EDITOR’S EXCLUSIVE
Mallorca in
close-up
If you are taking a short break in Mallorca this
summer, here are a few new places to try and,
of course, some all-time favourites you won’t
want to miss – whether you have been before or
are here for the first time. BY dEluXE EdItor BIrGIt uNGEr
F
rom time to time I am asked to put
together for a blog or a column
my personal recommendations on
what to do and see on the Island.
This of course includes the latest
restaurants and hotels that have to
be tried and evaluated, and also local tapas
bars and hiking trails that one should really
get to know if you want to experience
Mallorca at its very best. If you are only
visiting the Island for a long weekend, the
chic refurbished town houses in the Old
Town that have recently been opened as
boutique hotels provide the perfect location,
right in the city centre. Can Alomar or the
Sant Francesc Hotel Singular are two
addresses we can thoroughly recommend.
They are also both perfect venues for a
glass of wine or dinner in the evening. The
summer season starts around Easter time
with a wide range of activities on offer, from
water sports to museum visits. The Island is
constantly reinventing itself, both on the
coast and inland, and there is always some-
thing new to discover. After a relaxing day
at Puro Beach Illetas in the south-west of the
Island, it is worth popping into the Coast by
East restaurant in Port Adriano for a sushi
dinner overlooking the superyachts moored
in the marina. Last year, the new four-star
hotel Meliá Calviá Beach opened close by
in Magaluf. In addition to the trendy interior
design of its pool bar and spa, its suites,
furnished in a contemporary style also offer
56 DELUXE
stunning 180 degree views of the sea – at
affordable prices. DELUXE tip: book a room
as high up as possible, and check the cate-
gory (a mountain view is also fine). The
Nikki Beach Club next door is of course a
well-known address for a fashionable day
by the pool, but we are also happy to
suggest the Bardot Lounge Bar at the Gran
Meliá Mar in Illetas as a suitable alternative.
Here you can sunbathe as if you were in
Cannes, and for dinner afterwards you only
need climb the steps to the restaurant Arrels
by Marga Coll for the perfect end to your
day. If you want to make the most of the
summer temperatures for a day's hiking,
you can take the path just before
Valldemossa that leads down to the restau-
rant Ca's Patro March – with its views of the
famous lime-stone arch. On the way you will
pass wild donkeys and walk through olive
groves before enjoying a well-deserved rest
at the bottom over a simple meal of fish
and a good glass of wine.
You can only get here on foot or by boat,
so don't leave it too late to walk back. In
Port Cala Nova in Sant Agustí, water sports
enthusiasts will find a wide range of ways to
spend an exciting day paddle surfing (also
on XL boards) and kayaking, or taking wind-
surfing or flyboarding lessons. Tip: The
Kokomo Surf Café lies just one bay to the
left for sundowners with modern tapas or a
veggie burger at the end of the day.
traNslatIoN cElIa moodY
caN alomar, PasEo BorNE
start your window shopping on the exclusive
Paseo Borne, where you will find the 5-star
hotel caN alomar. Its terrace bar is also my
tip for every fiesta in Palma, as you have a
perfect view of what is happening in the street
while enjoying a cappuccino in good company.
drive along the coast past the marivent Palace
to drop into the Gran melia mar hotel.
Its Bardot louNGE Bar is the perfect place
for an exclusive swim in the pool, followed by
a superb dinner at arrEls BY marGa coll.
For a hike, we recommend parking the car
on the right before Valldemossa and taking
the winding path down to ca’s Patro march
for a traditional fish platter as you enjoy
the peace and quiet.
sa Foradada, cala dE dEIà
NEW Puro BEach IllEtas