A Taste of Mallorca
Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands of Spain, which also include Ibiza and Minorca. The Balearics form a chain running more or less southwest to northeast, tracking with the Spanish coast between Valencia and Barcelona.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived as I’d heard mixed reviews — crowded, touristy and overrated on one hand; beautiful, great food and friendly people on the other. After six days on-island I’m leaning toward the latter.
I think this would have to do with where you decide to base yourself. We traveled with another family and wanted a villa that would accommodate all seven of us comfortably — three teenage girls (don’t even think about sharing a bathroom with me) and four adults. After doing our research we settled on a place in the picturesque Port d’ Andratx, at the southwest tip of the island, and I think it was the right choice.
Port d’ Andtratx
Andratx is a yachting destination and the harbor is crowded with boats large and small, from crewed mega yachts to racing sailboats to traditional fishing craft. We also learned it’s a destination for celebrities — Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac was spotted while we were there and apparently Brad and Angelina once owned a home in the hills overlooking the town. As you’d expect in a place where money is no object, there are plenty of great restaurants, shops, bars and cafes. These were all within walking distance of our villa, which meant we didn’t have to drive anywhere to eat — a major plus since we weren’t shy about pairing quantities of local wine with the exceptional food at pretty much every meal.
Some food highlights:
Milu on the yacht club side of the harbor. An Italian restaurant owned by two brothers from Puglia with a superb menu and wine list. They offer a tasting menu of the daily specials which is a terrific value and a great way to experience the chef’s cooking.
No11 on the waterfront. Asian inspired tapas and incredible cocktails.
Divino A wine shop with an extensive collection of wines including many local varieties. The owner, Dino, will share his viticultural knowledge as you taste the wines and sample local cheeses and charcuterie. We were planning to go to dinner the night we were there but enjoyed the hospitality so much, we decided to stay and order in from the restaurant across the street, which Dino was more than happy to arrange for us.
Bar Central One of many cafes overlooking the harbor for morning coffee. The Cortado was especially good here.
Home base — check. Now about the rest of the island.
Actually that’s not quite accurate — “the rest of the island” would be difficult to experience in six weeks, let alone the six days we were there. Mallorca is big, so I can only tell you about the limited area we were able to cover outside of Port d’ Andratx.
Beaches
We spent the first couple of days at two beaches not far from Andratx, Sant Elm to the west and Camp de Mar to the east. If I had to choose I would pick Sant Elm but the beach is quite small and crowded with sun beds. The sandiest area is on the left when you enter the town and as the beach continues west, with cafes and restaurants hovering above, rocks replace sun beds, but the water is much more inviting.
The town is nice, and only a little touristy, with shops and eating establishments flanking the street. We had a nice lunch at a place at the end of the road whose name escapes me, then returned to the beach for a couple of hours before heading back to Andratx. The only thing I remember about the food was the overly sweet sangria which was apparently spiked with Sprite or Seven-Up. Not what I was expecting….
While bigger than Sant Elm, Camp de Mar was not as clean and much more crowded, with a couple of big resort hotels standing sentinel over the beach. We did, however, eat a terrific lunch at Maria 5, with its eclectic Asian-inspired menu. There’s also a place called Illeta on a tiny island connected to the shore by a footbridge. It’s supposed to be incredible but we didn’t have a reservation.
Valdemossa
Our friends met a British couple who’d been vacationing in Mallorca for years and they recommended Valdemossa, a picturesque village in the Tramontana mountains which dominate the west of the island. We went there for a beach break on day 3 and it was well worth the drive. There are two ways to get there from Andratx — a longer, meandering mountain road with incredible views of the landscape and Mediterranean sea, and a more direct route approaching the mountains from the east.
A couple of people in our group were apprehensive about the mountain road so we split the driving. I took them up the easier route and returned via the mountain, while the other car did the opposite. Both drives were lovely but if you’re not queasy about heights or narrow switchbacks I would recommend the mountain, for sure.
