My Travel First Aid Kit for Mallorca: What Really Belongs in Your Suitcase

Why a well-thought-out travel first aid kit in Mallorca is more than a luxury

On Mallorca, the nearest open pharmacy isn't always around the corner. Early in the morning in the Serra de Tramuntana or late in the evening after dinner in a small cove at the foot of the Tramuntana you quickly notice: a plaster or a gel for sunburn doesn't just save the day, but the whole holiday feeling. The scent of pine trees, the cries of seagulls in the harbor of Port de Pollença and the midday heat make a small home pharmacy a practical companion.

The basics: What I always take with me

Bandages and wound care: Various plasters, sterile compresses, gauze bandages, disposable gloves. A small disinfectant spray or wipes — handy when a picnic at the cala or a bike ride in Sóller goes wrong.

Medications: Pain and fever relievers, a remedy for stomach upsets (not a bad idea with tapas or local street food), an antihistamine for allergic reactions and a light antiemetic for motion sickness — useful for the crossing to Cabrera or on winding roads through the Tramuntana mountains. If you take medication regularly, pack two extra days in a labeled bag and put prescriptions in your carry-on (see tips for check-in, hand luggage and the security checkpoint).

For mountain and beach days

On hikes in the Serra I pack elastic bandages, blister plasters and a cooling calf compress. The sun can be intense here too, especially when the air is fresh in the morning and the heat rises later. For the beach I bring after-sun lotion, a cooling gel for sunburn, ointment for jellyfish stings and a small pair of tweezers for splinters. Mosquito protection is mandatory in some rural places and in the evenings; sometimes a spray is enough, sometimes I prefer treated clothing.

Shelf life, storage and dosage forms

Ointments and syrups don't like direct strong sun — they usually fare better in the backpack than next to the cooling sangria on the beach. Keep tablets in their original packaging; add prescriptions and a doctor's note for prescription medications in your carry-on. For children or older travelers, liquid forms or drops are useful; they are easier to dose if things get hectic in the holiday home.

Practical everyday tips that are useful on Mallorca

Label everything with name and date and put the travel first aid kit in a waterproof bag — the sea splashes. I write down the emergency numbers, health insurance details and the address of the nearest clinic on a piece of paper and stick it to the back of the sunscreen or into the guidebook. In many villages pharmacies close briefly at midday; having a plan B saves nerves, and our practical tips for avoiding pickpocketing in Mallorca can help reduce other unpleasant surprises.

Check expiry dates before every trip and top up consumables like plasters or disinfectant wipes before the season. Small containers with solid sunscreen for your handbag, blister plasters in the shoe compartment and a cooling gel in the holiday home's freezer are often lifesavers in the afternoon when the beach calls.

Mini checklist — short for printing

Plasters, disinfectant, painkillers, anti-diarrheal medication, antihistamine, motion sickness tablets, sunscreen, after-sun, personal medications, prescriptions, waterproof bag, blister plasters, tweezers.

If you're a little prepared, you spend less time panicking and more time on what really matters in Mallorca: the first jump into the cool sea, the panorama from Puig de Galatzó and the gelato in the evening under orange trees. And a plaster is sometimes the fastest ticket back to a relaxed holiday.