Shopping

Long known for its indulgent ways, Mallorca took off as a major tourist destination in the 1960s, when hundreds of high-rise hotels, apartment blocks and shopping centres began to line the coast. Palma de Mallorca is the centre of the shopping scene with sprawling malls, shop-lined streets and daily stalls and markets where tablecloths or leather goods can be scooped up for a song, with a bit of haggling.

The main shopping street in Cala d'Or, Avinguda Tagomago, is a bustling flurry of shops where wonderful display windows have frantic shoppers scouring the chic boutiques, leather shops and galleries. The stretch of shops in Pageura known as El Bulevar features supermarkets, clothing shops and souvenir shops, while the pedestrian promenades on Cala Millor and Magalluf's seafronts are jam-packed with stalls selling buckets and spades and tourist trinkets, and visitors can't help but notice the same goods and tat repeated in various stores, with little variety.

Markets are a great place to shop on the island of Mallorca and the Monday market in Calvia is the place to go for porcelain, jewellery and leather goods, as are the Wednesday markets in Andratx in Palma and Thursday's Inca market, but brush up on your bargaining skills. Near Cala Millor, the Friday markets in Son Servera and Monday markets in Monacor are a great place to find unique goods and fresh produce as well as souvenirs such as espadrilles, embroidery and basketwork. The weekly Sunday market in Pollensa's old town is one of the liveliest and definitely worth a wander for everything from local crafts and olive wood carvings to ceramics and lace.