Autumn in Mallorca? Genuinely a good idea. Spain's largest Balearic island still averages around 27°C in September and holds onto temperatures near 18°C in November, all backed by more than 300 days of sunshine a year. With over 13 million visitors annually, most of them crammed into summer, the off-season is when the island slows down — and shows off a side most beach-weekend visitors never see.

The writer of the original trip spent mid-September there mixing culture with coastline, starting in Palma, the capital where nearly half the island's one million residents live. A walking tour through the old town reveals grand historic houses with a telling quirk: floors were once strictly divided by social rank, with nobility occupying the first storey. Roman, Gothic and Baroque architecture survives throughout, and the skyline is dominated by La Seu, the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria. Construction began in the 13th century and took a remarkable 372 years. Built on the site of a former mosque after the Christian conquest, it carries influences from Christianity, Judaism and Islam, plus a huge stained-glass rose window caught up in a long-running architectural rivalry with France.

Timing helped too: the trip overlapped with Nit de l'Art, Palma's annual art celebration marking its 30th anniversary, when galleries throw open their doors and exhibitions and performances spill onto the streets. For lunch, the local-backed Celler Sa Premsa is the pick for paella.

Outside the capital, the Cuevas del Drach near Porto Cristo are the headline natural attraction — limestone chambers stacked with stalactites and stalagmites, ending at Lake Martel, where musicians play classical concerts from illuminated boats drifting across the underground water. Quieter still is Portocolom on the south-east coast, a traditional fishing village with a pretty harbour, waterfront restaurants and coastal walking paths. The original writer rounded off the day with sunset dinner at Kaikuana Beach Restaurant.

Accommodation-wise, the trip was based at the Wyndham Portocolom, a freshly refurbished resort that reopened in April 2026 under IDILIQ Developments. It sits just 150 metres from Cala Marçal Beach, blends self-catering units with hotel facilities like a pool and gym, and puts the harbour a 20-minute walk away. Rates start from €720 (about £625) for seven nights for up to six people — which works out strikingly cheap if you fill the apartment.

Why it matters: if your image of Mallorca is crowded summer resorts, September to November rewrites it. You get beach weather without the peak-season crush, plus walking tours, art events and caves — and accommodation priced for a slower season.