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Mallorca is one of the most visited areas of Spain and we wanted to see whether we could find lesser known spots, and create a holiday that had a deeper look at the culture and landscape of the island, not just the surface level tourism the island has become known for. Frédéric Chopin the famous composer visited the island to improve his ailing health and Joan Miró, a famous Spanish painter, married his wife in Mallorca and spent the rest of his life there. There have been many other famous personalities who lived or travelled to Mallorca throughout its history and we quickly understood why.
The nature in Mallorca is difficult to describe with words. The sharp cliff mountains peacefully roll into green valleys which then find their way to the aquamarine beaches. The island is full of lush greenery and the olive trees pay homage to the cultures and peoples which inhabited this land for the past three thousand years.
In our quest to skip the masses and the well-trodden paths, we decided to focus on seeing more of this beautiful nature. We found a small family-run hotel that was completely cut off from the hassles and worries of day to day life, in Valldemossa. Ca’s Garriguer was the perfect hotel for enjoying nature in complete peace and quiet, surrounded by olive groves, fields and mountains in the distance.
The area around Valldemossa is great for hiking and there are many popular paths. Interestingly almost all of the land on Mallorca is privately owned and it has been historically difficult for the local government and agencies to come to agreement with the owners so that people could cross their land to get to beautiful mountains and beaches. Nowadays, there are a lot of paths that are public but they have warning signs for travellers not to leave the path itself.
To learn a bit more about the area and to also see some of the most marvellous olive groves we travelled to the Son Moragues estate. Founded in the fourteenth century, this amazing land has been transformed in recent times to its original grandeur. It is a hidden gem in Valldemossa. The estate has small tours around the premises along with lunch, where local cuisine, their products and local wines are provided. We were able to try local delicacies such as Pa amb oli and Sobrassada.
South of Mallorca
After we immersed ourselves in nature we wanted to see a different part of Mallorca so we drove across the island to Finca Hotel Rural Es Turó. This hotel is also located in a secluded place, away from the highways and loud cafes. It is a stylish hotel that allows you to feel like you have rented your own small villa.
It has a relaxed vibe and there is a restaurant and bar that looks out onto the swimming pool.
The biggest advantage of this hotel’s location is the proximity to probably the best beaches we have ever visited. These two beaches are called Caló del Moro and S’Almonia, and are located in Santanyí. They are a little bit difficult to get to which makes them even more unique. It is a lot of walking as non-residents cannot park their car in the village itself (only on one road near the entrance).
What you get for this physical excursion is pure, unspoiled natural beauty.
If you arrive early in the morning (around 8am) you get the beach all to yourself and get to feel the early morning breeze before the weather heats up. Photos do not give the credit this place deserves and visiting these beaches should be near the top of everyone’s bucket list.
Palma
Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the Balearic Islands and also its biggest city. Palma was originally a Roman settlement, which was then conquered by the Byzantine Empire and then by the Moors. Although the modern city has retained some of its ancient artefacts, the advent of mass tourism in the 1950’s changed the city and its people completely. Nowadays the majority of citizens work in the tourism industry along with foreigners from the EU and other countries.
The impressive La Seu cathedral in Palma is one of Mallorca’s most significant heritage sites. It is a huge cathedral built on the site of a former mosque. The building of the cathedral began in 1230 and continued for 400 years. The cathedral has continued to have additional work undertaken with the renowned architect Antoni Gaudi adding to it more recently. The city itself has a traditional Spanish look with small streets and opulent facades. There are also some interesting constructions to be found on the smaller streets.
To finish our adventure we wanted to see local cuisine in a fine dining flavour. The DINS Santi Taura is a restaurant that fuses creativity and ancient recipes to showcase the varied flavours Mallorca has to offer. The set menu was incredible and the staff explained small parts of the history of the island through every meal.
Our recommendations
Mallorca is one of the most visited places in Europe and it is very important to book everything in advance. Especially accommodation and cars.
Mallorca also has a lot of bars and clubs for those who want to go, be careful as there is a lot of drinking and the evening could quickly turn sour.
We recommend focusing on seeing the nature of the island as it is still incredibly underrated in our opinion.
As always, we would be happy to plan the whole trip for you. Leave the stress and hassles of travel planning to us.
