The main form of public transport is the bus. Bus stops are marked with yellow-green signs with the word “bus”. There are bus stations in almost all cities and resort centers. Information about routes and timetables can be obtained at the travel agency, in shop windows and cafes located near bus stations, at the city hall and at the bus station. The fare depends on the season, day of the week, time of day and travel distance and does not exceed 30 euros on the farthest routes. In city buses, the trip is paid directly on the bus. The cost of a ticket for one trip is 0.9 euros. The fare is the same, it is better to purchase a discount ticket for 10 trips (“bonobus”), which will save up to 50% of the cost of a single ticket. Opening hours of city buses – from 6.00 to 0.00.
You can use a taxi, stopping a free car directly on the street, or taking it in the parking lot. There is a special “Radio Taxi” service, through which a taxi can be called directly from a hotel, restaurant or large store. The maximum waiting time for a booked taxi is 10 minutes. Payment is made in accordance with the indications of the taximeter. The fare increases at night (22.00-06.00), weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and public holidays. Taxi orders, transportation of each piece of luggage in the trunk and a number of other services are additionally paid. When traveling outside the city limits, it is necessary to specify the fare in advance.
You can rent a car. To do this, you must present a credit card (some agencies may accept a cash deposit instead), an identity document and a driver’s license. As a rule, the cost of gasoline is not included in the rental price. Insurance is usually included in the car rental price.
Boats ply between the various islands of the archipelago.
Plant and Animal World in in Balearic Islands, Spain
According to gradinmath, mediterranean vegetation prevails on the islands. These are evergreen shrubs – maquis, garriga and semi-shrubs – tomillars. Maquis includes myrtle, juniper, wild pistachio, cistus and low trees. A special variety of garriga is scattered thickets of dwarf fan palm, as well as communities dominated by tall alpha grass, or esparto, a hardy xerophyte that gives strong fiber.
The Mediterranean Sea is home to tuna, salmon, anchovies, crayfish and spiny lobsters.
Banks in Balearic Islands, Spain
There are a lot of banks and they are different. It is better to change money at the “March” bank, as there is always a good exchange rate and no commission is charged. All banks are open in the summer from Monday to Friday from 8-00 to 14-00. True, there are a large number of small exchange offices in tourist areas, working until late in the evening. But here the rate is usually low, or commissions are charged. You can also exchange money at the hotel reception. The lowest exchange rate is at the airport.
Credit cards are accepted everywhere (including Visa, MasterCard, American Express). The card may not be accepted for payment in small shops and cafes. A large number of ATMs, including in tourist areas, which allows you not to carry large amounts of money with you.
Money in Balearic Islands, Spain
Monetary unit – euro.
Rate: 1 Euro (EUR) = 1.05 USD
Political State in in Balearic Islands, Spain
The Balearic Islands are one of the seventeen autonomous regions of Spain. The head of state is King Juan Carlos I. The supreme body of executive power is the government. Legislative functions and control over the activities of the government are carried out by the General Cortes (Parliament), consisting of two chambers – the Senate and the Congress of Deputies.
The Balearic government, the Balearic Parliament and three island councils operate on the islands – in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibis with Formentera.
Population in in Balearic Islands, Spain
The population of the Balearic Islands exceeds 700 thousand people, of which almost half live in Palma de Mallorca. About 80 thousand people live on the island of Ibiza, and about 65 thousand people live on Menorca.
Language:
There are 2 official languages on the islands – Castilian (Spanish) and Catalan, and the locals prefer to speak their dialect – Majorcan. Despite this, the entire staff of the island, up to the maid, speaks foreign languages. English, German, French are especially widespread.
Cuisine in Balearic Islands, Spain
Mallorca has the right to be proud of its rich and tasty cuisine, based mainly on fish, meat, fruit and vegetable products, which give the kitchen a special flavor. Perhaps the most significant contribution to world gastronomy made by Balearic cuisine is mayonnaise, originating from Mahon (Isle of Menorca).
National dishes – the most diverse. These are Mallorcan hearty soups, sobrasada sausage (it is made from a special black breed of pigs), pan de oli – multi-layered sandwiches with dried pork and a special variety of tomato – ramoyet, fritos mallorkin – roasted offal or seafood, lechona – baked suckling pig, coca de patata – sweet potato buns, gato – almond cake, fig bread and more. And of course we must mention the confectionery, the star of which is “ensaimada” (sweet cake in the form of a spiral).
Eating in Mallorca means choosing between a specialty fish restaurant near the sea, a typical village “seller” or any other local, European or international cuisine establishments open in tourist areas.
