Autumn: a good season to look for property?

Why autumn works for viewings

Summer is when most people first fall for Mallorca, but it is a hard time to judge a home. Afternoons are hot, the coast roads are full and many owners are away or letting their houses. From late September the island changes pace. Days are still warm, evenings are cooler and you can spend a full day driving between viewings without wilting.

The official climate figures for Palma airport show the shift. Average daily highs fall from about 28°C in September to about 24°C in October and 19°C in November, while sunshine stays generous. A week in October still gives you long, bright days to compare areas.

• Quieter roads make journey times to Palma, the airport and schools easier to judge.
• Car parks and beaches are less crowded, so you can look at a seafront street as it is most of the year.
• Working towns such as Felanitx, Inca or Sóller are back to their own rhythm after the summer.

See the place without the crowds

The main tourist season winds down at the end of October, when airlines switch to their winter schedules. Resort hotels close in stages. In autumn 2025 the Mallorca hoteliers’ federation said the season was getting longer, but only to about mid-November, with Palma and Sóller the last places to close. Some TIB bus lines are seasonal too: line 428 on the east coast, between Cala d’Or and Porto Cristo, only came back into service in late April this year.

This is useful information. If you are thinking of living somewhere all year, an autumn visit shows you which cafés, shops and buses carry on once the visitors leave. Resorts such as those in the North and Northeast go very quiet in winter, while market towns and Palma barely change. Neither is better, but it is worth knowing which one you are buying into.

The first rains: what they tell you

Autumn is the wettest part of the year in Mallorca. At Palma airport the average monthly rainfall rises from about 5 mm in July to about 50 mm in September and 62 mm in October, the wettest month. Much of it can fall in short, heavy storms. On 9 October 2018 flash floods in Mallorca killed 13 people, a reminder of how fast the island’s dry riverbeds (torrents) can fill.

For a buyer, a viewing in the days after heavy rain is a gift. Look for:

• Damp patches, stains or fresh paint on ceilings and at the foot of walls.
• Water standing on flat roofs and terraces, and blocked gutters and downpipes.
• A musty smell in rooms that have been closed all summer.
• Puddles or mud on the access track to a country house, and any sign of water crossing it.
• How close the property is to a torrent, and where water runs off the land.

The Balearic Government publishes flood hazard and flood risk maps through its water resources department. Your lawyer or architect can check whether a plot falls in a mapped flood zone, which also matters for building and legalisation rules on rustic land. Our guides to surveys and checks and buying a finca explain what to look at.

Shorter days and what to plan for

The clocks go back on the last Sunday of October, so late-afternoon viewings soon end in the dark. Plan rural viewings for the morning or early afternoon, when you can see the land, the views and the state of the roof properly. Mountain roads in the Tramuntana are slower in rain, so allow extra time between appointments.

Autumn is also a good time to sample local life. Many towns hold fairs from September to November. In Felanitx, for example, the Fira del Pebre Bord, the paprika fair, falls on the Sunday after 18 October. Markets, fairs and village fiestas show you who lives in a place once the summer visitors have gone.

A simple autumn plan

1. 1

   Shortlist zones first

   Decide what matters most, such as year-round life, airport time or schools, and pick two or three zones to compare.

2. 2

   Book viewings close together

   Group visits by area and leave time to walk the streets and drive the route to Palma at a normal hour.

3. 3

   Look again after rain

   If a storm passes during your trip, revisit the homes you like most and check roofs, walls and access.

4. 4

   Ask about winter

   Ask the seller which services, shops and buses run all year, and what the heating and insulation are like.

5. 5

   Line up your checks

   Before any deposit, have your lawyer review the paperwork and consider a building survey. See the buying process.