What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Wild West? Horses, cowboys and Indians perhaps? Whatever you think of the chances are good that it won’t be water rides.

But that is exactly what you will get when you visit the Western Park in Magaluf, Majorca. The park is open throughout the height of the season between May and October, so whenever you are planning to pay a visit to the island you can pencil in a day at this sensational attraction for the whole family.

One of the first attractions you should head for when you get through the gates is the Mega Slide. This is one for the whole family because you can all clamber into a huge round raft and slide down a giant half pipe that goes on for a full two hundred and sixty metres! And if you love it as much as most of the other visitors do, you’ll be heading back to the start to try it again.

A similar ride is available elsewhere in the park – but this one takes place in the dark. The Big Hole is the name given to this ride, but it could just as easily be called the Black Hole as you won’t see a thing until you reach the very bottom and splash down into the pool that awaits you.

Two people get to ride the Huracan together, which takes its name from the hurricane. The name alone should give you an idea of what to expect, but be ready for a sensational journey from top to bottom – and make sure you hang on.

With no raft to sit in and no one to share the ride with, you might think the Tijuana Twins isn’t worth riding on. But here there are two identical slides next to each other, so with a friend riding the other one you can race each other to the bottom.

With so much to see and do here you’ll love every minute of the Wild West theme.

You can’t visit Majorca without heading to some of its best beaches. And if you want to see the best of the lot you should head straight for Cap de Formentor.

You’ll find this particular beach on the north eastern tip of the island. It is part of a small area of land that juts out of the main island, and that means you will see plenty of stunning views before you even get near the beach itself. In fact the route that takes you down to the beach is well known for putting people’s hearts in their mouths – you’ll see why when you give it a go yourself. Just make sure you have your wits about you at all times.

There are various lookout points available, such as the one at Mirador es Colomer, as well, so make the most of those before you head down to the beach. This is a top spot for budding photographers and also for those who want to watch out for local birds nesting along this fabulous bit of coastline.

But however frightening you find the drive to Cap de Formentor, you’ll love every minute of being on the beach itself. It provides a nice sheltered area to make the most of, with beautiful waters that are fairly calm and nice for the whole family to swim in. The beach also benefits from having a range of trees running along the back of it, so if the sun gets too much you can always move back and enjoy some of the plentiful shade on offer.

Many people view this beach as one of the best – if not the best – on the whole island. One visit usually convinces new visitors that this is indeed the case. This means that going there earlier in the year is the best bet if you don’t like crowds of people. Many visitors recommend April as a good month to go.

But whenever you visit Cap de Formentor you will find it was worth the effort to go. Just make sure you are prepared for the dramatic journey to get down to the beach itself.

Majorca is an island of beaches and relaxation. But you can explore the one major city on the island as well – and that is Palma.

And as you will see it is well worth going there for the day to see what you can find. The answer is another side of Majorca altogether.

The city is hundreds of years old so you will find lots of different historic sights here to enjoy. Not least of them is Palma Cathedral, a stunning and very large building that is generally lit up at night. The stained glass windows make for an amazing view both inside and out, so do make sure you go inside and have a proper look round. You will find it is also referred to as Le Seu.

But high above Palma there is another majestic sight you should definitely see. This is Bellver Castle and if you want to get some photos of the whole of Palma you should definitely make your way here to get them. It dates back to the 14th century and you can spend ages wandering around and exploring the tunnels and walkways. Be prepared for a fair bit of walking though, even if you drive there!

And of course back in Palma itself you can also take full advantage of the sightseeing buses that are an integral part of the city. They are brightly coloured and very easy to spot, and give you the chance to see all the best bits of Palma from the comfort of a seat. You can then go back on foot and see them in more detail if you find you have missed a particular sight you want to visit.

Don’t miss the chance to wander round the old streets in the Old City either. These are very different to some of the other parts of Palma, and offer an insight into Palma’s history. You can easily spend an hour or two wandering round here and enjoying the atmosphere.

As you can see Palma has a lot to offer when you are staying in Majorca, so don’t miss it.

It doesn’t seem very likely, does it? But if you are planning on staying anywhere near Palma when you visit Majorca, make sure you book yourself a seat on the railway from Palma to Soller.

