Safety in Mallorca

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Safety is something many travelers think about when visiting a new destination.

After my mother was released from the hospital following a fall earlier that day, I had one more logistical challenge to solve. It was our last night in Mallorca, and I needed to get her back to our resort, about 20 minutes outside Palma. I would then have to immediately turn around and return to the city to retrieve our rental car, which we had left in a parking garage, because we were scheduled to fly out in just a few hours.

Because I couldn't use my phone to arrange transportation, the hospital called a taxi for me. The driver was a native Mallorcan, and during the ride we started talking about safety in her country. I asked her if she would mind waiting for me while I got my mother settled in the hotel room and then driving me back to Palma to pick up my car. It was already very late at night, and I wondered what Palma would be like at that hour with me alone in the city.

I asked her whether she felt safe driving a taxi at all hours of the night and whether she generally felt safe living in Mallorca. Her answer was an enthusiastic yes. She told me that she felt very safe living in Mallorca and was comfortable working as a taxi driver at all hours. She also said she would have no hesitation walking through Palma by herself at night.

I found that particularly reassuring because she wasn't giving me a tourist's perspective. She was a local woman whose job regularly required her to be out driving at night, not just in Palma but all over the island.

Of course, feeling safe doesn't mean that you should stop using common sense. No destination is completely free of crime, and the usual precautions still apply. Keep an eye on your belongings, be aware of your surroundings, avoid unnecessarily isolated areas, and take reasonable precautions when out at night.

I was dropped off at the resort, got my mother settled, and then returned to Palma as planned. I retrieved our rental car without any issues.

I also think it's important not to let generic warnings about traveling abroad create a perception that a destination is inherently dangerous.

My experience in Mallorca was that I felt safe, and the local woman who drove me that night reinforced that impression.

Her perspective was a good reminder that safety isn't just about reading a list of potential risks before you travel. Sometimes, talking to people who actually live in a destination can give you a much better sense of what everyday life there is really like.