Romantic IdeasWe stayed here

Mallorca for Couples: Illetas, a Sóller Finca and a Palma Rooftop Pool

Orange groves and tall cypress trees in the Sóller valley, with the rocky peaks of the Tramuntana mountains behind under a soft sky

Mallorca was an utter dream trip, and it's our top destination so far. What surprised us most was how different each part of the island felt. We stayed in three places, and it felt like three trips: sea coves and a beach club on the southwest coast, the most romantic finca we've ever stayed in, deep in the orange groves of the Sóller valley, and a rooftop pool in Palma's old town.

We flew in from Barcelona (here's our Barcelona for two, where this Spain trip began and ended). Here's how we spent Mallorca, base by base.

Our Mallorca itinerary at a glance

  • Base 1, Illetas: Hotel ROC Illetas on the sea, dinner on the little island of Restaurant Illeta at Camp de Mar, and a beach club day at Gran Folies.
  • Base 2, the Sóller valley: Hotel Finca Ca N'Ai, adults only, among orange groves and Tramuntana mountain views, with Sóller town, dinner at NENI in Port de Sóller, and Cala Deià.
  • Base 3, Palma: Boutique Hotel Posada Terra Santa in the old town, a midday sail with snacks and an open bar, sushi at Japo Santa Catalina and dinner at Chalet Siena on Playa de Palma.

Arriving: book your ride before you land

Of every arrival on this trip, Mallorca was the one where we were most thankful we'd pre-booked a driver. Taxis there are scarce and limited to certain areas, so walking out to a driver who was already waiting, in a Mercedes van, felt like the biggest luxury of the day.

Base 1: Illetas

Hotel ROC Illetas: coffee over the pines and a jump into the sea

Our first base was Hotel ROC Illetas, on the sea in Illetas, on the bay just west of Palma. Mornings started on our balcony with an espresso and a fresh orange juice, looking out through the pines to the water.

An espresso and a glass of fresh orange juice on our balcony table at Hotel ROC Illetas, with pines and the sea through the wooden railings
Espresso and fresh orange juice on our balcony at ROC Illetas

The hotel sits right on the rocks with direct access to the sea, and we jumped into the ocean right off the cliffs at our hotel. Back up top there's a pool by the sea, shaded by palms.

The curving seaside pool at Hotel ROC Illetas, with a swim-up bar, palm trees and the sea glittering beyond
The pool above the sea at ROC Illetas

Dinner on a tiny island: Restaurant Illeta, Camp de Mar

For dinner we drove along the coast to Camp de Mar, where Restaurant Illeta sits on its own tiny island in the bay. You reach it across a wooden footbridge from the beach, and you eat with the water all around you. We had paella, served straight from the pan at the table.

A long wooden footbridge running from the beach across calm water to the small island of Restaurant Illeta
The footbridge out to Illeta
Restaurant Illeta's terrace on a small rocky island in Camp de Mar bay, framed by palm fronds and wooded hills
Restaurant Illeta, on its own island
A little white wooden rowing boat moored against the rocks in clear green water
A little white boat below the terrace

A beach club day at Gran Folies

"The best beach club we have been to in Europe. Pricey, but worth every penny."

That's how we still describe Beach Club Gran Folies, on the rocks above the turquoise water of Cala Llamp, near Port d'Andratx. Pale umbrellas and thatched shades step down the slope towards the sea, there's a pool, and the bay below is full of boats at anchor under the cliffs.

White umbrellas and thatched roofs stepping down towards a turquoise bay with boats at anchor and a high headland
Gran Folies, above Cala Llamp
Two glasses of champagne and a bottle of Moët in an ice bucket on a wooden table, with the sea and cliffs behind
Moët on the loungers
Two cushioned wooden loungers under a thatched straw umbrella, with the sea and mountains behind
Our thatched umbrella for the day
A woven wicker heart-shaped seat on the lawn, framing the bay and the hills through its centre
The wicker heart seat
A hand holding a pale cocktail in a tall glass with a botanical print, the sea behind
A cocktail with a view

Our tip: book your loungers ahead.

Base 2: the Sóller valley

Finca Ca N'Ai: maybe the most romantic place we've ever stayed

Then we crossed the island to the north-west, into the Sóller valley and the Tramuntana mountains, and checked in to Hotel Finca Ca N'Ai, a small, adults-only finca hotel set in orange groves between Sóller and Port de Sóller. It's maybe the most romantic place we've ever stayed.

The plaques at the entrance tell its story: Ca N'Ai, 1723, and "Primer Hotel Rural a Mallorca desde el 1986", the first rural hotel in Mallorca. The same family has owned the finca since 1723.

Two plaques on an old stone wall: a carved crest reading Ca N'Ai 1723, and a painted sign reading Primer Hotel Rural a Mallorca desde el 1986
"Ca N'Ai 1723", the first rural hotel in Mallorca

All around the finca are orange groves, cypress trees and those jagged mountain peaks. We took a walk down the country lane, with nothing but trees, stone walls and the mountains ahead of us.

