Like a movie star settling comfortably into middle age, Mallorca has matured, wedding stunning natural beauty with an appreciation for the finer things in life without ever losing its glamour.
Contrary to what you may have heard about tourism overdevelopment on the island, Mallorca is one of the great natural destinations of the Mediterranean. Majestic limestone cliffs plunge into the translucent sapphire- and turquoise-hued waters of the Mediterranean for the length of the island’s western and northern coasts. Vast plains carpeted with almonds, carobs, olives and vineyards stretch luxuriantly across the interior. And yachts drop anchor in idyllic inlets that are otherwise accessible only on foot all along the eastern and southern coasts. Wherever you find yourself, the best way to explore all of this natural splendour is under your own steam, with a fantastic portfolio of hiking and cycling trails; they range from one-day escapes from the rigours of resort life to soulful days spent traversing the Serra de Tramuntana as you move from one pretty village to the next.
There are many reasons why Mallorca has become one of Europe’s premier summer destinations, but one ranks above all others: this is one beautiful coast. The island’s resorts have colonised many lovely coves, but there are many more again that serve as reminders of why the world long ago fell in love with the island’s beaches. On many of these, pine forests provide a picturesque backdrop and the space to put your towel is such as to send many other Mediterranean destinations, including on the Spanish mainland, into paroxysms of envy. But the Mallorcan summer is about so much more than beaches: Mallorca has perfected the art of coastal living, with Mallorcan food (including the freshest seafood), wine (vineyards are rarely more than an hour away) and natural attractions (ditto) at the centre of the whole experience.
All across the island, locals are returning to their cultural roots, and it’s one of the most exciting things to happen on Mallorca for decades. Forsaking quantity for quality, the island’s old manor houses, country estates and long-abandoned farms have sprung back to life as refined rural retreats. Food is also at the heart of this revival, with the island’s chefs – inspired as much by their Mallorquin grandmothers as by the innovative trends of Mediterranean nouvelle cuisine – revitalising the mainstays of the Mallorcan kitchen. Spending at least a part of your holiday in such a supremely comfortable place, apart from being the ultimate in rural relaxation, will take you deep into the Mallorquin world. And like so many visitors to the island before you, you’ll never want to leave.
