I love small islands with big personalities. It’s amazing how much one little piece of real estate can offer.
Including my newest favourite: I recently returned from the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, and was astonished to see how many boxes it ticks. Of course, it’s known as a sun-and-sea destination – and was pretty much the birthplace of European mass market beach holidays in the 1960s – but today’s Mallorca offers so much more.
A part of Spain, Mallorca (“mi-yor-ka”) is a stunningly mountainous island fringed by pleasing sandy beaches and dotted with colourful towns and villages. It’s a destination which offers something for virtually any client. They come for the history, culture and the architecture – including Palma’s massive cathedral. The shops sparkle with latest European fashions. One outing I really enjoyed was to the Salinas d’es Trenc salt farm (yes it’s farmed, and it’s fascinating).
About half the size of PEI, Mallorca is also a sports haven. Golfers have a choice of 23 golf courses; while yachties (including those at the helm of 100 meter floating palaces) will feel right at home. And there’s no shortage of tennis: after all, Mallorca is the home of tennis superstar Rafael Nadal.
It’s also a great destination for cyclists, and e-biking has really caught on. Guided tours are available, and one Canadian tourist told me how impressed she was with the courtesy and consideration shown to cyclists by local drivers.
Speaking of getting around, a rental car is the perfect way to explore. Roads are very well sign-posted and it would be hard to beat the thrill of navigating hairpin turns that would be perfect for a car commercial.
Regarding accommodation: There are options from casual-no frills to upscale offerings that will satisfy the most luxury-seeking client. In Palma (“pal-ma”), I stayed in the Summum (a Meliá Collection Hotel) on a pretty, quiet side street in the old part of the city, just one block from shops and restos. Almost impossible to imagine it in its first incarnation as a stable in the 1870s, it was reborn 7 years ago as a welcoming boutique hotel boasting just 18 rooms, each with a spare, chic Euro-vibe vibe. There’s also a pleasant rooftop terrace restaurant and small bar.
Another delightful suggestion for your upscale client is the brand new 5* Son Net. Set among ancient vineyards and rolling hills outside Palma, it has already been featured in Condé Nast Traveler and Town & Country magazines. And no wonder: each of the 31 rooms in the former castle features museum-quality art and custom-made furniture. Service is refined but friendly (I was impressed that at lunch we were provided with little boxes beside us to rest our purses on). Rates range from €700 to €2,600 per room, per night EP.
And of course for clients wanting the all-inclusive option there are still lots, including many of the Spanish chain Iberostar, a name which is familiar in the Canadian market. But it would be a shame to laze a vacation away, even if on a stunning white sand beach where the bar is never too far, without exploring the island’s charms.
Best of all, there’s great lift. There are direct flights to Mallorca from throughout Europe, and a random check on flights from MAD one day later this month revealed multiple airlines totalling 16 flights on the 90 minute route. And from the US, UA even offers non-stop service from EWR in the summer.
Definitely a destination you can sell with confidence. As Sebastien Amengual Sastre of Mallorca’s tourist board told me, “When I go to the mainland and tell people I live in Mallorca, I always get the same response. ‘Lucky you!’"
I couldn’t agree more.
More information about Mallorca is available at seemallorca.com
