Guides, Maps & Books
We are often asked about books and maps so we have created this page to help you to find the information that you need. If you wish, you can order safely and directly from Amazon bookshop and have your order delivered to your door - there is no extra cost if you order through our site.
Click on the links below to see the items in each section:-
Guides
Maps (including cycle map)
Walks
Food (including restaurants)
Birdwatching
Other (Climbing, Culture, Folk Tales, Orchids, Art etc!)
The Rough Guide to Mallorca includes comprehensive coverage of all the sights, from Miro's hillside studio to the echoing cloisters of Valldemossa monastery, and from Palma's old town to the remote beach at Cala Tuent. There are detailed descriptions - with route maps - of the favourite walking routes in the Tramuntana mountains and reviews of the best places to eat, drink and sleep to suit all budgets.
The comprehensive introduction (63 pages) covers basics such as health, insurance and post and there is a section called 'Contexts' that details history, flora and fauna and the guide itself is divided into four chapters covering Palma, Southwestern Mallorca, Northern Mallorca and Eastern Mallorca. It's a good book to take if you are going on a city break to Palma.
This is an excellent book - with plenty of detailed information but don't choose this if you are looking for a book that has lots of beautiful photos to inspire you with a few short descriptions!
The 'Time Out' guide is divided by region and also covers Menorca. It is slightly larger than an average paperback.
It also has sections on the history and geography and the best places to eat and drink. It includes information about post and where you can use the internet
There is also a clear map of Palma and a menu decoder in Catalan - both of which we have found really useful. The book is small enough to fit into most bags so you are likely to have it with you when you need it rather than leaving it in the car! It's also got some great photos to inspire you to visit.
If you are interested in reading up on the history or background of the places you are visiting you will need a more in-depth guide but this is a great book for selecting where to go quickly - without reading pages of descriptions about each area.
This guide combines bright, modern design and informative writing with a very practical fold-back-flat spiral binding. A collection of features set the scene in the introductory 'Magazine' section and the "Finding Your Feet" section gives that vital info to get you started.
Mallorca is then split into geographical zones. The must-see sights are covered in depth, together with insider tips to help you make the most of your time and beat the crowds.
Suggested itineraries, walks and tours, super-clear maps, where to take a break and where to shop are detailed for each area. And to make sure you're not disappointed, specialist food and drink writers recommend the best places to eat and drink.
A massively detailed 1:40,000 scale map of the Tramuntana Mountains and the North of Mallorca which includes most of the island’s walking routes. This map is GPS enabled allowing you to use modern GPS, or traditional ‘map & compass’ navigation. All published walking routes are clearly highlighted.
This new 2nd edition was comprehensively surveyed in November/December 2001 and new levels of detail are combined with impressive clarity to produce a truly exceptional map. Thousands of updated features and specifications, and one or two corrections, have been added since the first edition of this popular map. An essential purchase for anyone considering walking in this beautiful region of Mallorca.
A detailed, large-scale map showing extensive tourist and leisure information, places of interest, footpaths and hiking trails together with inset plans for the main towns on the island. Useful road information and classifications with distances, cycle routes together with beaches and water sports are featured along with national parks and nature reserves.
The map is double sided with a useful island map on one side and a large map showing the popular Tramuntana region (north-west) on the other.
The island map is very useful as the roads are very clearly marked and even very small places get a mention on this map - we've not got lost yet! Sites of interest such as viewpoints, churches, museums and sports facilities are also very clear. The map is contoured so it's easy to see whether the road you are taking will be fast and flat or mountainous and beautiful.
The Tramuntana map is a 1:50,000 map showing the names of peaks and valleys and walking routes. It's a great map if you are concentrating on touring this region, especially as viewpoints and footpaths are marked. But if you are wanting to walk in this region you need a more detailed map and guide.
This revised edition includes tourist information and indexes to places of interest and hotels. There is a plan of Palma, Playa del Palma (ie. Can Pastilla and S'Arenal) and West Palma Bay (ie Magaluf, Palma Nova and Cala Major).
It also includes a gazetteer of places of interest and an historical chart.
No details available
The diverse walks included in this book will enable you to discover rural traditions and explore quiet villages. There are coastal walks (with a refreshing dip in the sea), country strolls amid olive groves and more demanding rambles in the mountainous north-west.
Thoroughly researched with bags of background and historic information, the book also offers practical advice for walkers unfamiliar with Mallorcan access rights. Each walk is provided with not just a set of instructions but many pointers to interesting sights.
This guide remains the definitive source of information on walking in Mallorca. The list of walks is unrivaled, and the grading system is useful. It is clear and easy to follow when walking on tracks and paths, but when the trails are not obvious the instructions are not clear - you certainly need another map unless following obvious trails.
