DESTINATIONS MAJORCA | SPAIN & PORTUGAL stay WHERE TO
LEFT: Passeig des Born, Palma BELOW: Ribas Bodega
PICTURES: Shutterstock; Paul Thuysbaert
Zafiro Palace Alcudia
Zafiro Palace Alcudia is a five-star hotel right next to the beach with facilities to please families and couples – there’s an on-site spa for adults, while kids can splash around in a huge pirate ship – so it’s a good all-rounder. With five restaurants (everything from a delicious buffet to a romantic Italian) there is a good range of dining opportunities, too. A handful of top-floor penthouse rooms, complete with Jacuzzi, offer splendid views of the surrounding mountains, while swim-up suites add a touch of class to lower- level rooms. Set between the old town (a 15-minute walk) and the beach, the hotel couldn’t be better
placed for guests to get the most out of Alcudia. Book it: Rooms start at £180 per night.
of cured meats, freshly caught seafood, and kaleidoscopic fruit stalls known for their Majorcan produce. It’s even possible to buy seafood from a stall and have it cooked up at one of the small restaurants upstairs. Besides filling your belly and ogling
wondrous architecture, Palma also has a reputation for its impressive art scene. Highlights include the Museu Fundación Juan March, which houses a small collection of works by Spanish greats – including Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí – and CaixaForum Palma, where you’ll find an impressive permanent collection by Balearic painter Hermen Anglada-Camarasa.
CENTRAL MAJORCA: WINE COUNTRY
A big chunk of Majorca’s 70-plus vineyards are huddled at the island’s centre, amid a setting of steely mountains and sleepy villages. In fact, its two major wine regions – Binissalem and Plà i Llevant, Majorca’s only two Denominación de Origen regions – are here. For a true taste of tradition, Ribas Bodega
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is hard to beat. Founded in 1711, it’s the oldest winery on the island, and is still run by the same family. With 300 years of experience, if they claimed to have actually written the book on Majorcan wine, you’d probably believe them. The bodega is set among 40 hectares
of sprawling vines in the village of Consell, where grapes native to the island are used to create small-batch wine – only about 100,000 bottles are produced each year. Its enormous 18th-century manor house has been meticulously preserved, along with the original winemaking warehouse and cellar. Tasting tours start at £16. For a more personal touch, take a private
tour of a traditional Majorcan finca with an expert sommelier. Clients will enjoy being wined and dined in a truly stunning setting: a tremendous, white-washed tumble of a house, draped in fragrant bougainvillea. Everything here is produced by hand, in extremely small batches – fewer than 1,500 bottles a year go out to sale. Visits to each can be arranged through Mallorca Wine Tours.
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Zafiro Palmanova
This four-star hotel is all about the location. You’ve got the sandy beaches of Palmanova within easy walking distance, yet it’s only a 15-minute drive to the island’s capital, Palma. An excellent-value hotel, it’s ideal for clients on a budget. Little touches such as free Bali beds, a reasonable on-site spa and swim-up suites provide luxury for less, while the kitchenette that comes as standard with all 198 apartments is a handy extra. For entertainment,
there’s a lively lounge bar and swim-up bar. Book it: Rooms start at £120 per night.
zafirohotels.com
22 AUGUST 2019
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