I’ve be revising my old posts to optimise SEO and readability, updating imagery and generally overhauling poor content. Through this I realised I’ve never actually posted a travel diary or shared recommendations for Magaluf and Palma Nova. Most of you will have heard me talking about my love for Magaluf and how it’s my favourite holiday destination. In this post I’ll be sharing where to stay and what to eat in Palma Nova.

Palma Nova is a town just outside Magaluf which is just five minutes away in a cab. You can also walk along the beach and coastline and be there in thirty minutes. Now you might be wondering how we went from my love of Magaluf to recommendations for Palma Nova. Well although I spend the majority of my trips in Magaluf itself I prefer to stay in Palma Nova. I stay at the same resort most years, I believe I’ve stayed there on nine out of my ten holidays.

WHERE TO STAY

I stayed at the Hotel Gabarda Complex which I first stayed in in 2008 on my second girls holiday. The complex used to be in partnership with 2wentys; an adult only holiday brand “taking you to the hottest destinations in clubland”. Now a family run business, the complex comprises of two hotels; Gabarda and Gil, and two apartment buildings; Martinez and Naika. I’ve previously stayed in the Gabarda itself but in 2014 we upgraded to the Martinez Apartments and never looked back.

The apartments have a maximum capacity of four people with either two twin beds or a double in the bedroom. There is a fully equipped kitchenette and living room which has two sofas that both covert to additional beds. The rooms have large balconies which are perfect for a chilled evening with a couple of cocktails. I’d definitely recommend booking the apartments if you are staying for a week or more.

PALMA NOVA

Palma Nova is a thirty-minute walk or a five-minute cab ride to the main strip in Magaluf. Staying there means that you are not on top of everything if you want a good night’s sleep. It’s also good if you want to have a more relaxed day or a night off from the party scene. Some nights we would just go out for dinner and then just have a few drinks on our balcony.

There is a beach five minutes from the Gabarda complex and it’s a lot quieter than Magaluf’s main beach. It’s also probably a lot cleaner because Magaluf beach is about two minutes from all the clubs. I’m telling you from personal experience a lot goes down on that beach so maybe stick to Palma Nova. I’m not judging anyone, I’m sorry but I’m one of the dirty buggers whose been a part of that crowd.

I’m not ones for sunbathing so I usually just hire a pedalo hungover and float around for the designated time slot. Although be careful to keep an eye on the time or you could end up being pulled out quite far. Charli and I once drifted so far it took an intense leg workout to get us back to shore in time. Suddenly that feeling of pure relaxation was a long-forgotten memory but the pedalo man got a laugh out of it. And he was so thoroughly amused he didn’t charge us anything for the additional time we were out for.

WHERE TO EAT

If you are going to Palma Nova or even anywhere in the near vicinity you must go to Restaurante Brisas. Brisas is on the Passeig Mar, the main strip in Palma Nova and is opposite the beach. It has indoor and outdoor seating, but we have never sat indoors because there’s such a lovely view. Their menu boasts a wide range of cuisines including Spanish, Mediterranean and Italian to name but a few.

I would recommend starting with the Cheesy Garlic Bread which tastes incredible; it’s out of this world. Followed by the Shoulder of Lamb which literally falls of the bone it’s cooked so beautifully. We have this at least once every time we visit and sometimes grab garlic bread as an on the go snack. They also have the nicest waiter there, called Prince Jersey, who always remembers us and makes us a cocktail. He says it’s made with a little bit of love, no you’re crying!

The Gabarda Complex itself actually does really good food, in particular their breakfast selection and their lunchtime wraps. The cook, our Cookie, is so nice, calls us her girls and always makes sure we are well looked after. Although it’s not an actual meal you have to get yourself a Frigo Pie ice cream. It’s literally shaped like a foot and is bright pink! Also try the Rib Burger at Katmandu but I’ll talk more about there in my next post.