Island life
Before you think of a high-rise lager beach holiday hell, remember that Mallorca is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. And that despite the unstoppable popularity of its coastline, the island is much more than simply a big beach resort. Mountains, farmland and rural landscapes characterise the terrain of Spain’s largest island and the mass tourism that has made it famous since the 1950s is very localised, leaving inland areas untouched, quiet and peaceful, while capital city Palma is a cosmopolitan and stylish city. Sometime Notting Hill residents Annie Lennox and Claudia Schiffer are both rumoured to have Mallorcan bases, and it’s easy to see why.
So our destination was not the beach, but the isolation of a rural retreat: a large villa with a pool in the south of the island. A villa holiday offers the best of any location: eat out when you like or enjoy shopping for local delicacies to eat in the comfort of your own space, children in bed, followed maybe by a moonlight swim. Our house was Na Parra, a traditional style Spanish finca with a large garden and a secluded feel, fully equipped with everything you need and very well-located as a base for exploring the island.
Five big bedrooms, lots of bathrooms, a large living room and a kitchen set up for feeding large numbers of people makes this a holiday house for a big group and our party of four adults plus a toddler had ample room in which to spread out. Na Parra is an impressive place with a double-height ground floor living room with colourful 1980s canvases on the walls and a large marble staircase leading to a galleried first floor. Windows on all sides overlook a huge garden and big pool and the place’s sheer scale and isolation mean that nights at Na Parra are eerily quiet. In fact our urban ears are so unused to the silence that every sound takes on a scary intensity in the silence and blackness of the rural small hours. Outside there are chickens, bats and who knows what other forms of wildlife; we worry slightly about predatory wild boar and other monsters but by the light of day and the alarm call of the cockerel our fears are shown to be unfounded. Yes, it really is this peaceful.
The Mallorcan landscape is full of olive trees and populated by wild goats and its inland towns are beautiful with pale stone houses and winding streets. A drive of an hour or so northwest from Na Parra takes us to Valldemossa, a beautiful hilly town with winding streets and steep passages and from there we drive further into the mountains to Deia, the beautiful village of small rock houses made famous by Robert Graves’s residence in the 1940s. Driving back south, we stop at a touristy glassblowing centre where we watch some skilled action with hot molten glass and pick up some colourful and kitsch creations.
Another day we drive south-east to the coast and try a seafront restaurant at Porto Petro, a small fishing village with a handful of pretty eateries serving varieties of paella and various seafood options. We stop at a small yacht harbour at Sa Rapita for strong coffee with a community of boat lovers.
Despite clear directions, returning to Na Parra is always tricky: it’s so secluded because it’s hidden and not until the end of the week can we be certain not to miss the tiny turning off the main road that takes us to our island retreat. Still, on our next visit we’ll have a head start with the geography.
Plan your island retreat
Mallorca Farmhouses is dedicated to providing self-catering accommodation, often off the beaten track. Seamless service starts at the airport where you are met by a representative who hands you your car keys and comprehensive directions to your house, along with a combination to a key box outside the building. On arrival there’s a hamper of goodies to keep you going until you get to a supermarket as well as a packed information manual full of details on everything from how to find the supermarket to a warning on the tough local penalty for using a mobile phone while driving. Mallorca Farmhouses also offers a gourmet chef service, where a team of chefs and service staff will serve up a fabulous feast of your choice in your own finca. The rural location of most properties makes car hire essential, and most Mallorca Farmhouse bookings come with a car included. Visit the website and search for your ideal holiday house according to a variety of criteria
www.mallorca.co.uk
Mallorca Farmhouses 0845 800 8080