It’s hard to believe it’s been a month since we landed in Mallorca, Spain for our fifteenth anniversary trip. I don’t exaggerate when I say it was the vacation of a lifetime - the beautiful island offers the perfect mix of sightseeing, relaxation, and yes, excellent food, and we can’t wait to go back! At first, planning the trip felt a little overwhelming , so I was relieved when a friend recommended Mr. and Mrs. Smith as a curating site for boutique hotels. The site helped narrow down the hotel choices, and knowing that any we chose had already been vetted for design style, amenities, etc. made it so much easier to pick. Plus, we received a complimentary bottle of cava at each hotel we booked through their site!

Mapping out where to stay geographically, and what to do on the island is another choice between good, better, and best! Geographically, the island is varied, with the west coast having a rockier, more mountainous terrain, compared to the South-Eastern shore, which is more low and level. We chose to split our stay between two quite different areas, to get the most varied experience.

Palma is the city center of Mallorca, and where the airport is located. We book-ended our stay with single nights in Palma, to be able to take in a bit of the city, but rented a car to go to our other hotels, and explore the island. Palma is vibrant and bustling, especially between the hours of about 9 am to 3 pm, when cruise ship day-trippers take their excursions. We were thrilled with its charm, especially on the first night of our stay, when we were able to see the lunar eclipse over the water and main cathedral. We stayed at Hotel Cort - a boutique hotel right off one of the many “Placas” or courtyards in town. It was the perfect spot to spend our first night - centrally located, incredibly charming, with excellent service.

From Palma, we drove to Valldemossa, on the central west coast. The village of Valldemossa is small, provincial, and charming - with just the kind of slow pace we were craving. We stayed at Mirabo de Valldemossa, a converted olive oil farm and press dating to 1503 that seriously took my breath away. Between the views of the village, the simple elegance, and the resident free-range sheep, I don’t know what we loved the most! Our stay felt more like we were visitors to someone’s home than guests at a hotel. It was perfect in every way.

From Valldemossa, we day-tripped to the beach in Deia where we got our fix of clear, aqua water. It’s a rocky beach, which makes for a sand-free experience, but next time, I’ll bring my river shoes! On our way back, we stopped for lunch at a little place that had been recommended to us, and had fantastic paella and sangria. Not a bad day. Not at all.

After a few days in the mountains, we headed towards our next island “residence” on the South Eastern shore. The drive down from the higher terrain was incredible (a bit scary at times!), with several pit stops to take in the views. I can’t imagine it gets any better than this situation….

We spent the latter part of our stay in the Campos area in the south eastern portion the island. The vibe is different there, with sandy beaches and salt marshes. We stayed at Fontsanta Hotel. The name and concept derive from the thermal spring the hotel is built upon. According to the hotel, ancient Romans used the mineral-rich springs during their conquer of Spain, and built their version of a bath and spa around them, so it’s only fitting that the hotel built there focuses on a serene and restorative experience.

We spent our days here catching up on books, enjoying the thermal spa, and yes, took advantage of pool-side service. One of our day trips was to nearby Es Trenc beach, where the water is crystal clear, and very nice boats bob just beyond the sandbars.

Our week went by so quickly, and there’s so much we didn’t cover, but we didn’t want to feel rushed to go or do anything. We had fantastic food and wine, experienced wonderful service, and just soaked up as much of the chill pace as we could. I wouldn’t do anything differently, and am ready to plan our next trip!