This is no ordinary railway. You will be taken to Soller in old wooden train carriages running on a narrow gauge railway line – and you’ll love it. You only have to watch out the open windows as the buildings of Palma give way to the countryside. And the views are stunning.

You’ve got thirteen tunnels to go through in total along the way, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have much to look at. It only makes the views between them even more memorable as you pop out of yet another tunnel on your way towards Soller.

The train is approaching a hundred years old now, and the people who use it have changed a lot in that time. It used to be a local train that many people living in the area took advantage of, but it is generally left for the tourists to enjoy now. And there are quite a few stops en route to Soller as well, so if you fancy getting off and exploring some of the villages that are dotted about the route, it’s perfectly possible to do so.

Soller itself is well worth seeing, and when you arrive in style on a vintage train like this it makes it even more of an experience to remember. Don’t forget too that Port de Soller is less than two miles from the town, so make the extra effort to visit the port as well.

The port is enclosed and looks amazing from a higher vantage point. There are plenty of restaurants here and it is adept at catering for tourists. It might even make the ideal spot for your holiday base.

But there is no doubt that the highlight is the railway itself. Why travel by modern transport when you can enjoy travelling in a train that makes you feel like you’re a century further back in time?

C'an Picafort is not a purpose built tourist resort, however, the influx of visitors to the island transformed it from a small fishing village with less than 200 inhabitants in 1960 to an important tourist centre with 8,750 hotel beds at the beginning of the 1970's.

Little now remains of the original fishing village, although the resort has retained a small working harbour from where a number of pleasure trips also depart several times each day.
The resort has a wide traffic free beachside promenade, which is lined with restaurants and bars running from the marina and fishing harbour, to the more modern Son Baulo area of the town, which is a further 2km away to the east.

For beach lovers of all ages, the best of the resorts two main beaches is found in the Baulo district too, where you will also find a small protected nature reserve. Parents with small children should be aware that this area has a large pool of stagnant water and is host to a number of other 'less protected' species of wildlife.

Although again the local council are keen to point out that the presence of Mediterranean tortoises, red pheasants, hares, rabbits, weasels, dormice and Algerian hedgehogs, all of which contribute to making this area of great environment significance.

In all fairness, this beach is very clean and does have good facilities, although you should expect to pay around 10.5 euros for the hire of two sun beds and an umbrella for the day.

Other than the numerous bars and restaurants, the resort really has very little other tourist attractions, and with the notable exception of the two nightclubs in the town, evening entertainment is generally hotel based.

A regular bus service runs along the coast road, running through Playa de Muro into nearby Alcudia. It costs just over one euro per person for the one way trip, but please note that the buses can become very crowded at times, and are known to attract pickpockets. In comparison a taxi for the same journey costs around 10 euros for a maximum of 4 people.

Not long ago Cala Bona was a small village in the south west and the economy of its inhabitants was mainly based on fishing. Now, it is home to one of the biggest tourist resorts in Majorca.

With the arrival of the tourism to the island and the grow in the demand of hotels and due to its location on a long beach, this small village passed from being a small fishing harbour to become a highly developed area plenty of services and hotels. However, the area is still healthy and has many green areas.

Located about 65 kilometres from Majorca's airport, the to the resort journey takes about an hour and a half. Taking a bus is not really an option, so if your tour operator has not arranged a transfer to the hotel you must arrange one by yourself or simply take a taxi at arrivals (expect to pay from 60 to 70 euros).

You can also rent a car in Mallorca's Airport and drive by yourself to Cala Bona. If you do not mind driving, renting a car is a good idea if you plan to visit other areas in the island. Public transport in Mallorca is not really good and you cannot rely on it, and while it works fine in Palma's city, the rule for inland buses is to sit and wait, no hurries here. Driving to resort is pretty easy if you have a map.

Cala Bona does not look like the typical tourist resort and has been built with no plans around the city, it still keeps its little streets which get you wondering how people drive through them.

Hotels in Cala Bona are well equipped and many of them have not only the typical facilities such as the swimming pool, but also leisure sports areas such offering tennis courts, paddle and mini golf. Some also have organized activities to keep you a bit busy with and to have some fun.

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