Let’s be honest, a “crusted” drink doesn’t sound very inviting. But don’t be fooled. This rare style of port hasn’t been filtrated, hence the wine forming a “crust” in the bottle, and is only made by a limited number of producers. Made from a blend of two or three vintages, the idea is you get the best of all the harvests, and this one is both creamy and smooth and pairs well with puddings, especially berries and chocolate, or with strong cheeses. Be sure to decant it first – you won’t want to drink that crust.

You will also see in the run-up to Christmas slabs of “ turrrones” which is a type of soft or hard nougat being sold throughout the supermarkets and in the markets. In 2022, the ice rink did not open in Plaza España, but it was possible to ice skate at the Son Amar Christmas fair which was expensive and less accessible to those visiting Palma.

This is also the time when the Three Kings Christmas brings presents to children in Spain (in the same way as Santa Claus). However, these parades normally take place in Palma (in La Lonja, parading through Jaime III and up through the Old Town). The crowds will have gone home and this is a great time, particularly if you are considering living in Mallorca and you can read all about this in an article I have written here, to really see and experience what the island is like in Winter, outside the Summer holiday season. Pueblo Español is a venue made up of the recreation of elements from iconic Spanish cities. This is paid-for entry, but it’s a wonderful market. I have written a detailed guide about celebrating New Year’s Eve in Mallorca, plus I have a list of hotels that will be open and hosting their own New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The lights are only turned on again in the main squares for the San Sebastián Festival on the days around 19 January, when Palma springs into life again for days of celebration and music events to celebrate their patron Saint. There is usually a (small) Christmas market in Palmanova, a bigger Christmas market in Santa Ponsa near the roundabout before entering the resort, as well as a Christmas market in Puerto Portals. Also with the volume of revellers going out, taxis may well be hard to secure. So my advice again is to book a taxi early if you think you will need one. These are served in homes and businesses throughout the Christmas season. Can I get a Christmas Lunch in Mallorca?

Tawny Ports are aged in wooden casks rather than bottles or stainless steel tanks. During the ageing process they are allowed to oxidise so that they lose colour and take on a tawny hue. They also develop flavours of nuts and cooked fruits. This quite simple one is delicious served chilled with cheese, fruit, or nuts as an aperitif. So consider visiting Palma de Mallorca over the Christmas season. Explore the Christmas markets, and see the lights. Do some Christmas shopping in milder temperatures, see in the New Year, and even on a sunny day, catch some rays on the beach. Traditionally made with foot-trodden grapes in Noval’s old granite lagares in the summer of 2018, this port is dense, rich and velvety, with leather, liquorish and damsons. It can be drunk now or laid down – but you’ll absolutely need to decant it when you do decide to go for it. Bring out the stilton and your best glasses and prepare yourself for a real treat. But at over 70 quid a bottle, you’ll need to be pretty serious about port.

You will see Christmas lights in all the resorts and main towns too albeit on a much smaller scale than in Palma. You can find some videos on my Youtube channel of some suggested routes. I look forward to making more of these videos over the winter of 2023/2024. What’s open in Palma de Mallorca on Christmas Day? The arrival of the Three Kings is celebrated on the night of the 5 January to celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, with the day after, the 6 January, celebrated as a public holiday. In this guide to Mallorca at Christmas, there is much more than a celebration building up to 25 December. It is a celebration of an entire season. Testers felt this 10-year-old tawny had the ripe, rich fruit-forward nature of a ruby port, moving towards caramel sweetness as the flavour developed. It’s more powerful than the price tag would suggest, and a stellar choice to savour on the sofa after Christmas dinner.Ruby port – These tend to be inexpensive, deep ruby-coloured, and often associated with the cheeseboard. Within this category, you’ll find your slightly more premium reserve ports, late bottled vintage port (otherwise known as LBV, these are aged for longer but still designed to be drunk young) and vintage ports. How we test port Normally sweets are thrown from the floats at the Three Kings parade past waiting children and families who line the streets. You’ll hear children chanting the name of their favourite King, whether it’s Melchior, Balthasar and Caspar. This allows you to not only enjoy the festiveness of Palma but also to be centrally located to take the bus to explore other areas of the island. One word of warning though. All of the festive events mentioned in this article (Christmas Lights Switch On, New Year’s Eve and the Three-Kings parade), these events will be extremely busy. There are a couple of other ice (plastic) rinks at the Puerto Portals and Port Adriano markets too. Christmas Fair Ground Rides in Palma de Mallorca