Mallorca isn’t all kiss me quick hats and pubs and clubs, or chips with everything.It’s only the corner directly around Palma which has been over developed. Northern, West and Southern Mallorca has real unspoilt charm.

• In the North, The Old Town of Pollensa is great - very ‘Spanish’ with tiny winding streets, a lively square and plenty of bars and some superb restaurants. Cala San Vicente nearby is a leafy, quiet village with a variety of holiday accommodation including an exclusive hotel - the Hotel San Vicent.
• The area has a wide range of fantastic beaches - calm and gently shelving at Pollensa (plenty of loungers and parasols to hire), coves at Cala San Vicente (again, loungers/parasols etc available).
• North Mallorca is a perfect starting point for exploring the majestic countryside inland (Mallorca’s mountain range, the Serra de Tramentura) along with the chic and unspoilt west coast towns of Soller, Valdemossa and Deia. All this and Palma - with its tapas bars, great shopping and authentic Mallorcan experience is only an hour’s drive away.
• On the West Coast below Deia and Soller is the port of Andratx, where the rich and famous sail their yachts and drift about the chic cafés and restaurants.
• The very South of the island (about 50 mins drive from Palma) is a real find – very undeveloped with charming villages and some of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Es Trenc for example, around 10 mins drive from the atmospheric artisan village of Santanyi, is a beautiful beach reminiscent of Corsica – white sand, turquoise sea, backed only by dunes, not by bars or restaurants, or worse, accommodation. There are small developments at either end of the beach – Colonia de Sat Jordi and Ses Covettes, but both are characterful villages with a very relaxed atmosphere.
• It’s very much the part of the island for beach lovers – there are several reached only by foot, and the towns nearby – Santanyi and Campos - are fascinating, but relatively quiet.
• Great for nature lovers too – beaches are backed by pine forests and the saltpans nearby are home to colourful and unusual birds. There are even hot springs. All this is still of course only 50 minutes from the sophistication of Palma. Mallorca really does have an enormous amount to offer.

Things to think about:

• It still gets very busy in high season.
• Although the areas we mention above are a lot less developed than elsewhere, it’s definitely not completely untouched so you’re unlikely to feel as if you’re breaking new ground. If you want deserted beaches or empty beauty spots/historical sites, then it might be worth reconsidering. Somewhere like Corsica would be better for that. But you’d be missing a lot!
• TIP: The airport gates are a long, long walk from arrivals, so insist on your buggy being unloaded when you get off the plane, or take a sling/hippy chick to help with a long carry.