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The Tranquil Beauty of the Balearic Islands
3 stops
5 nights
73 miles
The Balearic Islands are home to incomparable Mediterranean pleasures, from Menorca’s towering cliffs and tiny coves edged by turquoise waters to the picturesque villages and palaces of Mallorca. Far from the frenzy of Ibiza, the archipelago’s two largest islands are home to unexpected treasures both inland and along the coast, from a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to matchless scenery where you can simply stroll, relax, and cast off the worries of the mainland.
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01
Departure
Recommended duration : 2 nights
Alaior Menorca
Several properties available for this stop
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
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S'Albufera Natural Park, an ornithological paradise
Long a place that was known only to birdlovers, S'Albufera brings together some 230 species of birds that appear one after the other throughout the year in the midst of this old drained marsh. Stretching across 6.5 square miles, the park combines several ecosystems and was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1988. In the silence, one can observe bitterns, squacco herons, ospreys, herons, egrets, and much more.
On the road
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A journey across Menorca on horseback
Menorca, the furthest from the coast, is also the quietest of the Balearic Islands. Listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Menorca is the perfect place to explore on horseback. With rocky landscapes, sandy beaches, and megalithic monuments, the 115 miles of marked bridle paths (Cami de Cavalls) offer extraordinary possibilities. Beneath a sky that is (almost) always blue, you and your mount will wander between the low stone walls erected by the islanders to protect their fields from the winds along the coast.
02
24 milesBoat
Recommended duration : 1 night
Ciutadella De Menorca
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
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Enjoy the Sant Joan festivities at Ciutadella
This is perhaps the most vibrant festival on the archipelago. Celebrated around June 24 since the 14th century, the Festa Sant Joan draws a packed crowd to its horse processions along the narrow streets of the town of Ciutadella. After mass at the Cathedral, men compete in intense jousting matches and other equestrian competitions.
03
50 milesBoat
Recommended duration : 2 nights
Pollença
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
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Reaching the Cap de Formentor peninsula
First there is the winding lane that stretches over the top of the ledge. Right to the end of the peninsula where the Tramuntana Mountain Range meets the sea. This is rocky scenery of steep cliffs, jagged peaks, pine forests, and azure waters, where the horizon beckons. Little paths run downwards, leading to yet another paradise: a world of small, isolated, sandy coves, straight from a picture postcard.
On the road
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Discover La Seu, the Cathedral of Palma
Built on the site of the former Great Mosque, La Seu is, first and foremost, a masterpiece of Gothic art. It was built over the course of nearly three centuries, but the greatest artists in the country have continued to decorate and redecorate it through the ages. Gaudi, for example, revamped the royal chapel, while Miquel Barcelo, a native of the area, reinvented the apse of the nave, as well as certain stained glass windows.
On the road
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Chopin and the Royal Carthusian Monastery of Valldemossa
This former palace, which was converted into a Carthusian monastery, is well-known for having hosted Frédéric Chopin and his mistress George Sand in the winter of 1838 (the novelist told the story of their stay in A Winter in Majorca). Suffering from tuberculosis, Chopin composed several pieces on site, even though his Pleyel piano was only delivered to him three weeks before his departure. Every August, the Real Cartuja de Valldemossa hosts a festival dedicated to the musician's works.
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