Palma for grown-ups
Enjoy a relaxed, adults-only break in the buzzy Majorcan capital where low season prices are a bonus, writes Anna Pointer.
Two million Brits now hit the sun-drenched Balearic isle of Majorca every year, but many step off the plane and head straight for family-friendly resorts like Magaluf, Alcudia and Cala Millor. That’s a real shame, as the capital of Palma is a beauty, with a superb food scene, great shopping, striking Gaudí architecture and even a bustling Rambla that evoke the sense of a smaller-scale Barcelona.
Though Majorca has been in the news recently amid claims of rampant over-tourism, you can still holiday in Palma with a clear conscience. By shunning short-term rental properties that price out the locals and travelling in quieter off-peak months, you’ll avoid stoking the wrath of most natives.
Our hotel, El Llorenç Parc de la Mar, provides an ethical way to enjoy the city, with efforts being made to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact. The recruitment of local staff is a top priority, and they all receive training in the cultural heritage of the island. Meanwhile, energy-efficient appliances are used throughout, and fresh produce is sourced regionally.
Since opening in 2019, El Llorenç has been named one of the best hotels in Spain and Portugal by Conde Nast, and it also featured in TripAdvisor’s ‘Best of the Best’ in 2023 and 2024. Design-wise, its 33 rooms are steeped in cool Arabic tones, with recurring Moorish star patterns carved into the furnishings, flooring and even subtly imprinted on towels and bed linen.
Most appealingly for two work-weary souls like my husband and I, the hotel is strictly adults-only. You can therefore forget about squabbles at the breakfast buffet or dive-bombing in the pool, and instead revel in the deliciously peaceful atmosphere.
We spend most of our first day sprawled on a Balinese day bed on the panoramic three-tiered terrace, which boasts Palma’s longest rooftop infinity pool. Looking out at the tiny white boats bobbing on the Mediterranean while sipping an ice-cold ‘caña’, there is nothing more pressing to do than dip a toe in the water and apply an occasional spritz of Factor 30.
Happily for foodies, El Llorenç has a choice of two restaurants – the formal DINS with its Michelin star, and the more casual Asian-influenced Urba on the rooftop. Over a long and lazy lunch, we devour Korean-style chicken wings, crispy salmon nigiris and a plump king prawn brioche. But the crowning glory are lip-smackingly tasty duck dumplings with strawberry hoisin – which we both declare worthy of the cost of our flights alone.
Meanwhile, the house rosé, made from the native manto negro grape, is ice-cold and crisp and perfect for sipping through a breezy afternoon. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we fail to make it to the basement gym during our stay, but we do find time for a quick dip in the serene indoor thermal pool, as well as the sauna and ice fountain. With room rates as reasonable as €220 per night in low season, when the weather is usually still temptingly warm and sunny, luxury can certainly be affordable here.
Despite our blissed-out state, we are determined to venture out and explore. Handily, the hotel is located just a five-minute walk from the magnificent gothic Santa Maria Cathedral, also known as Le Seu. Its famed stained-glass central window is one of the world’s largest, casting mesmerising rainbows of light inside, especially if you catch it early or late in the day. Similarly impressive is the adjacent Almudaina Palace, which is the official residence of the King and Queen of Spain during their visits to Majorca.
Elsewhere among the city’s winding medieval streets, we stumble across shady public squares teeming with life, and are lucky enough to catch an impromptu jazz band getting the locals up on their feet.
We’re also drawn to Mercat d’Olivar food market, where giant Iberian hams jostle with artisanal cheeses, olives, spices and nuts, as well as fruit and veg in every colour. Amongst the convivial chatter of the locals, we pull up a stool at one of the market’s crowded bar counters for a sizzling plate of ‘gambas al ajillo’ (prawns in garlic), mopping up the oil with crusty bread. There’s another covered food market in the lesser-known, bohemian neighbourhood of Santa Catalina too, which is well worth a 10-minute amble from the old town.
The very best foodie experience of our trip, however, comes care of the award-winning Hotel Sant Francesc, lovingly reconstructed in 2019 from a former mansion house. On arrival, our charming host Ana leads us up to the rooftop terrace for pre-dinner aperitifs by the pool – perfectly timed to watch the sun set over the honey-coloured 14th century church next door.
Back down on the ground floor, the hotel’s Michelin-recommended restaurant Quadrat features a chic dining room for cooler months and a beautifully lit leafy courtyard for al fresco dining. With the encouragement of maître d’ Oriol, we embark on the epic tasting menu, which Head Chef Àlvar Albaladejo regularly adapts to reflect the island’s provenance.
His thirst for experimentation produces some truly extraordinary dishes, such as the ‘tomato sequence’ – comprising a non-alcoholic bloody Mary and an exquisite little pastry case filled with tomato and Menorcan cheese. After that comes a skewer of sardine, tomato and watermelon, which has been slow-cooked for 12 hours to render it deep red and ultra-sweet. Another knock-out is the tuna tartare and bearnaise served inside an eggshell, and a tiny lamb cutlet ‘lollipop’ with apricot emulsion. The ‘tribute to the black suckling pig’ offers a tender bite of pulled pork with light-as-air crackling, while the trio of tiny desserts includes strawberries with a crispy cream that dissolves on the tongue.
Belts happily loosened, we vow to work it off next day and so hire bikes for an energetic ride along Palma’s lovely seafront cycle path. A stop-off at trendy Portixol harbour is a must, as is a gawp at the cute pastel fishermen’s cottages in nearby Molinar; some of Majorca’s most sought-after real estate. After this point, a couple of miles from the city centre, the sandy beaches and clear water are too inviting to resist.
Two refreshing swims later and we pedal back to Nano Bicycles in the old town, where hire costs are around €15 per day.
That evening is sadly our last, so shortly after midnight we decide to check out Abaco, regularly lauded as one of the world’s best cocktail bars. It doesn’t disappoint. Hidden behind the wooden doors of the candlelit former palace are cascading displays of flowers and fruit, ceramics, tapestries and antiques, while a grand staircase leads to a series of museum-like rooms that you’re free to nose around.
As befits such opulence, rousing opera and classical music are the signature soundtrack, although thankfully, the drinks prices are not as eye-watering as you might imagine, with a glass of house wine around €7. It feels like an extremely fitting way to round-off our trip, and somehow manages to be exotic, naff, amusing and fabulous all at once. We love it, and are already plotting a return visit…
Starting room rates at El Llorenç Parc de la Mar are €480 in high season and €220 in low season, both room only.