We swim at the old-world Hotel Continental, then drift into long evenings in Deià — slow martinis, salt on skin, a dusk that settles like linen.

Footsteps in the Garden

I make a quiet pilgrimage to the garden of Robert Graves. At his writing desk, beneath the bougainvillaea, I scribble a line and think of his own,

‘The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he is really very good—in spite of all the people who say so.’

But of course when we travel we shake off popular opinion and there lies its delight.

Water Gypsies

I often think of fellow Majorca-lover George Harrison, who once said,

‘We are water gypsies, travelling folk.’

I am never more myself than when I’m near water — drinking it, floating in it, looking out to its horizon.

And where better than Sis Pins — Six Pines — the old hotel in Port de Pollença, or out past Cap de Formentor where the sea meets nature at its wildest edge. In the early morning, we take a jeep through the pines; the sun filters through the canopy, and the air is spiced with resin. Later, we speedboat back. Wear white. Drink chilled red. Watch the bay blush and deepen.

Stillness, Curated

Then, true north. At Finca S’Estelrica, the land speaks in colour blocks: terracotta earth, chalky stone, a deep blue pool beneath the din of cicadas. Architectural restraint, natural abundance. Nothing more than needed. Nothing less.

Playing Outside The Lines

We visit the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor on the trail of a tennis legend, part motivation for my son, who watches the courts with wide-eyed reverence.

Salt and Solace

There is cliff-jumping at Mondragó and wave-jumping too — a baptism of sorts. Lunch is seabass tacos and house-made lemonade at Concepció by Nobis. My espadrilles are Castagners; my mind is quiet.

On the last day, I plunge in one final time — skin salted, hair wild, spirits high. We are flourishing again. As Graves once wrote,

‘in full delight of green.’

Viewfinder: Mallorca

Terracotta rooftops, olive groves and Robert Graves’s ghost. Deia at golden hour is Majorca’s quiet soul — far from the beach clubs, close to the gods.

Roomkey

Belmond La Residencia, nestled between the Tramuntana Mountains and the sea, where every window frames a painting.

Finca S’Estelrica, an exercise in understated elegance, this former agricultural estate has been reimagined with minimalist perfection. Cream limestone, oak shutters and polished plaster walls set the tone for a slow, architectural stay. Suites open onto almond orchards and the Serra de Llevant beyond; the saltwater pool is framed for golden light and quiet laps. Elemental forward thinking luxury meets spirit of place.

The Table With a View

Ca’s Patro March — perched on rocks in Cala Deià, order the catch of the day and listen to the sea do the talking.

Through the Lens

Capture first light over Valldemossa’s monastery or dusk from the dry-stone terraces above Sóller.

On The Road

Hire a vintage Alfa Romeo Spider or Series II Land Rover from Classics Mallorca and take the mountain route from Deià to Cap de Formentor via the serpentine MA-10. The drive is pure sculpture — switchbacks over cliffs, olive groves and turquoise glimpses, with pit stops for pan amb oli and fig gelato. The Formentor lighthouse at golden hour? The very definition of a room with a view.

Future Frame: For The Global Citizen

Help preserve the Serra de Tramuntana (a UNESCO-listed range) by using designated footpaths and supporting agrotourism stays that preserve local farming traditions. Fund local efforts to revive the island’s endangered black vultures, and travel light — solar ferries now connect Palma to smaller harbours.