Top places to see in Mallorca

Just off the coast road 5km south of Port d'Alcudia in the north west of Mallorca, the S'Albufera wetlands make a welcome relief from long stretches of crowded beach.

The Llevant Peninsula is found on the north east of Mallorca. This hilly terrain could almost pass for the Scottish highlands (on a good day!), with its covering of heathers and shrubs at the higher altitudes.

The Cabrera Archipelago is a maritime-terrestrial national park which lies 10km off the south east coast of Mallorca.

This 200-hectare nature reserve on a headland jutting out from the east coast of Mallorca is an oasis of peace amid a desert of high rise apartments and hotels.

This uninhabited island off Mallorca's western tip was the focus for a turning point in Mallorcan history in 1977, when it was occupied by environmentalists protesting against a planned tourist development. The campaigners won, the island became a nature reserve instead, the seabirds survived, and for the first time the authorities realised that mass tourism had reached its limit.

S'Albufereta de Pollensa is a wetland nature reserve in the north of the island, however, it is largely private property.  Visitors can drive along the main road from Pollenca to Alcudia to view the habitats.

A royal palace has stood on this site next to Palma's cathedral since the Muslim walis (governors) built their alcazar soon after the Arab conquest.

Situated within the Son Real public estate, the necropolis is still an active archaeological site. Acquired by the Balearic Islands Government in 2002 with the aim of preserving its natural and ethnological wealth and, in particular, the archaeological sites.

A well-preserved 14th-century royal fortress with fragrant pine woods, an interesting museum and superb views over Palma Bay.

Santueri Castle sits on top of a rocky outcrop some 475 metres above sea level. It is a stunning, well preserved castle with remarkable views of the south east of Mallorca and the Cabrera Islands on a clear day. The present walls date from the 14th century but a fortification has existed here since Roman times.

If you drive around the coast of Mallorca, you will find ancient towers or 'torres' that were used to guard the island against invasions by unwelcome visitors.

Pollentia was founded by the consul Qintus Caecilius Metellus in 123 BC in the strategic location between the bays of Pollenca and Alcudia. It was the most important city in the Balearics duing the Roman period and covered an area of 15-20 hectares.

Mallorca's most sacred site - a former monastery in a spectacular setting in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains to the north west of Mallorca.

This old hermitage, 509m above sea level at the highest point of the Serra de Llevant near the town of Felanitx, was the senior house of Mallorca's monastic order and the last to lose its monks in 1992.

The facade of this 13th-century church in Palma (remodelled after it was struck by lightning in the 17th century) is typically Mallorcan - a massive, forbidding sandstone wall with a delicately carved postal and a rose window at the centre.

Visit the monastery at Valldemossa, where Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838-9. The Real Cartuja (Royal Carthusian Monastery) was originally a royal residence, until Carthusian monks occupied the building from 1399 until 1835.

The Ermita de Betlem was founded in 1805 by the monks of Saint Honoratus, Randa and the Holy Trinity of Valldemossa. The church has a solar clock and a rose window, and lies at the end of a cypress tree-lined driveway.

The construction of the church began at the end of the 19th century. It was overseen by priest Rubí and the builder Gaspar Bennàssar, who directed the works and built the bell-tower, the highest building in town known as Torre Rubí.

The Caves of Campanet are situated in the north of Mallorca in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains. The caves cover a surface area of approximately 3,200 square metres at a depth of 50 metres

Do not believe anyone who tells you that they have discovered the perfect unspoilt cove on the west coast - unless of course the name is Sa Calobra. This is indeed a beautiful spot, which is why tour buses pour in by the dozen every day, even in winter.

Dark and cool, these limestone caves on the edge of Porto Cristo have become one of Mallorca's top tourist sights. Groups walk along 1200m of smooth paths exploring the magnificent stalactite formations within. 

You cannot miss these caves as you drive from Manacor to Porto Cristo. Most people only want to visit one set of caves during their time on Mallorca and the giant billboards and flags at the entrance are an attempt to ensure that this is the one. In fact you are better off continuing to the 'Cuevas del Drach' or up the coast to the 'Coves d'Arta'.

This wild peninsula on Mallorca's northeast tip has stunning views, sandy beaches and the island's original luxury hotel. The 20-km drive from Port de Pollenca to Mallorca's most northerly point has scenery as dramatic as anyone could wish for. Cliffs 400 metres tall jut into the sea, their weird rock formations attracting nesting seabirds, while pine trees seem to grow out of the rocks.

These caves near Arta, in the north-east of Mallorca, are a fascinating network of underground caverns whose weird stalactites and stalagmites conjure up mysterious images of Heaven and Hell. An early visitor was Jules Verne, the caves are said to have inspired his Journey to the Centre of the Earth.