I have been dreaming of returning to Mallorca since my first trip there back in 2017. The tranquil coves, crystal clear waters and rugged landscapes have been calling me back for six years, and I finally made that journey last month. Predicatably, I fell in love all over again, easily settling into a daily routine and doing what I always do on holiday: fantasising of what my life would be like if I lived there. Long, languid mornings reading a book in the sun, dipping in and out of the sea, afternoons strolling around picturesque towns or seeking out small coves only accessible by path, enjoying a glass of wine with dinner as the sun sets. We stayed in small, quiet spaces and spent most of this trip just taking things slow, so I don’t have an action-packed travel guide to share. What I do have is hundreds of photographs (which I’ll try to condense down to dozens here, for the sake of your bandwidth) and a handful of recommendations for my favourite places on the island

Valldemossa & the mountains

For the first couple of days, we based ourselves in the mountains on the west coast of the island, just outside Valldemossa. Here, we ventured out to explore the region during the day, returning late in the afternoon for bracing dips in the freezing cold pool and sunbathing with a book and radler in hand. We made picnic teas with bread, cheese and tomatoes, whiling away our evenings with walks through the olive groves and woodland that our hotel backed onto, seeking out view points of the sea. We visited Valldemossa, Deia and Soller, as well as a morning trip to Consell flea market. If you’re planning to visit Valldemossa or Deia I’d recommend waking early - we were there in April and we struggled to find carparking, and I can only imagine how busy it gets in summer! I had my first swim in the sea of the holiday in Soller - the water temperature was perfect for me, but I’m partial to swimming in cold water on a warm day.

Ca’s Garriguer

We spent the first three nights of our trip in a lovely little agroturismo named Ca’s Garriguer, a five minute drive outside Valldemossa. I loved how peaceful and beautiful it was here, spending a lot of time wandering around with my camera in awe of the scenery. We woke to misty mountain views, and admired the olive groves glowing in the golden hour light. Wild goats roamed the woods and a field of friendly donkeys neighboured the olive groves. There are only twelve rooms, all large in size with a private terrace and access to the pool. My only complaint about staying here would be that there is no way to walk into town, unless you’re comfortable with walking in the road. There’s no pavement and no other walking route into Valldemossa, so we stuck to a routine of going out for the day and spending our evenings at the hotel - slightly tricky when there was no restaurant or bar, but we made it work with supermarket shops and the mini fridge in our room.

Cala Santanyi & the coast

For the final five nights of our trip, we relocated to the opposite side of the island to stay in the area I fell in love with last time I visited Mallorca. We based ourselves in Cala Santanyi, in one of my favourite places I’ve ever stayed (scroll down for more info). Our days here were slow and lazy - I would spend most of the day lounging on the rocks, beach or balcony with a book, swimming in the aquamarine sea, and occasionally venturing out to explore the surrounding area. We visited Santanyi for market day and a browse around the shops (Terra Origens is up there with one of my favourite ever shops). We walked to Cala Lombards for a swim, and attempted to walk to Cala Figuera along the coast (we were foiled by a treacherous route). We then drove to Cala Figuera for lunch another day, and then onto Cala s’Almunia to admire the rugged beach (note - I also recommend Calo del Moro from our previous trip). Evenings were spent wandering around the streets of Cala Santanyi, dining in the local restaurants, sitting on the beach and watching the sunset, and waking in the middle of the night to gape at the milky way sparkling in the sky.

Cal Tio Miquel

We stayed in a converted fisherman’s hut, situated right on the water in Cala Santanyi. This was honestly one of the most special places I have ever stayed, purely for it’s incredible location. I only had to step outside the door to submerge myself in the water, and spend many a morning soaking up the sun on the rocks. We could lie in bed with the window open and a full view of the sea, pretending we were on a boat - or sit up on the balcony and watch the world go by below. At night, we fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, and we woke up in the morning to the sight of fishermen getting their boats ready to head out for the day. I’d return here in a heartbeat, and thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a special place to stay.