That said though, there is an enormous amount of walks covered and background information is good (including timetables for public transport and details of accommodation).
A walking guide to the region around Soller/Puerto Soller in the central part of the Serra de Tramuntana, designed so that the landscapes can be enjoyed. In a series of 19 walking routes,you can explore this area of outstanding natural beauty from sea-level up to the peak of Teix (1062m). Easy road access via the new tunnel means that day trippers can also enjoy a day's walking in these most impressive landscapes.
There are routes to satisfy the majority of visitors, ranging from casual leisure walkers up to energetic hikers.There is plenty of detail provided following a 'book and map' format - every walk is timed along the way, and the maps are quite clear.
Walks: 19 detailed routes totaling 38 hours/124 kilometres. Ascents totaling 4,765 metres, and Descents totaling 4,295 metres. Map: 1:25000 scale Also: Flora, Transport, Walking Safety.
Discover the Costa Calvia and the mountains west of Andraitx, with walks that vary from a gentle stroll finishing in the stylish marina at Puerto Portals, to quite energetic on the "Great Western" where spectacular scenery rewards the effort involved. Every walk finishes at a refreshment stop!
This guide has detailed walk descriptions using 1:25,000 scale maps.
This pocket sized guide concentrates on valley and mountain walks in the Tramuntana mountains above the northwest coast but there are also coastal walks in other areas of Mallorca. The 48 walks are graded and the ascents are listed and the maps accompanying the walks are 1:50,000. The guide also contains 82 colour photographs.
This guide was the one that tempted me - a long term visitor but by no means a walker - to go walking on the island!
This walking guide includes walking maps together with a fold-out map for tours of the island by car. There are many short walks suitable for all ages and abilities and picnic suggestions. It's a suitable guide for hot summer days and for those with young children.
It also contains timetables for public transport.
Scroll down to see the books in this section. If you want further details about a book or would like to place an order, click on the title or picture of the book to go to directly to that book at the Amazon bookshop.
This book lists our favourites although not every region is featured. It's great to look for hotels before you go and for restaurants whilst you are there - as you don't often have the luxury of having the time to discover the best ones by trial and error whilst you are there.
The recipes are great for recreating the best local dishes such as tumbet, coca, or sopas mallorquinas etc. This is combined with wonderful descriptions of the ingredients used and even includes 2 'foodie' tours around Palma so that you can both take advantage of the local markets and cook authentically whilst on holiday and also recreate your favourite dishes when you return home.
No details are available yet.
The book gives some wonderful descriptions of country life in Mallorca based round olive harvesting and making olive oil. It's a wonderful historical insight into a real art form too. There is a section of lovely recipes and a list of restaurants where the "Bread & Oil" of the title can be sampled.
This book explores Catalan cooking, from its French, Roman and Moorish roots to today's modern interpretation looking at the food, wine, history and culture of the region.
The recipes are laid out by main ingredients, rather than as starters, main dishes and so on but there is also an index with the dishes listed as starters etc There with interesting anecdotes about every recipe and also a guide to the pronunciation of the different dishes.
The recipes are always clear and easy to follow, although there are no photos. We loved this book - it's the most comprehensive that we have found - it's great for anyone that loves or just wants to discover Catalan flavours.
Strictly speaking this isn't a book about Mallorcan cookery (which follows the Catalan tradition) but a book about Spanish cookery in general but since you can also eat Spanish food in Mallorca we thought we would include it!
After all, if you want to recreate the dishes you tried whilst you visited, how do you know whether they are Catalan or not? The recipes are detailed and easy to follow and cover tapas to seafood to desserts. There is also some background on the recipes.
The recipes are easy to follow, relatively authentic, and very tasty. It's a great book for anyone who wants to recapture the essence of Spanish food at home but who is more concerned about having everyday recipes that are easy to make rather than those that are strictly authentic. It has many beautiful photographs which makes choosing a recipe much easier and are useful to discover the proper presentation.
You can probably find olives in every restaurant in Mallorca and there are many parts of the island where olives are grown ...... so we have decided to include this book which traces the history and production of the olive and describes different varieties of olives and olive oils.
And we also love olives so we wanted to include a book with recipes for using olives for salads, appetizers, spreads, sauces, vegetable dishes, seafood, meat and baked goods.
No details available
If you are interested in the history and production of olive oil, this book will interest you, though it isn't strictly about Mallorcan olives!
Olive oil has always played an essential culinary role in the Mediterranean, where olives have been cultivated for thousands of years. This book traces its history and provides recipes using this healthy oil.
The first edition of "A Buyer's Guide to Olive Oil" considered olive oil like wine. It contained tasting notes on over 100 extra virgin olive oils. This hard-to-find updated edition contains information on oils from Italy, France, Spain and the New World.