I believe “touristy” places are that way for a reason — because they’re beautiful and amazing. There’s no getting around it and I think you would be hard pressed to find a village in Europe worth visiting without hunting for a parking space or jostling for a cafe table. So if you go to Valdemossa expect lots of people like you, aka tourists (unless you go off season). Get over it and spend a couple of pleasant hours wandering the cobblestones, gazing at the vistas, and checking out the ancient churches.
Apparently, Chopin lived in Valdemossa for a time and composed some of his symphonies there. A museum dedicated to the composer is adjacent to the Placa Cartoixa, a pleasant, shaded square that also includes the town’s primary church — the Iglesia de la Cartuja.
But for us, the main attraction of the square was Es Requssar, which we stumbled upon for lunch. We knew it was the place to be when we approached the hostess at 1:30PM and she informed us that the chef would not be ready until 2PM, take it or leave it. We took it and it was more than we could have hoped for. The food all homemade in a tiny kitchen by people who clearly had a passion for their craft. From the patates bravas to the empanadas to the roasted and stuffed eggplant and lamb, everything was meticulously prepared and utterly delicious. If we didn’t have to drive back down the mountain we could have easily stayed in town through dinner.
Palma
The next day we visited Palma — the island’s capital and commercial hub. It’s a pretty big city with a lively harbor and yacht marina. There were a couple of cruise ships parked at the dock and I would estimate over 2,000 vessels at the marina, ranging from mega yachts to smaller sail and power boats.
The old city center is where you want to be, dominated by the Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca, a massive gothic cathedral as impressive as any you’ll find in Europe, with rows of flying buttresses and a legion of menacing gargoyles mocking you from the heights. There was a wedding going on inside and it must have been someone important because two bodyguards even more threatening than the gargoyles stood barring the door. Too bad because I’m sure the inside of the church would have been amazing to see.
While the ladies took in the stylish shops, we strolled around the old center, with its narrow winding streets, cafes and little squares. It had everything I love about old European cities — oozing with charm and the prospect of discovery around every corner.
I hadn’t done any research into Palma, expecting it to be all cheesy souvenir shops and a concrete jungle of apartment and office buildings. But it was quite nice and now I wish we had set aside more than an afternoon to explore — until next time.
Mountains & Sea
On our last day we rented a private boat with a captain which is the best way to explore any island, in my opinion. We stuck to the west coast, in the lee of the magnificent Tramontana mountain range.
Taking a right turn out of Port d’ Andratx, we headed west around the southern tip of Dragonera island which is a protected marine sanctuary. The island cliffs were impressive, plunging into the sea from dizzying heights.
After rounding Dragonera (so named because it resembles a dragon from certain perspectives), we continued north along the coast, stopping at several swimming spots only accessible by sea. The coastline and lofty heights made each stop an idyllic backdrop for swimming and snorkeling, and the gorgeous water was a cool reprieve from the heat of the Mallorcan day.
All that activity made everyone hungry, and we entered our northernmost destination, Port de Soller, eagerly anticipating lunch. This is the port town of the village of Soller which is higher up the mountainside. A little train can take you to the upper town but we had other ideas (did I mention lunch?). As you might expect the waterfront was lined with restaurants and cafes, and we picked a place that looked as good as any other. Everyone else ordered paella but I went with a plate of grilled sardines which were quite good, washed down with cold beers.
Around the southern tip of Dragonera
By the time we returned to the boat we only had a couple of hours left on our full day rental, so we sped south, taking one or two detours for a quick plunge before arriving back in Port d’ Andratx.
Mallorca has a lot to offer — Mediterranean weather and water; rocky mountains and lush green valleys; food, wine and friendly, welcoming people. In the few days we were there, we never got farther east than Palma, nor did we see the north coast of the island. But I do feel like Port d’ Andratx was the ideal base for exploring some of the best areas of the island — by land and by sea.