Discover sun, sea and scenery – and where to stay on the beautiful island
This chic, family-run agroturismo lies at the heart of Pla de Mallorca, the central plain, dotted with small towns and villages accessed by quiet country lanes. This is the authentic heart of the island and Gossalba has distilled that feeling down into a charming nine-room retreat. The location may be rural, but there’s no scrimping on comfort – rooms are light and spare, with traditional carved wooden furniture and terracotta tiled floors, and the freshwater pool is perfect for cooling off after a day’s exploring. There’s no restaurant, but owners Cati and Ken are on hand to make recommendations and reservations.
Doubles from £120 room only, gossalba.com
Tucked away in the foothills of the Tramuntana, just outside the village of Valldemossa, there’s a languid, old-fashioned elegance to this lovely finca, parts of which were built in the 16th century. Rooms are spare – cream stone walls, drapes and flooring – but feel wonderfully luxurious, while the lounges, filled with books and plump sofas, are a retreat from the heat of the day. The biggest joy, though, is the glorious views across forested mountains from the deck around the infinity pool, the pretty dining terrace and most of the rooms.
Doubles from £248 B&B, mirabo.es
Newly opened this year, this upmarket agroturismo is ideal for those seeking a sense of isolation and escape, with just 10 stylish bedrooms and grounds stretching for more than 200 acres. A great choice for walkers, there are guided tours around the estate, including its Olive Tree trails, and a lovely route between the three neighbouring villages of Selva, Caimari and Moscari. Dinner at the farm-to-table restaurant, Mirabona, is a must, created from vegetables and herbs from the estate’s botanic gardens.
Doubles from £207 B&B, fincacanbeneit.com
Set among almond, carob and olive trees, and surrounded by flower-filled gardens and with its own pool, the Roqueta has just four apartments, carefully created from a clutch of houses dating to the 13th century. Each one has a well-equipped kitchen, bedroom and sofa bed in the lounge, furnished in traditional Mallorquin style – tiled floors, cream-brick walls, simple and simple furniture. Outside, there’s a pool and garden, and the quiet streets of Maria de la Salut are home to some excellent, traditional restaurants. If you want to experience authentic Mallorca, this is the place.
One-bed apartment from £81 room only, agroroqueta.com
The most beautiful village on the island, hilltop Deia – beloved of artists, writers and composers – also gets overrun with tourists. Staying nearby offers the chance to visit in the morning and evening, but hotels in the village can be ruinously expensive. Es Moli, a delightful 17th-century estate a short drive out of the village, is the most affordable, without compromising on comfort. A hotel since 1965, rooms overlook mature, flower-filled gardens and the pool – encircled by mountains and olive groves – feels like a natural cocoon. In the evenings, choose from formal dining at Es Jardi, or tapas on the terrace at Terraza Deia: supper with a side-helping of those extraordinary views.
Doubles from £120 B&B, esmoli.com
Life at Sa Bassa Rotja – a rolling 100-hectare estate in the east of the island, first settled in the 13th century – is centred around the glorious pool, flanked by palm trees and crisp white loungers. It’s impossible not to relax here, whether wine-tasting on the terrace, joining a yoga class under the trees or cycling along the quiet roads that twist through the estate’s orchards and plains. The hotel’s renowned chef, Marti March, serves a weekly changing menu in the stone-walled dining room, and the spa offers an excellent range of treatments and therapies.
Doubles from £126 B&B, sabassarotja.com
If you’re looking to get seriously get off-grid, this vast 14th-century rural estate, hidden away among the Tramuntana’s peaks, will tick all the boxes. The drive in is something of a Top Gear challenge, but once you’ve arrived, there’s nothing more for the car to do. This is an eco-friendly, sustainable fly-and-flop, with guided walks up into the mountains, an organic spa with outdoor treatment pavilions and alfresco yoga classes. There are just 25 rooms – meaning the place never feels busy – and two restaurants, Roots and Arratxa, which both source their ingredients from local farms and producers.
Doubles from £261 B&B, ratxo.com
Claiming to be The first vegan hotel on the island, Ecocirer is a delightful, family-run guesthouse in the heart of leafy Sóller. Breakfasts – of homemade xeixa bread, made with a traditional Mallorcan grain, fresh fruit and vegetables, drizzled with the family’s own oil – are fantastic, and there are cookery classes if you want to learn more about local vegan dishes. The rooms, tranquil in shades of stone and cream, feature paintings by renowned Mallorcan artist Francesca Marti. For the ultimate retreat, book Dream – a junior suite with private roof terrace offering spectacular views over the Tramuntana.
Doubles from £150 B&B, ecocirer.com
A gorgeous, adults-only escape, Can Aulí opened its doors last year, bringing a hit of style to the quiet back streets of Pollensa. In the carefully restored 17th-century mansion, the imposing stone arches, towering ceilings and wide staircases create a feeling of laid-back grandeur, with bedrooms that feel contemporary without being stark. In spite of its in-town location, The walled courtyard garden, complete with small pool, feels very peaceful, and the menu of tasting plates – served by candlelight and sourced from across the island – is bang on trend.
Doubles from £230 B&B, boutiquehotelcanauli.com
The Tramuntana and its villages are the most picturesque region of Mallorca, but also tend to be the busiest; to escape the crowds, head to the north-east corner, where lush agricultural plains roll out around the historic town of ArteArtà. Son Penya is a tranquil, adults-only retreat created on one of the island’s rural estates; rooms are scattered between olive and citrus groves, while the small spa has an indoor pool, Turkish bath and treatment room. The restaurant serves delicious Mallorquin cuisine withand excellent local wines, with tables set in a cool dining room beneath gothic sandstone arches.
Doubles from £184, sonpenya.com
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