Baleares islands, hit or miss?
 

Myself and an associate are going to Barcelona, Spain in June, and have a couple of extra days on the end of our trip. I was thinking of taking a ferry to the Baleares islands, and spending our time there. Does anyone have an island/ hotel suggestion for us? and is this the best use of our time? (with Barcelona being "home base") also, do you have any "must see/do " things while we are there?<BR>Thanks in advance! sara<BR>

If you are based in Barcelona, taking a side-trip to the Balearics hardly seems worth while. People go to Balearics mainly for sand and sea, mountain scenery on Mallorca and exclusive resorts like Formentera, and disco/club scene on Ibiza. There are no specific historical sites worth a special journey. Costa Brava north of Barcelona offers all of this and more. I suggest Sitges (actually to the south on Costa Daurada) for some good beach and nightlife, and Tossa de Mar, Pals and Cadaques for scenery/history, perhaps visiting Dali museum in Figueres en route. Girona is also pleasant and a lot quieter than Barcelona, as are some fine Romanesque towns like Besalu and Banyoles. A rental car, cheap and easy to arrange, is probably the best way to tour Catalunya.

Hi Alec,<BR><BR>thanks so much for the advice, we are looking into your suggestions right now, and will let you know how it turns out. By the way... do you have any great hotel recommendations for us?<BR>sara

Try Grand Hotel Reymar in Tossa de Mar. A good four-star on a small beach, with fabulous sea views. It's a Best Western hotel. http://www.ghreymar.com/<BR>Or a more expensive option is Aigua Blava near Bagur, a privately-owned hotel with style and service (better than the modern parador of the same name). http://www.aiguablava.com/

Sara - if you do still want to go to Mallorca, take a plane instead of the ferry - much faster and about the same price. We flew round trip from Barcelona to Palma for less than $100 apiece. We stayed at the Marriott in Llucmajor which is a true five star hotel/resort for about $125 per night. Its not on the beach but only a very short ride to Palma de Mallorca beaches. If you are going in early June, all the college students won't be there yet causing the craziness that some people don't want.

If you are going to be in Barcelona, i would head up to one of Mallorca's pretty mountain villages on the north west coast - deia or fornalutx. If you want ideas for small charming hotels have a look at our detailed reviews on http://www.i-escape.com

Thanks so much to everyone who pitched in! we are more excited than ever... we will definately let you know how the trip goes!<BR><BR>sara