IF you thought that ditching long-haul holiday for destinations closer to home will save you money, you’re wrong.
Majorca is just a few hours from the UK and a trusted holiday spot – but in some cases it’s actually cheaper to go to the Caribbean.
The Spanish island has always been a top holiday destination, with two million British tourists going there every year.
It’s not hard to see why – the flight is short at around two and a half hours long, it’s got great weather and lots of pretty beaches.
But if you want to get more bang for your buck, you might want to look elsewhere – like the Caribbean.
In some cases, a two-week holiday to the Dominican Republic came in cheaper than a one-week break to Majorca.
This was highlighted by Pedro Fiol, the president of the Aviba association of travel agencies in the Balearics.
Talking to Majorca Daily on behalf of Spanish citizens, he said: “At certain times of the year it is more affordable to spend 15 days in the Caribbean than to enjoy a week in our own country.”
He continued to add: “For one of the most popular weeks of the year, around August 15, this can cost some €2,300 (£2,000) per person.
“In contrast, for the same dates a trip to the Caribbean, for example to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), for 14 nights in five-star all-inclusive hotels can be found for around €2,250 (£1,957) per person.”
While Pedro Fiol highlighted the expense for Spanish citizens to go on holiday in their own country – the same applies for Brits heading there too.
Looking at the likes of TUI, a one-week all-inclusive in Majorca during the week of August 17, 2026 can be as high as £3,793per person.
To have an all-inclusive break on the seafront – in similar looking locations to the Dominican Republic – you can book a break from £1,921 per person.
This is for a seven-night all-inclusive stay at the Iberostar Selection Albufera Playa departing on August 15, 2026, which has multiple swimming pools and beach access.
Meanwhile, 14-day all-inclusive to Bahia Principe Explore La Romana in the Dominican Republic departing on August 17, 2026, works out at £1,832 per person.
The Bahia Principe Explore La Romana has everything from multiple swimming pools to bars, a kids’ club and five on-site restaurants.
Overall the trip to the Dominican Republic is £89 cheaper – and you get to stay for twice as long.
At a day-rate, the break to the Dominican Republic resort works out at £130pppn, and the one in Majorca is £274pppn.
Here are some of our favourite Caribbean holidays…
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Hotel Capriccio Mare, Dominican Republic
Facing the calm, crystal waters of the Caribbean Sea, Hotel Capriccio Mare looks like a bright white island villa. The hotel’s position on Bavaro’s coastline is perfect for exploring the popular resort town of Punta Cana. Whether it’s strolling the sands to grab a fresh coconut with a straw, or venturing out on a catamaran trip to Saona Island, this dreamy Caribbean resort is not one to miss.
Coconut Court Beach Hotel, Barbados
This friendly, family-run hotel is a slice of Caribbean paradise. This hotel sits smak-bang on a sugar-white beach with warm turquoise waters. Enjoy both the beaches of Barbados and its plethora of rum bars – there are about 1,500 of them on the island.
Sugar Bay Club, St Kitts
Set on the quiet side of St Kitts’ Frigate Bay, the boutique Sugar Bay Club offers superb value and wonderful views of the Atlantic Ocean. Staff are on hand to assist with island tours, from catamaran cruises to scenic railway excursions.
Antigua Yacht Club Marina Resort, Antigua
Amazing Antigua has 365 beaches – one for every day of the year – as well as a fascinating history. This resort in Falmouth Harbour is perfect for exploring the beautiful local area, including Pigeon Point, Nelson’s Dockyard and English Harbour.
All-inclusive breaks to Majorca don’t have to be that expensive though – with TUI they start from £953 per person.
At this price you can stay for seven-nights at the Hotel Stil Picafort Park which has an adults-only pool, to entertainment like cabaret and comedy performances as well as bars and a restaurants.
It has four-stars and includes return flights to London Gatwick departing on August 17, 2026.
But, it still works out cheaper to go to the Caribbean island though by £6 a day.
The Dominican Republic is one of the cheapest Caribbean islands, so it’s fairly inexpensive to explore when you get there too.
The average price of coffee in the Dominican Republic is £1.54 and a meal at an inexpensive restaurant can start from as little as £4.96, according to Wise.
In Majorca, a coffee can be as much as £3.04 with a meal ranging from £26 to £43.
The flight to the Dominican Republic is, of course, longer, taking on average nine hours and 15 minutes.
But you can expect better weather all year round too – even its coldest month, the average low is 23C.
One of the world’s best is Canto de la Playa which is found on Saona Island and is considered ‘one of the Caribbean‘s best-kept secrets’.
It’s been described as having noticeably soft sand with calm waters for swimmers and vibrant coral reefs just offshore.
Saona Island is found off the southeastern tip of the Dominican Republic and forms part of the East National Park which is known for its mangroves coral reefs and palm-fringed beaches.
In the waters around the island, visitors can expect to see sea turtles, dolphins and even humpback whales.
For more on the Caribbean, check out the island where one writer travelled to that has world-best beaches and floating bars.
And discover the ‘true gem’ resort town on one of the Caribbean’s most popular islands.