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MORE FACTOIDS
- Unmissable trip: Visit the Alfábia gardens. The d`Alfábia estate is property of the Zaforteza family, who have opened its doors to the public so that the different rooms of this 17th century stately home can be visited. Queen Elizabeth II once slept overnight in one of these rooms during a short stay on the island. During the summer it is pleasant to take a long stroll in the refreshing shade of the plants and trees of the botanical gardens.- Interesting fact: The cathedral in the city of Palma de Mallorca was built on top of a mosque. - Useful information: There are more than thirty tourist information offices along the length and breadth of the island of Mallorca. - Population: The island of Mallorca has, according to the 2006 census, a population of 790,000 inhabitants of whom a little less than half live in the city of Palma de Mallorca (375,000). - Not to be missed: Visit Palma de Mallorca’s Arab baths. They are housed in a square-shaped hall with 12 columns that support a dome which has various round openings. This room was designed for hot baths and, to this end, it has a double floor with holes in it that the hot water and steam used to flow through. The stylistic difference in its capitals is possibly due to the fact that building materials from other buildings were used during its construction. Constructed in the 16th century and only partially preserved - now there are no traces of the cold bath hall - these Arab baths could have made up part of the palace of a Moorish nobleman. - Climate: Mallorca's climate is typically Mediterranean, with temperate average temperatures and a pattern of seasonal rainfall. The dry season coincides with the heat of summer. The annual rainfall varies from one place to another on the island, between 350 mm in the southern zone and 1,500 mm in high mountain areas, in the Sierra de Tramuntana. In the majority of the territory, however, it lies between 450 mm and 650 mm. 40% of the annual total rainfall falls during the autumn, from September to November, 25% in Spring, from March to May, the same amount in winter, from December to February and only 10% falls in summer, from June to August. The rainfall pattern is noted for its irregularity, it varies considerably from one year to the next, and at one extreme can provoke drought. Most of the rainfall is concentrated in a few days, with intense or very intense precipitations in autumn and light precipitations during the rest of the year. Average annual temperatures, except in the high mountain areas lie between 16 and 18ºC with the maximum average in summer of 29/31ºC and minimum average on winter nights of 5/9ºC. In spite of this, temperatures greater than 35ºC and lower than -2ºC are experienced almost every year. Occasionally the temperatures can get as high as 41ºC in summer and as low as -6ºC in winter. - How to get there: The international airport of Son Sant Joan, located 8 km from Palma de Mallorca, is the principal gateway to the island. Thanks to the popularity of the island as a tourist destination, there is a wide selection of direct flights, the majority from European cities and especially from Germany and the United Kingdom. For those who don’t want to fly or who are travelling with their own car, maritime transport is another alternative way to get there. There are daily sailings to the Port of Palma de Mallorca from the ports of Barcelona, Valencia, Denia, Ibiza, Cuidadela and Mahón. Alcudia is another important port, with connections to Menorca and Barcelona. There is a daily boat that runs the route from the port of Cala Rajada to the port of Cuidadela, on the neighbouring island of Menorca, in one hour and thirty minutes.
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