Orange groves and tall cypress trees with the rocky Tramuntana peaks behind
Orange groves and the Tramuntana
A man walking away down a quiet country lane between green fields and stone walls, towards a wooded hill
The walk down the country lane

No car needed: the tram to Sóller and the beach

Ca N'Ai has its own stop on the historic Sóller tram, which has run between Sóller and Port de Sóller since 1913. From the finca you can ride one way into Sóller town or the other way down to the beach at Port de Sóller. In town, the tram rattles past the old buildings towards the church of Sant Bartomeu on the main square.

The ornate stone façade of the church of Sant Bartomeu in Sóller, with a rose window and twin spires against a blue sky
Sant Bartomeu, on Sóller's main square

Sóller is also the end of the line for the wooden Sóller train, which has run through the mountains from Palma since 1912. It's a scenic way to travel between the valley and the city.

Dinner at NENI, Port de Sóller, and Cala Deià

One night we had a reservation at NENI Mallorca in Port de Sóller, on the rooftop of the Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel, looking over the bay and the mountains.

We also went to Cala Deià, the little rocky cove below the village of Deià on the Tramuntana coast.

Steep limestone cliffs dropping into a deep blue, calm sea
Limestone cliffs and a calm blue sea
Base 3: Palma

Posada Terra Santa: a 16th-century palace with a rooftop pool

Our last base was Boutique Hotel Posada Terra Santa, tucked into the quiet lanes of Palma's old town. It's the former palace of the Barons of Boixadors, built in 1576, and it holds a MICHELIN Key. You walk in past the doormat with its name, into an apricot courtyard full of palms, with a tiled staircase climbing up the side.

A doormat reading Posada Terra Santa at the entrance to a stone courtyard with palms and a staircase
Welcome to Posada Terra Santa
A stone staircase with tiled risers climbing an apricot courtyard wall, with potted palms and plants
The apricot courtyard and tiled staircase

The best part is the roof. A small plunge pool sits above the terracotta rooftops of the old town, looking straight at the Basilica de Sant Francesc.

A small turquoise rooftop plunge pool behind a white wall, with the Gothic Basilica de Sant Francesc and its bell tower rising behind against a blue sky
The rooftop pool, facing the Basilica de Sant Francesc
A couple seen from behind, sitting close together on the edge of the rooftop pool, looking at the basilica
Us, on the edge of the rooftop pool

One evening we had dinner downstairs at the hotel's restaurant, La Despensa del Barón, under 14th-century stone arches.

A softly lit dining room under whitewashed stone arches and wooden beams, with small tables and cushioned banquettes
Dinner under stone arches at La Despensa del Barón

A day out sailing

For our sailing day we booked a midday Mallorca sailing trip with light snacks and an open bar. We spent it at the bow, toasting with a glass of white wine as the coast slid by.

Two hands clinking glasses of white wine on the white bow of a sailing boat, with the blue sea and coast behind
Cheers from the bow

Sushi at Japo, and dinner on Playa de Palma

Palma was the boat and the sushi. Our sushi dinner was at Japo Santa Catalina, an adults-only Japanese restaurant in the Santa Catalina neighbourhood that takes Japanese technique and gives it a Mediterranean twist.

Glazed nigiri topped with microgreens on a dark plate, beside two glasses of white wine
Nigiri and white wine

On another night we had dinner at Chalet Siena, a 1930s chalet right on the seafront at Playa de Palma.

And don't miss La Seu, Palma's Gothic cathedral, which rises above the old town and the sea. Its buttresses are even more dramatic up close.

The real-life moments

Not every night was a reservation. There were casual moments too: an Aperol spritz served on a little tree of glasses, a cocktail in a copper mug on a terrace, and a night in with two pizzas in bed and a movie. Yes, that's one of our Béis cases doubling as a tablet stand. (We each pack our own bag.)

Aperol spritzes in stemmed glasses on a gold tiered drinks tree, with palms and blue sky behind
An Aperol spritz tree
A cocktail in a copper mug with fresh mint beside a coupe with a spiced rim on a terrace table
A copper-mug cocktail
Two pizzas in open boxes on a bed, with a tablet propped on a beige Béis case for a movie night
Pizza in bed and a movie

Where we stayed

For the sea: Hotel ROC Illetas, Illetas. Book it for the balcony breakfasts and sea access right off the rocks, a short drive from Palma.

Visit the hotel: ROC Illetas

For romance: Hotel Finca Ca N'Ai, Sóller. Book it for the orange groves, the mountain views and its own tram stop. Adults only.

Visit the hotel: Finca Ca N'Ai

For the city: Boutique Hotel Posada Terra Santa, Palma. Book it for the rooftop pool facing Sant Francesc and dinner under the arches.

Visit the hotel: Posada Terra Santa

Couple tips for Mallorca

  1. Split the island into bases. The coast, the mountains and the city feel like three different trips. Each base showed us a completely different Mallorca.
  2. Pre-book your airport ride. Taxis are scarce and only work certain areas, so have a driver waiting when you land.
  3. Splurge on one beach club day. Gran Folies is pricey, but worth every penny. Book your loungers ahead.
  4. Stay near the tram in Sóller. From Ca N'Ai the tram takes you into Sóller town or down to the beach, so you don't need the car.
  5. Pick a Palma hotel with a roof. A rooftop pool turns a hot city afternoon into the most peaceful part of the day.
  6. Plan one night in. Pizza in bed and a movie makes a lovely break between dinners out.

Back to the Journal