Things To Do in Magaluf

Fish lovers should head straight for Pardos. At this family-run restaurant, the manager invites you to pick out your own lobster, which is then grilled and drizzled in butter, or added to a paella. If you order the paella, expect a 30-minute wait, as it’s made on the spot, the authentic way.

This beach-side cocktail institution is famed for its 24 varieties of frozen daiquiris. They’re made from pure fruit juice and are guaranteed to cool you down in the afternoon sunshine. The bar recently added a Smoothie Bar on its top deck. Its summer beach party for the 4th of July is the stuff of local legend.

Magaluf is a major hub for watersports, so whether it’s water-skiing, donut rings or even parasailing you want to try, you can find them all here. If it’s life in the slow lane you’re after, take a pedalo out to Lizard Island, 800 metres from the shore.

Magaluf and its next-door neighbour Palma Nova are practically joined at the hip – there’s just a rocky headland separating the two. It means you can walk along the prom to Palma Nova Beach – which itself is split into three sections – whenever you fancy a break from the all-action sands of Magaluf.

This four-month-long bash takes over the Mallorca Rocks hotel every year, with names like Tinie Tempah and Biffy Clyro pulling in the punters in previous years.

Pull on some comfy shoes and take a walk along the promenade – it goes all the way from one end of Magaluf Beach to the other end of Palma Nova. The quietest spot is the marina right at the end. You’ll find seafood restaurants serving up the day’s catch, and you can indulge in a bit of yacht-spotting for afters.

Punta Ballena is the neon-lit strip where Magaluf lets its hair down. It bustles with karaoke bars, pubs, bars and nightclubs that have all musical bases covered, from dance to indie. Europe’s largest superclub, BCM, is at the far end where international DJs like Tiesto, Calvin Harris and Example regularly play out to huge crowds.

If the shops are your second home, Palma will be right up your street. Avinguda Jaume III is the place to head if you’re here to splurge – Cartier and Loewe call this place home. Passeig des Born is a similar story, with high street names like H&M mixed in with the high-end stuff. And the car-free streets around Plaza Mayor are your best bet for little independent shops.

Majorca’s capital shares a taste for the high life with Saint-Tropez and Cannes. Upmarket boutiques and department stores line the length of Avenida Jaime III, while cocktail bars sit in grand old buildings. And if you’re hunting for items you won't find anywhere else, the pedestrianised back streets have a cornucopia of little shops selling shoes, jewellery and the like.

Foam parties. Laser shows. Long drinks menus. When it comes to nights out, Magaluf isn’t one for shrinking violets, and the hub of the action is BCM square. Head straight for the superclub’s main venue or scope out the bars and huge open-air drinking terrace. Then make your way down Magaluf’s bar-filled strip.

This traditional Spanish restaurant is famed for its signature ‘spicy snails’. It’s not all blow-your-head-off hot, though – the lamb provencale gets the thumbs-up from diners with more refined palettes.

Some of the best meals to be had in Magaluf are served right on the beach. Here, you’ll find a cluster of eateries fringed with palm trees, which serve up international cuisine and cocktails. Certain restaurants double up as beach clubs, so you can move to the bar after dinner and stay all night.