The largest of the Balearics has finally shed its brash 18-30s persona as the world catches on to its idyllic rural loveliness and elemental beauty. Its coves and long sweeps of sand are not just a sanctuary for fly and flop travellers; locals harbour their own favourite spots for early morning swims, especially along its wilder, quieter north. Head inland, however, and the scene turns even more serene: fields of almond blossom, the mist-swirled Tramuntana mountains, vast orchards with lemons the size of your fist – all of which form a backdrop that draws scores of hikers and bikers to inhale its restorative air and get the heart thumping.
Explore Mallorca’s mountain range
The great peaks of the Serra de Tramuntana range, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, runs from the north-east of the island to the south-west, carved with ancient terraces, working farmland and olive groves. Corkscrew roads twist along the mountainside with startling sea views soaring towards the horizon; and it’s here, cyclists climb and dive between the breathtaking village of Valldemossa, the artist’s hub of Deia and down to Port de Soller. Step away from the road and dusty hiking trails twist along thyme-scented trails towards the brooding Cala Deia for you to string up your clothes on its rocks and take a cooling dip. If you’re staying in Palma, the most atmospheric way to rumble through the mountains all the way to Soller is aboard the rickety and century-old Tren de Sóller (Soller railway).
Delve into the Caves of Drach
It’s not just above ground that Mallorca enamours visitors. Towards the eastern point of the island and hidden out of sight below the town of Porto Cristo is this subterranean layer of caves, leading to a depth of 25 metres. Guests descend its cool pathways and as the light fades, centuries-old stalagmites and stalactite formations slip into view, where you’ll hear the rhythmic drip of hidden waterfalls as you stagger down pathways chiselled between its vast geological formations. The hour-long adventure culminates in an illuminated boat trip over the underground Lake Martel – a startling shade of turquoise – where a quartet plays live classical music to hushed visitors in its echoey chamber.
Submerse yourself in the Mondrago National Park
This natural park ties in vast wetlands, honey-coloured cliffs and wild, back-to-nature coves, without a high rise or hotel in sight. Its ribbon of white sands carving out coves is never entirely crowd free, but there’s still plenty of space to stretch out, especially if you follow the lead of salty-haired locals and pick a beach a day. On pine-backed S’Amarador, sugar-soft sand spills out towards the cerulean sea. Neighbouring Cala Modragó pulls snorkellers into its clear, mellow waters with just a sprinkling of hotels hidden behind the beach. And on dinky Caló Des Burgit, locals bathe in the sizzling Balearic sun, gazing at the handful of yachts offshore and clambering over rocks to dive headfirst into water as clear as glass.
Discover the island by bike
Mallorca has rightfully gained a reputation for its cycling terrain – of which there are miles of spectacular and demanding routes, rising with the island’s mountainous interior and dropping towards soul-stirring turquoise lagoons. If you’re looking for an iconic ride, the route winding to the Cap de Formentor lighthouse clocks up an arduous 1,000m climb but the dreamy Med views more than make up for the pain. The ride to Lluc Monastery takes you along the hairpin bends of the Tramuntana’s Ma-10 with a blast down to this former monastery, where you can refuel on a café con leche and wander round its botanical gardens. Finally, there’s the formidable climb from Coll dels Reis to Sa Calobra, weaving along 26 hairpin bends that are laid out for you to gawp at, before a thrilling final descent.
Beach hopping across the Balearics
If you want to delve deeper into the island’s unfathomably pretty coastline, splash out on a yacht charter for an extraordinary showcase of hard-to-reach coves and further-flung beaches on the remaining Balearics. Uninhabited Cabrera swells out of the sea a few miles south of Mallorca, smothered in thick vegetation with its rocky boundaries concealing hidden lagoons and grottoes tricking with threads of waterfalls. Navigate to the south-west and you’ll steam towards Ibiza and its iconic spiritual rock of Es Vedra. Tantalisingly close is a vision of the Caribbean on go-slow Formentor. And beyond Mallorca’s north-eastern tip, some of the Balearic’s most authentic and crowd-free slips of land lie in waiting on Menorca.