Oh well hello there! It’s been a while since there’s been a travel post around these parts, eh? 3 years and 7 months exactly. I mean things have been going on, but Mark and I finally booked in a trip just the two of us and had our first holiday abroad in well, 3 years and 7 months, and let me tell you IT WAS THE BEST. We slept in past 6am, we ate whole plates of food without sharing, there was *s-i-l-e-n-c-e*. We felt very lucky and grateful to be able to have a pocket of time just for ourselves and heck, even the airport feels like a relaxing experience these days.
We headed back to Mallorca because we had fond memories of it from our last visit there. We love the food, we love the people, we love the hotel we stayed at before and it’s just a quick little 2 hour flight from Gatwick. To be honest my original Mallorca Travel Guide is still the best place to head if you’re planning a trip there from scratch, but I thought I’d just add a few updates to show you what was so good that we revisited again, and a few new places that we discovered. Here’s what we got up to…
DAY ONE
We caught the early 5:40am flight out of Gatwick, which although horrific to wake up for I’d really recommend because it gave us some time to have a wander round Palma which we wouldn’t have had a chance to do if we’d caught the later flight. After grabbing our hire car we slung it into the Aparcament Parc de la Mar – super massive and not horrendously priced – which spits you out right in the centre of town. Last time we visited we didn’t really have a good wander round Palma and guys it was LOVELY! A must-do for sure. We were hungry so headed in the direction of Cafe Riutort and has the best jamón sandwich I’ve ever had. I’m still thinking about it now. Round that part of town there were some great shops to have a snoop in: Seattle Vintage Store for great vintage pieces and UNICO Vintage Store for the best range of vintage denim I’ve EVER seen, Surry Hills for coffee, M&P Studio looked like a great nail place, Petit Bumbü for baby bits, Covent de la Missió looked like the fanciest hotel – even the lobby smelt amazing and Purple Haze for vinyl.
But the star of the show was a place we’d been to before – El Camino. GET A RESERVATION HERE AS SOON AS YOU BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY. It’s a matter of urgency. I’d stupidly left it too late but managed to snag a last-minute booking that morning and I could have cried. It’s so popular and gets booked up quickly, but the hype is real. We’d been last time we visited and it was some of the best food we’d ever eaten. You will not be disappointed. Classic tapas dishes that are prepped and served at the bar. We had these red prawns that were on as special and they were so good that we ordered them twice. It’s that kind of place.
After a quick supermarket stop we headed to the hotel – Finca Serena – again, a place that we visited last time. We love it here. It’s in the centre of the island so there isn’t much nearby, but it’s a good middle point to travel from and the views from the hotel are stunning. It’s adults-only so very chill and I think it’s about 25 rooms so it’s not too buzzy. Think everybody just reading books by the pool all day. Heaven. The rooms are really simply decorated, service is great, the only con is the food – it’s pretty pricey and the dinner menu is quite fancy when sometimes you just want pan con tomate, you know? We bypass it by eating dinner once at the hotel as a treat and then doing a good supermarket shop so we can sort ourselves out for lunches.
DAY TWO
After quite a full-on day previously, on day two we chilllllled. We actually didn’t leave the hotel! We enjoyed the breakfast spread – it’s very nice and includes cold and hot options – then headed down to the pool to sun ourselves for a bit, before, yes you’ve guessed it – more food. A good ol’ supermarket lunch spread all cobbled together with the one plate and one knife that we found in the room. The great thing about the hotel is that it also has a spa. So I booked in for a massage which was so delightful that I fell asleep during it! HA! That has never happened before. It’s really quiet down there so Mark and I had the spa to ourselves! How lush is that? Then it was back to our room to freshen up before the fancy dinner that the restaurant serves up.
DAY THREE
As it was our final day we did a bit of everything. We actually worked out in the spa gym in the morning – I know, we’re proper adults now. Then we made the most of our last chance to DO NOTHING and did exactly that for a few hours. Then late afternoon we journeyed an hour across the island and up to Deià. It’s such a picturesque mountain-top village that doesn’t look real. If you see parking on the way in then grab it as parking is a bit of a pain in the bum. The little high-street is pretty pricey, but there are some lovely clothing and ceramic shops to have a nose in. We moseyed around and then ended up at La Residencia, which had been recommended to me by a friend. The views are beautiful, as are the cocktails but be prepared to for them to set you back €28! You’re basically paying for a front-row seat for one of the best views on the island (plus they do bring you lots of snacks!). Then we went to Restaurante Sa Vinya for dinner – I’d recommend reserving a table via email as lots of the tables were booked out. A great traditional spot and again – that view! We had the vegetarian paella and prawns and the aioli to start which was insane – definitely make sure you order that if you visit. A garlic-lovers dream. All in all the perfect end to the holiday that made us feel brand new again.
Photos by Mark Newton