Mallorca

 We booked this time off work last month to do a proper camping trip in Cornwall as we've been told its got the best scenery in Britain and we'd like to get some camping in over here. As the shit June that London's been having wore on it became pretty clear we were going to get rained out so we figured if the sun won't come to us we'll go to the sun.

We booked it all on a whim just a couple days before so there was little time to prepare or anticipate which made it really exciting. Being able to take off like that to anywhere in Europe is just amazing and something I'm sure I'll pine for the rest of my life.

Our only criteria was that it be warm and cheap so out options were wide open. We got a package deal to Port D'Alcudia on Mallorca that was flights, transfers and 4 nights all inclusive for £340 each so we figured why not. All I knew about Mallorca was that it was a Spanish island that's got spots I've seen in a few skate videos and the weather said 32 and sunny. Done.

Neither of us had done all inclusive before but for what we paid our expectations were low and if we ate and drank off site it wasn't the end of the world. The resort was nicer than expected and exceeded the scary reviews we'd read. Though that wasn't a stretch. For a budget and brief holiday it was perfect. Shitty buffet food, free drinks, 7 pools and a bed were all we needed.

The town itself was alright, small and very touristy, but the beach was stunning and stretched for 30km or so around a bay. We spent our first day there lounging in the sun and proving Sainsburys spf15 sunblock was not good enough for our pale skin.

It's difficult for me to go somewhere new and not explore. As much as I love relaxing by a pool or beach I just always have this urge to see more and more. Lucky for me our sunburns meant we wouldn't be lying in the sun all day the second day. We rented a car and set out to find some snorkeling. It was nice to get behind the wheel on the correct side of the road, but I do feel like going back and forth all the time is setting myself up for disaster. We drove through some amazing country side as well as villages with streets barely wide enough for our little VW Polo. I never imagined I'd drive anywhere as busy and chaotic as Central London or tiny Spanish village like Son Servera with streets so narrow both mirrors are nearly touching building. It's pretty surreal.

I fell in love with snorkeling in Hawaii and couldn't wait to get back into some water where I can see further than my hand in front of my face. We ended up in a small town on the south coast called Cala Morlanda which had another great white sand beach, but more importantly a rocky area free of people and full of fish. It wasn't as colorful as Oahu but there was still a great variety of fish and it was so nice to explore the clear warm water. I'd love to have some photos but my bulky $400 everything proof camera crapped out at the first splash.

We headed east from there to a place called Cala Rajada for some more snorkeling. This was a really cool looking town with a more authentic feel and quieter resorts. We found a beautiful little cove at the end of a road with not too many people and some more great snorkeling.

From here we drove north back through Alcudia to the Serra de Tramuntana which is a very unique looking limestone mountain range that stretches the north of the island. The road was an absolute blast to rip through with countless hairpin turns and no traffic. The views were incredible too.

We ended up in Palma, which is the main city on Mallorca. Decided to check out a couple skate spots I'd seen to make use of bringing my board here. It was nice to get back on my board on Spanish ground. Palma had some similarities to Barcelona, open plazas with smooth ground, but it wasn't quite the playground Barcelona was.

We spent our last day pool side taking advantage of the weather, the resorts pools and views and free drinks. Afterwards we wandered to the beach to take in the sunset and have a nice Mallorcan dinner of tapas and paella.

Mallorca wasn't somewhere we'd planned on going but it was absolutely beautiful and the weather was perfect every second we were there. I'm sure Cornwall is lovely and I hope we can still go soon, but this was a hell of a second choice.

-Justin