Mallorca in December: Winter Weather and What to Do

Weather in December

Typical December weather on Mallorca is cool but far from freezing. Daily average highs sit around 16°C (61°F), while evenings commonly fall to around 10°C (50°F) or lower as the month progresses.

Expect rain rather than snow at sea level. December often brings several rainy days, so an umbrella and a waterproof layer are realistic travel kit, and a wet afternoon is a good moment for a museum or a long lunch.

Sunshine is modest but real — roughly six hours a day on brighter days — and the island wakes around 08:00 with sunset close to 17:30, so daylight is the main planning constraint for village day trips.

In the mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana, temperatures drop faster and wind on exposed ridges can make a coastal afternoon feel much colder. For how the island's uplands change as winter deepens, the Mallorca in February guide covers the colder end of the season.

Coastal Water and Wind

December is a month for walking the shore, not swimming in it. The sea retains some of its autumn warmth, but the air and the breeze make a quick paddle more realistic than a proper swim for most visitors.

The upside is empty sand. Cala Deià, usually fought over in summer, and the long beach at Port de Sóller are places to stroll in December rather than queue for.

Wind matters more than temperature on the coast. The protected bay at Port de Sóller behaves differently from exposed western coves, so check the forecast on the morning of a coastal walk rather than the evening before.

What Closes and What Stays Open

Resort towns and seasonal restaurants are the first to wind down. Apartments get boarded up, some waterfront restaurants shut for the season, and villages like Fornalutx and Sant Elm thin out almost completely.

Palma stays the practical base. The capital's core sights run through winter, including the Catedral de Mallorca, La Almudaina and the Mercat de l'Olivar, so you can build a full day on foot in the old town even when the coast is quiet.

Hours are shorter than in summer — many attractions close mid-afternoon and several shut on Mondays — so check the venue's own page for the week you travel rather than relying on a general guide.

Christmas in Palma

Palma dresses up for the festive season, with the Feria de Nadal i Reis as its largest Christmas fair and lights and decorations across the centre. It is a compact, city-scale celebration rather than an island-wide market circuit.

For the fuller picture of what happens where over the festive weeks, Christmas in Mallorca maps the fairs, processions and traditions across the island.

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year

The holiday week changes opening hours more than any other stretch of December. Christmas Day 2026 falls on Friday and New Year's Day 2027 also falls on Friday, so expect many businesses to close on those days and some to run reduced hours around them.

The real Spanish festive peak comes later: Epiphany, or Día de los Reyes, falls on Wednesday 6 January 2027 and closes the season with processions and gift-giving. If you are on the island in early January, plan around it.

Things to Do in December

Start with Palma. The Catedral de Mallorca, known as La Seu, mixes Gothic bones with Gaudí's 20th-century interventions, and across the street the Royal Palace of La Almudaina shows Moorish baths, royal apartments and terraces over the bay.

Give the Mercat de l'Olivar a proper slot. Around 50 stalls sell produce, meat, fish and cheese, with another 20 serving full meals — a good wet-weather lunch stop and a place that feels local rather than touristic in December.

Finish a Palma day at Castell de Bellver, the circular 14th-century castle above the city, for the history museum and the upper-terrace view over the bay. Walking the old town between Plaça Major, Passeig del Born and Plaça de Cort fills an easy afternoon.

If you are arriving at the very end of the year and want to know how December's weather compares with the next month, Mallorca in January covers the colder, clearer version of the same island.

Hiking and the Serra de Tramuntana

Winter is the best walking season on Mallorca. Cooler temperatures make the mountain trails safer, and the Barranc de Biniaraix is a five-kilometer loop on an old dry-stone road above Sóller, with about five hours needed if you stop often.

For an easier coastal walk, the loop from Sant Elm to the ruined La Trapa monastery runs about 9.5 kilometers, passes an abandoned watchtower and gives views across to Dragon Island. Sturdy shoes matter more than technical skill on both routes.

