
🗓️ Day 5: Wednesday, August 12 — Eclipse Night 🌒
The eclipse is at 8:30 PM just before sundown and will last about 94 seconds. Sundown is at 8:38 PM
The sun will be only 2 degrees above the horizon. That’s just 2 finger widths tall if held at arms length.
Mallorcan authorities are warning of traffic problems starting as early as noon in some areas. They are warning of a traffic collapse on coastal roads with some being closed at 4:00 pm eclipse day Parking will be a difficult in Palma this day..
We do an early light supper (Restaurant Pesquero)at 4:30 close to the harbour. Then it’s just a 5 minute walk to the catamaran which boards at 6:45.
✅ 1. The catamaran cruise leaves out of Palma 3 miles away. I know some people get motion sickness but the catamaran is very stable and the speed is less than 10mph. Boarding at 6:45
Eclipse Night – August 12
What to wear – 90° at 4:30 PM; the restaurant is a fairly nice upscale place. During the eclipse it will drop ~20°. Walk/ride home likely mid-70s. It gets cold on the water at night: long pants & windbreaker. Maybe have a small bag with additional clothing
Catamaran confirmed – 3.5 hours, 6:45 PM departure, La Lonja Marina, Address is Muelle de la Lonja.
Totality at 8:31 PM – 94 seconds.
Solar glasses – everyone get a pair; I have extras available for the catamaran crew.
Should we assign Photography assignments? – who shoots what? It wouldn’t be fair to have people taking pictures and not enjoying the eclipse. We should be enjoying this, not focused on cuddling with the cameras. Debbie and Judy have already pointed this out to me.
Restaurant Pesquero dinner at 4:30 PM – be there. Hard departure from the restaurant for the boat at 6:30 PM. Boat dock is 200 meters away. Address is Muelle de la Lonja, Palma
Join us or Fleetwood Mac. There is no right or wrong way.
There are several ways to get to the Harbor from our Airbnb
1. A 3 mile walk on a protected path along the ocean (45 minutes ) and we have to walk back. Maybe taxi on the way back? The path is protected and we can take it easy doing 1/2 mile at a time with breaks in between. I had an additional thought. What if we drive halfway and park at one of the parking garages not all the way into Palma, but about a mile out. Thoughts suggestions?
2 Bicycle (15 minutes) quick to get there but riding at night to get back
3 Call for a taxi along with everyone else in the world (easy but risky)
4 Try to drive and park yourself (not recommended)
Something listed below for for the morning the day of the eclipse We should plan to be back at the house by noon.
✅ 2 . This section is out of order. This is a choice that Debbie and I will be doing in the morning and then return it back to the Airbnb by noon. Bike to bottom of hill then walk to Castell de Bellver (~2 miles one way) do it at 8:00 AM to beat the heat of the day. Also the garden Palau de Marivent in the same area
3. Do nothing, lazy by the pool read a book
4. Go to another beach. Not recommended due to potential crowds.
🌊 The Catamaran Creates a Once‑in‑a‑Lifetime Eclipse Experience
Our Catamaran cruise is Luxury Catamaran Sailing and the cost is $120 per person. We can cancel with no penalty.
The Circle of Twilight
A normal sunset belongs to the west alone.
But during totality, sunset surrounds you.As the Moon completes its quiet theft of the Sun, you stand at the center of a vast, invisible circle—the umbra—cast not on land, but across the Earth itself. Above you, daylight collapses into an impossible twilight. And at the edge of the world, in every direction at once, the horizon ignites.
North, south, east, and west all glow with the same burnished amber, copper, and rose, as if the planet were holding its breath in a ring of fire. You are not watching one sunset—you are witnessing thousands at once, their distant light bending inward, arriving together, enclosing you in a perfect halo of dusk.
You are standing in night, while the day remains just beyond reach.
The Shadow on the Sea
This darkness does not drift.
It arrives.The Moon’s shadow is not a cloud, but a blade—an immense cone of night racing across the Earth faster than sound itself. From the open water, where the horizon lies unbroken and infinite, you can see it coming.
At first, the sea ahead loses its sparkle. The blue drains to iron. Then, far off, the surface of the Mediterranean dims as if swallowed whole. The shadow advances not slowly, but decisively, a living thing, consuming light as it runs.
In moments—seconds—the ocean before you vanishes into darkness, and then you are inside it. The world falls silent. The wind falters. The temperature slips. Day is extinguished as though someone has reached out and turned a cosmic dial.
And just as suddenly as it arrived, it will move on—leaving behind the stunned sea, the returning light, and the unshakable knowledge that you have watched the Earth itself be overtaken by the universe.
💤 Do Nothing: Stargaze with cava post-eclipse
🗓️ Day 6: Thursday, August 13 — PATH OF THE ARCHDUKE
. 
Drive to Valldemossa or Deià (30 minute drive) villages in the Tramuntana mountains. Hike the trail of the Archduke, this is strenuous. this is about views not miles. People can do as much or as little as they want. We are set with the permits. ALSO DOING A GARDEN. Many thanks to Judy for finding the Jardín de Alfabia a great place to stop on the way back from the hike
Early start (7:00) because of the heat. We should be done with the hike and garden by 2:00 pm
2. Explore town centers, art shops, or easy trails like Camí de s’Arxiduc (short sections) 3. Visit a beach (Cala Pi or Cala Lombard’s) or Cala de Trenc or Calo des Moro
Optional: Flat bike ride near Palma if mountains feel too steepl
Do Nothing: Sit in a café with a view and do absolutely nothing
🗓️ Day 7: Friday, August 14 — SOLLER TRAIN and farewell dinner
✅ 1. Visit Pere Garau market or local bakery for last-day treats
✅ 2. Hike along ocean path Puig de lauigla on Cap Formenter 3.6 miles gentle grade awesome views. Drive time to get there 1 hour. Then visit the town of Alcudia
✅ 3. Culture: Ride the historic Tren de Sóller + tram to Port de Sóller
✅ 4. Short beach walk or time to relax
Other options
Explore town centers, art shops, easy viewpointsBeach option: Cala Pi / Cala Llombards / Es Trenc / Caló des Moro
Flat bike ride near Palma if mountains feel too steep
✅ Farewell dinner for the whole group. We have reservations at Ola del Mar and we should Plan on group photo.
💤 Do Nothing: Sit in a café with a view and do absolutely nothing
🗓️ Day 8: Saturday, August 15 — Departure Day
✅ 1. Light breakfast & final coffee at the house
✅ 2. Quick tidy-up and packing
✅ 3. Group transfer to Palma Airport (leave 4 hrs before flight)
THIS IS A MAJOR SPANISH HOLIDAY. EXPECT TRAFFIC AND CROWDS
🚲 No biking today
💤 Do Nothing: One last deep breath of Mediterranean air before you go
o