What to Buy Before You Arrive at Your Mallorca Villa

The things worth having on arrival are breakfast, coffee, water and something for the first night, so nobody has to shop tired and hungry. The list is the same whether you have booked a villa, a finca or an apartment. Everything else can wait until you have found your feet. This is a quick guide to the short list that actually matters on day one, what can wait, and whether it is cheaper to shop yourself or have a pack delivered.

The short version

Sort before arrival	Can wait until later	Why
Coffee, tea, milk	The full weekly shop	Nobody wants to drive before the first coffee
Bread and breakfast (eggs, fruit, yogurt)	Snacks and treats	Breakfast is the first thing everyone needs
Water, plenty of it	Specialty and favourite-brand items	Tap water is not always to taste; shops may be shut
Something easy for the first dinner	A proper food shop for the week	Saves a second errand on a tired evening
Basics: oil, salt, washing-up, loo roll	Beach and day-trip extras	The small things villas often run short on

What to sort before you arrive

Keep the arrival list short and boring on purpose. Coffee, tea and milk come first, because the first thing anyone wants after travelling is a cup of something and a sit down. Then breakfast for the morning: bread, eggs, and fruit or yogurt for the kids. Water matters more than people expect, since the tap water is not always to taste and you do not want to be hunting for a shop late. Add something simple for the first dinner, pasta and a sauce does the job, and a few basics like oil, salt, washing-up liquid and loo roll, which villas often run short on. That is genuinely all you need to land calmly.

Local tip: buy more water than feels sensible. In summer you get through it faster than you think, and it is the one thing it is most annoying to run out of on the first night.

What can wait

Almost everything else. The full weekly shop, snacks, treats, your favourite brands from home, the beach bits and day-trip supplies, none of it needs to be sorted before you arrive. Once you have had a night's sleep and worked out where the nearest supermarket is, the proper shop is a relaxed errand rather than a tired scramble. Trying to do it all on arrival day is what turns the first afternoon into a chore.

Cheaper to shop yourself or order a pack?

Shopping yourself is cheaper on the receipt, no question, if you land early and do not mind a supermarket stop on the way. The honest comparison is what your first afternoon is worth to you and whether the shops will even be open when you arrive. A delivered pack costs more than the same items off the shelf, but it covers the awkward late or Sunday arrival and the rural fincas and villas where nothing is open nearby. For a short first list rather than a full week, the gap is smaller than people expect, and Build Your Own means you can order exactly that short list rather than paying for a whole pack, from €50 up.

How to have it there before you arrive

This is what Prep'd does. We do the first shop and time the delivery to your arrival, so the kitchen is stocked when you walk in, with your drinks chilled to your preference. Where the property gives us access before check-in, we put everything inside and get the perishables into the fridge, so it is all waiting before you arrive. You just tell us your arrival time and what you would like chilled. The Essential covers exactly the arrival list above, breakfast and kitchen basics, and The Sunrise adds a week of breakfast for two. If you would rather choose the items yourself, Build Your Own lets you put together your own order instead of taking a fixed pack, with a €50 minimum and no limit on how much you add. It is the most popular option. You can see everything on the shop page.

Frequently asked questions

What should I have at the villa on day one?

Coffee, tea and milk, bread and breakfast, plenty of water, something easy for the first dinner, and a few basics like oil, salt, washing-up liquid and loo roll. That short list covers a calm arrival; the rest can wait.

What can wait until later?

The full weekly shop, snacks, favourite brands and beach extras can all wait until you have settled in and found the nearest supermarket. None of it needs sorting before you arrive.

Is it cheaper to shop myself or order a pack?

Shopping yourself is cheaper on the receipt if you land early and do not mind a supermarket stop. A delivered pack costs more but saves your first afternoon and covers late or Sunday arrivals and rural villas where nothing is open nearby. If you only want a short arrival list rather than a full pack, Build Your Own lets you order just those items, starting at €50.

How do I have it there before I arrive?

Prep'd times delivery to your arrival, with your drinks chilled to your preference. Where the property allows access before check-in, we put everything inside and into the fridge, so it is waiting when you walk in.

How much water should I get?

More than feels sensible. In summer you get through it quickly, and it is the most annoying thing to run out of on the first night.

Do you only deliver to villas, or to fincas and apartments too?

Any holiday rental. Villas, fincas, apartments, townhouses and holiday homes booked through Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo or an agency are all the same to us. Rural fincas are some of our most common deliveries, because they are usually furthest from a supermarket.

More on arrival day: see the best welcome pack for a Mallorca holiday rental and whether anything is open on a Sunday, or read the full guide to pre-arrival grocery delivery in Mallorca.