Start early enough to finish before the afternoon light goes, and carry water and snacks since mountain cafés are seasonal. If snow is possible during your dates, does it snow in Mallorca explains where winter precipitation lands on the island.

Village Days

Sóller, Fornalutx, Deià and Valldemossa form a natural loop for one long day from Palma. Sóller has citrus groves and a handsome main square; Fornalutx is a quiet stone village worth a short wander; Deià clings to a ravine above the sea with a small church at its top.

Valldemossa is the highlight for many visitors, with the Carthusian Monastery where Chopin and George Sand wintered. The centre is pedestrian-only, but the town closes early, so aim to arrive well before late afternoon.

The northern tip around Pollença and Cap de Formentor rewards a clear day, with the Mirador de es Colomer and the lighthouse at the end of the cape. Roads and viewpoints are open, but the season's shorter daylight means fewer stops fit comfortably.

By March the villages warm up and the walking season extends, which is worth comparing if your dates are flexible — Mallorca in March covers the later version of the same itinerary.

Getting Around

A rental car is the practical way to reach villages, trailheads and the northern cape in December, and low-season demand means cars are easy to book. Specify an automatic if you need one, since those cost more and go first.

Palma's centre is compact enough to explore on foot, so park once and walk between the cathedral, palace, market and old-town squares rather than driving between them.

If your plans include the mainland, the same mild, quiet winter logic applies on the Costa del Sol — Málaga in December shows how a comparable Spanish city handles the month.

Crowds, Prices and Daylight

December is genuinely low season until the Christmas week. Hotels, car hire and roads are quieter and cheaper than in summer, which is the main reason to come now rather than in June.

The exception is the Christmas–New Year stretch, when demand and prices rise on the island alongside local festivities. Book accommodation and popular restaurants ahead for that week specifically, rather than for the whole month.

The other trade-off is daylight. With sunset around 17:30 early in the month, a long hike plus a village stop is a full day; stacking three villages and a coastal walk rarely works.

Who December Suits

December suits quiet-seekers, walkers, budget travelers and anyone who wants Palma's culture without queues. It also works well for a short city-and-village break with a rental car and a flexible attitude to weather.

It does not suit swimmers, sunseekers or travelers who want every beach club and resort restaurant open. If that is the priority, choose May, June or September instead — or consider the Canary Islands in December for warmer water and reliable sun, where the trade-offs between winter sun and cooler weather differ.

If you can only travel in November, Mallorca in November covers the wetter, warmer run-up to the festive season.

Travelling Around Mallorca with a Dog in December

If you are bringing a dog, the practicalities of getting around shape the trip more than anything else. Renting a car is the easiest way to move between the villages and trailheads, and car rentals are fairly cheap in the winter, with the roads simpler to navigate without so many people trying to get to the beach. Book through a comparison service such as Discover Cars, and if you need an automatic car, specify that when booking, as they usually cost a bit more.

Choose Palma as your base only if you plan to leave the dog behind for city hours: the capital is where you will find the widest choice of open hotels and restaurants, since many of the resorts around the island shut down in the winter, restaurants close for the season and apartments are boarded up. Staying in Palma means driving a little further to reach the winter attractions, which is worth weighing against the dog-friendly space a village stay can offer.

December weather sets the tone for walks. Daily average highs sit at around 16°C, and the month often brings rainy days, so a waterproof jacket and an umbrella are worth packing for both of you. Daylight is short: the island wakes around 08:00 and sunset arrives approximately at 17:30, giving roughly six hours of sunshine a day. Plan the longer hikes in the Serra de Tramuntana, such as the Barranc de Biniaraix or the route to La Trapa Monastery near Sant Elm, for the middle of the day and keep the quieter beach strolls for the shorter afternoons.

Plan Your December Trip

Treat December on Mallorca as a walking, village and city month. Base yourself in Palma, hire a car, plan around short daylight and leave room for a wet afternoon indoors.

Check the Catedral de Mallorca's own page before you go for winter hours, since the season's schedule differs from summer. Everything else — the trails, the villages, the market and the castle — can be planned around the forecast each morning.