Exploring Mallorca on Erasmus

Why did you choose to go to Palma de Mallorca, Spain?

My university in UK offered a 4 week programme to Majorca to study the language and culture. I had already heard great things about the University of Islas Baleares from other students that had been, so I jumped at the chance.

How long is the scholarship? How about costs?

It's true that Majorca is one of the costliest Erasmus destinations and you should budget around 1000GBP including meals but excluding transport for a three week stay.

What made this a special destination for you?

I personally can't wait to go back to Majorca after this Erasmus experience. The island is absolutely stunning. For me, apart from the great Spanish classes I attended, the best thing was exploring the island and discovering beaches, coves, villages the city and the nightlife. Luckily I met like-minded people and we hired a car and went on a fabulous road trip of the mountain villages of Soller, Valldemossa, Deia and Banyalbufar. This was a day I'll never forget and it felt like I was truly discovering local life. The other amazing day we had with the same group of people was when we booked to go on a catamaran tour to see the more hidden coves and coastline of Majorca. The catamaran was really exclusive and drinks were served the whole time. The snorkelling and swimming stops were made in postcard-like coves with turquoise water. I could have stayed in the sea all day splashing at the side of the catamaran. We found a great deal. Directly at the harbour they were charging around 20€-25€ more per person depending on the day and the demand (we went a few times to find out before finally finding the same thing cheaper on Click Mallorca).

Would you recommend the city and the University of Islas Baleares to other students?

Certainly! The transport connections were excellent. The student life was great. The university has bars and a really nice restaurant, as they have hospitality right by the tourism building so you get to taste the creations of future Michelin star chefs for a pitance!

Did you try the local food?

The Lonja area of Palma was amazing! The tapas were to die for. I became friends with some local people of around my age and they took me on my first "tapeo". You have a tapa and a beer at each place on the same street and have to see if you can still make it to the clubs afterwards! Haha. But the great thing about this was that each tapas place had its own speciality and these guys I met knew exactly what to order and where. The bars were tiny, all with their own atmosphere but all buzzing. Some of the places were down the narrow alleyways that you'd never find on your own. My top recommendation is to hook up with a bunch of locals and head to La Lonja in palma.

Did you have any problem finding accommodation in Palma for the duration of your Erasmus?

No, it was included with the package that my university organised. I heard some bad things from students from other countries that didn't have accommodation included, saying that it was very expensive and that it was very hard to find a place to stay. With this in mind, I wouldn't arrange a study trip to Palma without having the accommodation included, especially in summer when there are also a lot of seaonal workers who look for the same kind of accommodation.

How was your language course

I was already studying Spanish back home but what I loved about studying with the Erasmus was that the people in my class were all from different countries so there was no lapsing back into English; you were forced to speak Spanish and just muddle through or improvise if you didn't know a word or expression. I also found it very beneficial living with a local family who would always speak to me in Spanish, and living everyday life in Spanish, ordering drinks at the bar, looking for things in shops, etc.

Any regrets or nagative experiences from your time in Palma?

Nope! I loved every minute, can't recommend it enough and can't wait to go back!