Magaluf Holiday Guide

Magaluf is about 20 minutes from the main tourist airport, Son Sant Joan. Make sure you're feeling calm, as the airport experience can be slow – the transfer by tour operator coach can take about an hour.

The roads in Majorca are easily accessible by taxi, and the local buses are pretty good too. Hire a moped or a car to explore further afield.

The beaches are hot and often crowded, unless you go early whilst the clubbers are still recovering from the night before. Many young Brits love Magaluf's kilometre-long beach with its new promenade because it's just like their favourite beach at home and there’s lots of entertainment close by.

However, here the sand is whiter, the sea is bluer and feels cleaner and there are plenty of palm trees and umbrellas if you need some shade. Head to nearby Cala Portals Vells Cove, just south of the resort, for some well-kept pretty beaches which are quieter.

There's plenty to do on holiday in Magaluf  and plenty of stunning scenery to see. It can be tricky to leave the resort, though, as there is so much going on, from adventure play areas and water theme parks to an excellent market at nearby Andratx.

The increasing number of older people heading to Magaluf in the winter when the party crowd leaves are discovering that places of interest such as the Caves of Drach and the Formentor peninsula are well worth a visit.

If you fancy a break from all the hustle and bustle on your holiday in Magaluf, the ancient Roman ruins of Pollentia, just outside Alcudia, offer an interesting and more peaceful distraction. Santueri Castle, the best-conserved mountain castle on the island, is also well worth a visit.

Art enthusiasts will enjoy wandering in Joan Miro's art foundation in Palma, while kids will love sliding down the rapids and screaming down the slides at Aqualand, Magaluf's water park. Also recommended is a day trip to Palma, where the Number 50 tour bus  takes you round all the major sites, it has a This hop-on-hop-off ticket is only valid for 24 hours.

Popular British fare, such as egg and chips or steak and kidney pie, is widely available in Magaluf. While it's easy to find pizza, burgers and fried chicken, do look out for local food such as the spicy sausage chorizo, sopa de pescado (garlic stew with fish and tomatoes), caldereta (lamb stew with almonds) and the fish special, calamari (deep-fried squid in batter).

After your main course, try some of the delicious local fruit on offer. Wash your meal down with a glass of Spain's famous sangria.

When the sun goes down, Magaluf really comes to life! The fierce competition between its hundreds of pubs and clubs means plenty of cut-price promotional offers on drinks and door entry.

More and more top DJs include the resort on their summer tours nowadays. The town comes alive around midnight; before then, holidaymakers usually enjoy a few drinks, typically in an English or Scottish bar, before strolling and strutting along the main streets as they head to the top clubs.

There's a huge choice of souvenirs, such as sombreros or big straw donkeys, to take back home with you. If novelty gifts aren't your thing, you can pick up local specialities such as glasswork, leather bags, Xoriguer Gin (gin flavoured with juniper berries), honey and olive oil.

Find a proper bakery selling the famous ensaimada buns, sweet spiral-shaped cakes that are sometimes filled with pumpkin jam or chocolate. Market lovers will also enjoy a stroll around the weekly market at Calvia .

Watersports facilities, go-karts, a glass-sided submarine, tennis courts and a golf course are within very easy reach of those seeking a break from soaking up the sun on the beach or wandering the shops. Marineland, at nearby Portals Nous, is one of the most popular family attractions on the island, with everything from dolphins to sea lions and parrot shows to keep the children entertained.

Magaluf is not for families seeking a straightforward sun, sea and sand holiday, but kids will love the amusement arcades, the noise and the bright lights. Teenagers, meanwhile, will not be spoilt for choice for things to do, especially in the evenings.