Mallorca From Above

Mallorca is at its best from a height. Get above the beaches and the old-town crowds and the whole island rearranges itself — the Tramuntana folding down to the sea, the bay of Palma spread out under the cathedral, terracotta rooftops and turquoise water all the way to the horizon. These are four ways to rise over it. Start in the air itself, in the basket of a hot-air balloon drifting over the interior at first light. Head north for the Mirador des Colomer, the railed clifftop balcony on the Formentor peninsula where the coast drops sheer into the sea. Back in Palma, climb to Bellver Castle, the round hilltop fortress that watches over the bay, and finish on the rooftop terraces of the cathedral, up among the flying buttresses with the city at your feet. Editor's note: Go at first light or late afternoon — the low sun makes the views (and the photos) far better.

Editor's note

Go at first light or late afternoon — the low sun makes the views (and the photos) far better, and the balloon and terraces both run best in the cool of the day.