When someone thinks of Mallorca, they almost always imagine the same things: beaches, coves, sunshine, turquoise sea and summer. And yes, all of that is part of the island.

But after living in Palma since 2008, I have learned that Mallorca has many more layers. Some are discovered on the beach, others around a table with local food, others while walking through a street in the old town… and some appear just when you least expect them, after playing a padel match.

Because a padel trip to Mallorca does not have to be only about courts, matches and results. It can also be a way to discover the island from a different perspective.

Since I started playing padel in 2022, I have realised that this sport combines very well with that slower way of experiencing Mallorca. You play in the morning, get active, share the court, run, miss easy balls, celebrate impossible points and finish with that mix of tiredness and happiness that only those who play can understand.

But then comes an important question:

What shall we do in the afternoon?

And that is when Mallorca starts playing its own match.

One of the plans I really like to recommend is visiting Fundació Miró Mallorca, in Cala Major. It is not the typical plan everyone imagines when they come to the island for the first time, and that is exactly why I find it so special.

The Fundació is located in the place where Joan Miró lived and worked during his years in Mallorca. There, you can visit the Sert Studio, designed by Josep Lluís Sert, Son Boter, an old Mallorcan house that Miró used as a second studio, and the Moneo Building, home of the foundation.

But beyond the names and the architecture, what I like most about this place is the feeling it gives you.

After an intense morning match, entering Fundació Miró feels like completely changing rhythm. You go from the sound of the ball, the glass walls and laughter on court to a space of silence, colour, light and creativity. And there is something very beautiful about that contrast.

There is also creativity in padel, even if we do not always think of it that way. Every point forces you to decide, improvise, read the ball, find spaces and look for solutions. The player who hits the hardest does not always win. Very often, the player who sees what can happen first is the one who wins.

Something similar happens with art.

Miró had a very free and personal way of looking at the world. His colours, shapes and symbols do not always try to explain everything in an obvious way. Sometimes they simply ask you to look with different eyes. And after playing padel, that feels like the perfect plan to me.

Because the body has already worked. Now it is time to let the legs rest a little and activate another part of the mind.

I remember one of my visits to Fundació Miró as one of those quiet plans that reconnect you with Palma. You do not need to rush from one room to another or understand everything. You only need to walk, observe, let yourself be surprised and enjoy being in a place that forms part of the island’s artistic history.

I also like it because it is located in Cala Major, an area of Palma that many visitors associate only with the beach, but which hides this very special cultural corner.

And that sums up very well what I want to share through Grip and Trip: Mallorca is not only sun and beach. And a padel trip does not have to be only about playing matches either.

It can start with a training session, continue with a match, carry on with a relaxed meal and end by discovering a museum, a cove, a cave, a terrace with views or a corner that was not part of the original plan.

For me, that is the magic of combining padel and Mallorca. Padel connects you with people. Mallorca connects you with the place. And when you bring both together, the trip becomes much more complete.

At Grip and Trip, we want those who come to the island to experience exactly that: sport, yes, but also culture, calm, gastronomy, the sea and authentic experiences. We want padel to be the starting point, but not the only memory.

Because playing padel in Mallorca is already a wonderful plan.

But playing, improving, sharing the court and then discovering that the island also has art, history and creativity is a much more beautiful way to travel.

Mallorca can give you a match under the sun in the morning. And a few hours later, a walk among the colours and creative universe of Joan Miró.

Perhaps that is why I love this island so much.

Because it always has something more to show you, even when you think you already know it.