The Real Majorca

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12 FEBRUARY 2004
Inland idyll
Rural Majorca is a priceless asset with its hidden valleys protected by soaring peaks and fertile plains patchworked with olive groves, almond orchards and vineyards. Try to visit a country market where local produce is arranged like works of art. Villages in the interior can be wonderfully picturesque, too. At Sineu, there is a fine medieval palace, now converted into a monastery. Most holiday-makers visit the town for its atmospheric bistros and wine cellars, but be wary of its other claim to fame – aguardiente, the fiery local liqueur. If it's a peaceful hideaway you're looking for, take a break in a finca or farmhouse, many of which have been converted into exquisite hotels.

Beach beauty
"There are more stars here than in Hollywood," said legendary actor Edward G Robinson of Formentera, the exclusive corner of the north coast, which has the most stunning beach on the island and boasts a luxury hotel of the same name. Families with children of all ages will enjoy the handsome resort of Puerto Pollença, while parents with toddlers will appreciate the safe, sheltered, sandy bays of Cala d'Or. If the coves at Cala Mondrago in the uncluttered southeast corner begin to fill up, try Playa d'es Trenc, a three-mile sandy stretch now designated a conservation area.

Hotel hideaways
Majorca has some of the most exclusive hotels in the Med. The famous Hotel Formentera sits on its own pine-clad promontory with gardens cascading down to a sandy bay. The antique-filled La Residencia, created from two ancient manor houses, sits in a stupendous mountain bowl on the edge of Deia. And this year the Hotel Bon Sol in Illetas - where Errol Flynn was a regular - celebrates its 50th anniversary. The latest luxury kid on the block, the Mardavall Hotel, which is located five miles from Palma and opened last year, is already making waves with its superb spa. And Palacio Ca Sa Galesa, a converted 16th-century manor in the city's historic centre, manages to pack in a tiny indoor pool, sauna, solarium and delightful roof terrace. Meanwhile, Finca San Gener, in the island's rural heart, is a hideaway created from a row of 18th-century grain houses. The pool and terrace here are the place to watch the sun go down.

BY JILL CRAWSHAW