Place to visit Mallorca- the sunny, warm hues of the medieval heart of Palma de Mallorca, the archipelago’s capital, make a great introduction to the islands. Getting beyond the beach developments and out to some of the more secluded bays, and into the mountains and pretty inland towns, is the key to enjoying the island if you have time to venture beyond Palma.
The northwest coast, dominated by the limestone Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, is a beautiful region of olive groves, pine forests and ochre villages, with a spectacularly rugged coastline.
Most of Mallorca’s best beaches are on the north and east coasts, and although many have been swallowed up by tourist developments, you can still find the occasional deserted cove.
Palma de Mallorca
Place to visit Mallorca are also wineries and fresh produce farms, and stunning beaches.
Palma de Mallorca is a graceful and historic Mediterranean city with some world-class attractions and equally impressive culinary, art and nightlife scenes.
Catedral de Mallorca
Palma’s vast cathedral (‘La Seu’ in Catalan) is the city’s major architectural landmark. Aside from its sheer scale and undoubted beauty, its stunning interior features, designed by Antoni Gaudí and renowned contemporary artist Miquel Barceló, make this unlike any cathedral elsewhere in the world.
The awesome structure is predominantly Gothic, apart from the main facade, which is startling, quite beautiful and completely mongrel.
www.catedraldemallorca.org, google map
Palau de l’Almudaina
Originally an Islamic fort, this mighty construction opposite the cathedral was converted into a residence for the Mallorcan monarchs at the end of the 13th century. The King of Spain resides here still, at least symbolically.
The royal family are rarely in residence, except for the occasional ceremony, as they prefer to spend summer in the Palau Marivent (in Cala Major). At other times you can wander through a series of cavernous stone-walled rooms that have been lavishly decorated.
google map, www.patrimonionacional.es
Palau March
This house, palatial by any definition, was one of several residences of the phenomenally wealthy March family. Sculptures by 20th-century greats including Henry Moore, Auguste Rodin, Barbara Hepworth and Eduardo Chillida grace the outdoor terrace.
Within lie many more artistic treasures from such luminaries of Spanish art as Salvador Dalí and Barcelona’s Josep Maria Sert and Xavier Corberó. Not to be missed are the meticulously crafted figures of an 18th-century Neapolitan belén (nativity scene).
www.fundacionbmarch.es, google map
Es Baluard
Built with flair and innovation into the shell of the Renaissance-era seaward walls, this contemporary art gallery is one of the finest on the island. Its temporary exhibitions are worth viewing, but the permanent collection – works by Miró, Barceló and Picasso – give the gallery its cachet. Entry on Fridays is by donation, and anyone turning up on a bike, on any day, is charged just €2.
Museu Fundación Juan March
The 17th-century Can Gallard del Canya, a 17th-century mansion overlaid with minor Modernist touches, now houses a small but significant collection of painting and sculpture.
The permanent exhibits – some 80 pieces held by the Fundación Juan March – constitute a veritable who’s who of modern Spanish art, including Miró, Picasso, fellow cubist Juan Gris, Dalí, and the sculptors Eduardo Chillida and Julio González.
Accommodation
Misión de San Miguel
This boutique hotel, with its 32 stylish designer rooms gathered discreetly around a quiet inner courtyard, is a real bargain. Good-quality mattresses and rain shower heads are typical of a place where the little things are always done well, although some rooms open onto public areas and can be a tad noisy. Service is friendly and professional.
Hotel Tres
Hotel Tres swings joyously between 16th-century town palace and fresh-faced Scandinavian design. Centred on a courtyard with a single palm, the rooms are cool and minimalist, with cowhide benches, anatomy-inspired prints, and nice details like rollaway desks and Durance aromatherapy cosmetics. Head up to the roof terrace at sunset for a steam and dip as the cathedral begins to twinkle.
Eating
Can Cera Gastro-Bar
This restaurant spills onto a lovely inner patio at the Can Cera hotel, housed in a palau (palace) that dates originally to the 13th century.
Dine by lantern light on tapas-sized dishes such as frito mallorquín (seafood fried with potato and herbs), Cantabrian anchovies, and pork ribs with honey and mustard. The vertical garden attracts plenty of attention from passers-by.
www.cancerahotel.com, google map
Toque
A father-and-son team run this individual little place with real pride and warmth. The food is Belgian-meets-Med (perhaps cauliflower cream with butifarrón sausage, raisins and pine nuts, or pork cheeks with peach) and has generated a loyal following among palmeros. Wines are well chosen and modestly priced, and the €14.50 lunch menú is a dead-set bargain.
www.restaurante-toque.com, google map
Marc Fosh
The flagship of Michelin-starred Fosh’s burgeoning flotilla of Palma restaurants, this stylish gastronomic destination introduces novel twists to time-honoured Mediterranean dishes and ingredients, all within the converted refectory of a 17th-century convent.
The weekly lunch menú, three/five courses for €28/40, is a very reasonable way to enjoy dishes such as foie gras and duck terrine, or truffled pasta with burrata.
Around Palma de Mallorca
Mallorca’s northwestern coast is a world away from the high-rise tourism on the other side of the island. Dominated by the dramatic, razorback Serra de Tramuntana, it’s a beautiful region of olive groves, pine forests and small villages with shuttered stone buildings.
There are a couple of highlights for drivers: the hair-raising road down to the small port of Sa Calobra, and the amazing trip along the peninsula at the island’s northern tip, Cap Formentor.
Sóller is a good place to base yourself for hiking and the nearby village of Fornalutx is one of the prettiest on Mallorca. From Sóller, it’s a 10km walk to the beautiful hilltop village of Deià, where Robert Graves, poet and author of I Claudius, lived for most of his life.
From the village, you can scramble down to the small shingle beach of Cala de Deià. The pretty streets of Valldemossa, further southwest down the coast, are crowned by a fine monastery.
Further east, Pollença and Artà are attractive inland towns. Nice beaches include those at Cala Sant Vicenç, Platja des Coll Baix hidden on Cap des Pinar, Cala Agulla and others near Cala Ratjada, Cala Mondragó and Cala Llombards. Buses and/or trains cover much of the island, but hiring a car (in any town or resort) is best for exploring the remoter beaches, hill towns and mountains.