MALLORCA, SPAIN

My husband and I were lucky enough to spend a week in Mallorca, Spain this Summer, after my parents said “yes!” to staying with our kiddos. I have such fond memories of staying with my grandparents for a week in the Summers growing up, and while I know it’s a lot of work, I hope (and know) my kids are making the same special memories with my parents as I did as a child.

Mallorca was a trip we had planned in 2020 before the world shut down, and I’ve been eagerly waiting to officially book it! A pandemic, two children, and a move to the suburbs later and we were ready to explore this magical island.

GETTING THERE

We took a direct flight from Newark, NJ to Palma (PMI) overnight on United. After arriving in Mallorca, we rented a car from SIXT and headed on our way to our first destination…

DEIA, MALLORCA

STAY

We stayed at La Residencia, a Belmond Hotel and it was perfection in every way. It’s the most beautiful property filled with flowers and greenery with the backdrop of a hillside village. There are multiple pools (adult and family), tennis courts, a beautiful spa, and 3 restaurants.

DO

The hotel offers a complimentary sunset cruise, which you can’t book until you arrive. Right after check-in, we quickly sat down with the concierge to make sure our itinerary hit all the spots. We were lucky enough to get a spot on the sunset cruise for our last night and it did not disappoint. The hotel drives you to Port de Soller at 7pm, and you will return to the hotel around 10:15PM. The views of the cliffs on the north side of the island are incredible. If you aren’t staying at the Belmond, or you don’t get the opportunity to take the sunset cruise I would rent a boat for a few hours during the day so you can see the views, swim in the ocean, and enjoy being out on the water. It’s worth it!

We enjoyed the Belmond property to the fullest, spending time at both of the pools, as well as playing a match of tennis on their courts (which overlook the village and ocean). We also got massages at the Spa, which were fantastic. There’s a pool, sauna, steam room, showers, etc.

While this area has a lot of tourists, the small village of Deia has remained extremely authentic with some of the best shopping on its one road strip. Grab a gelato and wander through the stores and streets of Deia.

Explore the adorable town of Velldemossa. It’s a little touristy, but if you arrive early in the morning you’ll beat the crowds (and get a good parking spot!) We spent a few hours here wandering the streets and popping into all of the cute little stores. It’s extremely charming and worth a stop! I’ve heard a lunch reservation at Es Taller is wonderful.

If you’re into hiking, the Velldemossa Es Caragoli Cova s’ermita Gullem trail was incredible! Its completely uphill the first 45 minutes, but the views of the villages and ocean below are worth it! You are truly on top of a mountain and each direction you look is breathtaking. Make sure you download the trail on all trails and follow it via your phone while walking as it’s not marked very well. We went into Velldemossa on our way to the trail and grabbed sandwiches and waters at Ca’n Molinas.

From the hotel, you can hike down (30 minutes) to Cala Deià and grab a glass of wine (or book a lunch reservation) at the famous Ca's Patró March. The beach is extremely rocky, so you likely won’t be sunbathing there - but you could go for a dip in the ocean afterwards!

We unfortunately didn’t get to spend a lot of time here, but Port de Soller is beautiful and lively with a ton of restaurants for dinner.

EAT

We enjoyed lunch at the hotel, or grab a bite to eat in Valldemossa

Dinner at Sebastians, Balm, Nama, El Miro, or El Olivo

GETTING THERE

Since we had rented a car, it was a quick hour drive to our next destination…

CANYAMEL, MALLORCA

STAY

We stayed at the adults only boutique Hotel Can Simoneta. It’s by far the most relaxing hotel I’ve ever stayed at and the views of the ocean and the property are stunning. When we arrived at the hotel and asked about activities nearby the concierge looked at us like we were crazy. She said “once you get your welcome drink and walk to the terrace, I don’t think you’ll want to do much more than stay here”, and to be honest, she was right. We spent most of our time on the property, enjoying the sunshine and views, reading books we picked up in the lobby, and laying on lounge chairs until 7PM.

DO

We really enjoyed the property to its fullest. We relaxed on lounge chairs, went in the hot tub, got massages, and swam.

Bike to the town of Arta, this one is pretty self explanatory but it’s about a 20 minute bike ride to the artsy town of Arta. Grab a coffee, shop, and walk around.

Walk down to the beach, ocean, and natural swimming pools.

We went with a local captain on his boat for 4 hours one morning. He took us to some incredible spots for snorkeling, swimming in caves, paddle boarding, and swimming to a private beach. The water is crystal clear all the way to the bottom! He then served lunch and beers before heading back.

There’s not a spa at this hotel, but there is a glass box (with drapery) in the middle of the trees looking out onto the ocean for massages. It was an incredibly relaxing thing to do mid-day before a drink on our lounge chairs.

EAT

The hotel offers a fabulous breakfast spread each morning, and they have a pretty large menu of food that can be delivered to wherever your lounge chair is for the day. This is how we spent most days.

For dinner, the hotel has two restaurants La Terraza and Can Simonta Gastronòmic (Michelin Star!) which were fabulous. We also ate at a restaurant 5 minutes away that was within a castle, Porxada de sa Torre. The food was fantastic!

If you’re looking for inspiration for summer outfits, you can check out what I packed in my suitcase here.