The Directory which forms the main part of the book features over 100 oils, in each case looking at the history of the brand, its founders and its distinguishing taste. There is information on the land that the olives are grown on and how they are picked, together with unique characteristics about the oil-making process.
At-a-glance information is provided on specific growing areas, annual produce, quality and other products available. Recipes are also included.
Scroll down to see the books in this section. If you want further details about a book or would like to place an order, click on the title or picture of the book to go to directly to that book at the Amazon bookshop.
Mallorca is now one of the most popular continental destinations for British birdwatchers. Most people are unaware of the treasures which lie behind the image presented in the tourist brochures.
The casual visitor may spend a little time finding his or her way around and discovering the best birdwatching sites. Hopefully this book will act as a pointer and will ensure that the maximum time can be spent 'in the field'.
Scroll down to see the books in this section. If you want further details about a book or would like to place an order, click on the title or picture of the book to go to directly to that book at the Amazon bookshop.
Mallorca and the other Spanish Islands have now become one of the leading holiday destinations for UK and Northern European climbers. This guide to Mallorca, Ibiza and Tenerife provides over 500 routes, and over 80 maps and topos of all the major climbing areas.
There are currently about 15 different crags, either in the SW or the NE of the island. The climbing is predominately up tufas, apart from the crag near Torella (sharp edges).
The majority of the routes are in the mid/hard grades; most of the better routes are harder than 7b. The crags mentioned here reflect the different climbing styles on Mallorca; technical slabs, steep overhangs and many, many tufas.
Fifty folk tales from "L'Aplec de Rondaise Mallorquines" which was produced to preserve the rapidly disappearing country tales and seafaring legends of Mallorca. Anyone interested in folktales will enjoy reading these stories. The writer's dedication to Mallorcan culture and language is obvious - this was obviously a labour of love. The illustrations by Ruth Bateson reflect the stories' simplicity and charm - drawn in the manner of woodcuts, they resemble European folk painting traditions, and you can also see the influence of William Morris. Many of the vignettes are so detailed that you can look at them again and again.
This guide describes all the orchids to be found in Mallorca and gives details of their characteristics, the plant, the flower, pollination, life cycle, habitats, flowering times and classification. The guide is illustrated with 85 colour photographs and 5 black and white drawings.
From his childhood on, Mallorca was to be a second home for Joan Miro. Both his mother and wife were Mallorquin and he lived there permanently from the mid-fifties onwards, after he acquired a plot of land upon which he commissioned his friend Josep Lluris to build a large studio. He died there on the 25th of December 1983 at the age of 90.
This study concerns itself primarily with the varied themes and techniques of the artist's later works - painting, sculpture, prints and ceramics - which were all created, with the exception of the latter, in the four workshops of his residence Son Abrines. It was the clear light of Mallorca which especially fascinated Miro - the poetic blues of the sky and sea. In his sculpture, he was especially inspired by the artistic creativity of the island inhabitants, not to mention the agriculture and precipitous cliffs which give the landscape of Mallorca its unique quality.
Young William grows up experiencing the way of life of the Majorcans which has hardly changed for hundreds of years, and participating in the day-to-day activities of the village. William Graves conveys the texture of life in Majorca - the food, the pattern of the seasons, the camaraderie and rivalries within the village, and the growing sense, from the 1960s onwards, that his fragile paradise was under threat.
The book is also a portrait of Robert Graves, his "Muses" and his entourage, and a study of how the son of a famous father finds his own identity.
This book gives a fascinating insight into the 'real' Mallorca rather than the 'tourist' Mallorca and describes the culture, the people and the places along with some very typical Mallorcan recipes.
Snowball Oranges is an amusing account of how they settled into life as Mallorcan farmers. Whilst it may not win prizes for its prose, it does give a clear insight into Mallorcan life.
"Winter spring" finds Peter, under the sharp eye of his long-suffering wife Ellie, struggling to shake off the relaxed Spanish 'tranquilo'ness that he has now mastered all too well. Old friendships have been established and new ones are found as the Kerrs are introduced to Mallorca's champagne-swilling filthy rich set and their eyes are opened by just how the other half lives. Mosquito-repellant vinegar baths, delicious Mallorcan food and with background support from dogs, donkeys, geckos, parrots and canaries, this is an Autumn such as they've never known.
The official language of Mallorca is Mallorquin which is a version of Catalan, not Castillian (which we know as Spanish). But we recommend taking a Spanish phrasebook as Spanish is spoken by everyone and it's very easy to master. Although English is also widely spoken there are times when a little Spanish will help enormously.
This little book will allow you to communicate instantly on a host of topics such as health and medical situations, essential services, and travel. It is simple and easy to use and the expressions are divided by activity, such as shopping.
All the phrases have the phonetic expression so you don't need to struggle to remember the right pronunciation and there is also a pronunciation guide at the end of the book.