If you think of the perhaps most popular Balearic island, it is mostly images of sandy beaches, lonely bays and blue sea that come to mind. But even when most tourists have left Mallorca again, the Spanish island has a lot to offer. Especially gourmet experiences are a reason to visit the Balearic Islands now. These five culinary highlights attract foodies to Mallorca in autumn:

Tapas competition in Mallorca

Tapas everywhere you look - it's not necessarily specific to autumn. On the contrary, it almost seems as if nowhere else tapas culture is celebrated like on Mallorca. The love of the small appetizers finds its climax every year at the Tapas Contest "TaPalma. From 24 to 28 November, numerous bars and restaurants offer homemade tapas. As a visitor you can taste your way through the delicacies on offer. 

While visitors have a hard time choosing their favorite from all the delicacies, an expert jury of renowned international and national chefs does just that. They choose the best chefs and tastiest tapas of the festival.

Traditional Mallorcan dishes

Besides tapas, the island cuisine offers many more endemic delicacies. One of them is the sobrasada. The spreadable raw sausage is easily recognisable by its red colour. This is due to paprika powder and spices. The pork sausage is often part of tapas.

In autumn, when the next bikini season is still far away and the temperatures become a little cooler, the desire for hearty dishes like sobrasada increases. And you can also enjoy sweets with less of a guilty conscience. Like the famous ensaïmadas. The sweet yeast buns with icing sugar are available unfilled or with autumnal pumpkin jam. 

Enjoying the wine route

A foodie highlight on Mallorca has only marginally to do with food. But it has a lot to do with drinking. The island has over 70 of its own wineries, which produce exquisite wines. During the harvest in autumn, it is best to take a tour of the wine-growing villages. Binissalem and Consell are particularly well known. But the smaller villages of Santa Maria del Camí, Sencelles and Santa Eugenia also attract visitors.

14 wineries offer wine tastings and a lot of interesting knowledge about viticulture on the island. Of course, foodies on Mallorca should also visit one or the other bodega. These wine bars score with a lot of quaintness and coziness.

Thanksgiving in Mallorca

Grapes, almonds, pine nuts and many other fruits are traditionally harvested in autumn. The oranges of Sóller are famous far beyond the country's borders. These give off their beguiling fragrance before they are harvested.

If you're lucky, you'll come across a farmer or two on a hike through the valley of Sóller who is busy with the harvest. They usually offer you a taste of the juicy fruit. Most island communities celebrate the end of the harvest season with convivial festivities.

Autumn market Dijous Bo in Mallorca

The third largest city on the island, Inca, holds the Dijous Bo on 17 and 18 November. Once an agricultural market, it is now a well-known popular festival with over 700 stalls. Over a length of ten kilometres, the town becomes a huge outdoor market. 

Traditional island products attract visitors as well as clothing, shows. Foodies in Mallorca especially appreciate local products such as Serrano ham, olive oil and wine.