Hello! 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 worked out on, but Mark and I finally booked a trip just the two of us and took our first vacation abroad in 3 years and 7 months, and let me tell you, IT WAS THE BEST. We slept past 6am, ate whole plates of food without sharing, there was *silence*. We felt very lucky and grateful to be able to have some time to ourselves and hey, even the airport seems like a relaxing experience these days.
We returned to Mallorca because we had fond memories of our last visit there. We love the food, we love the people, we love the hotel we stayed in before and it’s only a quick 2 hour flight from Gatwick. To be honest my original Majorca travel guide it’s still the best place to head if you’re planning a trip there from scratch, but I thought I’d add a few updates to show you what was so good that we revisited and some new places we discovered. Here’s what we did…
FIRST DAY
We got early at 5:40am. from Gatwick, which although horrible to wake up to, I would highly recommend as it gave us some time to wander around Palma, which we wouldn’t have had the chance to do if d had caught the later flight. After picking up our rental car, we put it in the Apartment Parc de la Mar – extremely massive and not a terrible price – which spits you right in the center of the city. The last time we visited we didn’t really have a good wander around Palma and guys it was great! A must-do for sure. We were hungry so we headed that way Cafe Riutort and it has the best jamón sandwich I’ve ever had. I still think about it now. Around this part of town there were some great shops to peruse: Seattle Vintage Store for great vintage pieces and UNICO Vintage Store for the best range of vintage jeans I’ve ever seen, Surry Hills for coffee, M&P Studio looked like a great place for nails, Petit Bumbu for babies, Covent de la Mission it looked like it fancier hotel – even the lobby smelled amazing and Purple Haze for vinyl.
But the star of the show was a place we’d been before – El Camino. BOOK HERE AS SOON AS YOU BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY. It’s a matter urgent. I had stupidly left it too late, but I managed to book last minute that morning and I could have cried. It’s so popular and gets booked up fast, but the hype is real. We had gone last time we visited and it was one of the best meals we had ever had. You won’t be disappointed. Classic tapas dishes prepared and served at the bar. We had these red prawns which were so special and they were so good we ordered them twice. Of that kind of place.
After a quick stop at the supermarket we headed to the hotel – Finca Serena – again, a place we visited last time. We love it here. It’s in the center of the island so there’s not much nearby, but it’s a good mid-point to travel around and the view from the hotel is amazing. It’s adults only – so very relaxed and I think it’s about 25 rooms so not too busy. Think everyone is reading books by the pool all day. Paradise. The rooms are really simply decorated, the service is great, the only downside is the food – it’s quite expensive and the dinner menu is very fancy when sometimes you just want pan, you know? We get around this by having dinner once at the hotel as a treat and then doing a good supermarket shop so we can settle for lunch.
DAY MONDAY
After a fairly busy day before, on the second day we frosted. We didn’t actually leave the hotel! We enjoyed breakfast – it’s very nice and includes hot and cold options – and then headed down to the pool to sunbathe for a while before, yes you guessed it – more food. A good supermarket lunch is spread all over the cobblestones with the one plate and knife we found in the room. The great thing about the hotel is that it also has a spa. I booked a massage which was so enjoyable I fell asleep during it! HA! Which has never it happened before. It’s really quiet down there so Mark and I had the spa to ourselves! How rich is that? Then it was back to our room to freshen up before the fancy dinner served by the restaurant.
TUESDAY
As it was our last day, we did a bit of everything. We actually worked out in the spa gym in the morning – I know, we are normal adults now. Then we made the most of our last chance to DO NOTHING and did just that for a few hours. Then in the late afternoon we traveled an hour across the island and to Deià. It’s such a picturesque village on top of the mountain that it doesn’t seem real. If you see parking on the street then grab it as parking is a bit of a bummer pain. The little high street is quite expensive, but there are some great clothes and ceramics shops to have a look at. La Residencia, which a friend had recommended to me. Opinions are beautiful, as well as the cocktails but get ready to be set back €28! You’re essentially paying for a front row seat to one of the best views on the island (plus they bring you plenty of snacks!). Then we went to Restaurante Sa Vinya for dinner – I would recommend booking a table via email as many tables were booked. A lovely traditional place again – that view! We had the vegetarian paella and the prawns and aioli to start which was insane – definitely make sure to order it if you visit. A garlic lover’s dream. All in all the perfect end to a holiday that made us feel new again.
Pictures from Mark Newton
