Mallorca offers the very best of the Balearics, from Palma’s hipster hangouts and great Gothic cathedral to jaw-dropping mountains, authentic inland villages and a stunning coastline of golden beaches and aquamarine bays.
Of all Mallorca’s beaches, Cala Deià holds a special place in our hearts, offering crystal-clear waters, a pebbly beach in a hoop-shaped cove and a terrific beach bar-restaurant.
Beyond the coast, Mallorca reveals a quieter interior of villages, olive groves and fincas, where daily life still follows long-established patterns.
The Serra de Tramuntana shapes the north and west, bringing cooler air, fabulous walking routes and a sense of scale that contrasts with the shoreline.
Palma is a city worth getting to know, with galleries, food markets and neighborhoods that reward unhurried exploration.
For a taste of local life, take part in the centuries-old tradition of harvesting olives, picking the fruit by hand before being rewarded for your work with a mountainside lunch.
Palma, Mallorca’s capital, is the Balearics’ one real city, a bustling, historic place whose grandiose mansions and magnificent Gothic cathedral serve as a backdrop to a well-preserved Old Town and an excellent cafe and restaurant scene.
To the north, the Tramuntana Mountains roll along the coastline, punctuated by deep sheltered valleys and beautiful cove beaches. Tucked in the mountain folds is Soller, a delightful little town of old stone houses best reached from Palma on the antique railway. Besides offering the best hiking in the Balearics, the mountains also camouflage a string of picturesque villages, most notably Biniaraix, Fornalutx, Estellencs and Banyalbufar. And of course there’s Deià, a mountain village so beautiful that the poet Robert Graves chose to make it his home.
In the north, Mallorca finishes with a flourish in the rearing cliffs of the Formentor Peninsula, best appreciated from the water, while diversions in the east include the spellbinding Drac Caves, home to one of the largest subterranean lakes in the world.
Set between two sandy coves on the south-east coast of Mallorca, Ikos Porto Petro is a breathtaking Balearic sanctuary offering mesmerising sea views, five crystalline pools and an indoor pool, six à la carte restaurants, a sumptuous spa and a wide range of water- and land-based activities, all backed up by Ikos’s renowned take on all-inclusive holidays.
This newest member of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition hotels is located on the glorious 1,300-acre Son Bunyola Estate in Mallorca’s protected Tramuntana mountain range. Branson has restored a beautiful historic finca (manor house) to its former glory and converted it into an intimate and luxurious boutique hotel, whose 27 rooms and suites offer breathtaking views of the sea or mountains.
Poised above pretty Port Soller, with awe-inspiring views across the bay and the hillsides, this sleek Jumeirah property is a paradigm of style and sophistication. Here you will encounter effortless elegance, excellent service, and easy access to the port with its sandy beaches, plus a great choice of restaurants and shops.
Perched in the hills beside the pretty village of Deià, between the Tramuntana mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, La Residencia is a work of art – remote, serene and stunningly beautiful.
“Why stay in a hotel when you can live in a palace?” asks the team behind Palacio Can Marqués, an authentic palace turned luxury hotel in the atmospheric old town of Mallorca’s capital, Palma.