Travel is our Muse

MALLORCA, SPAIN

Mallorca is a very special place for the two of us. The first time we visited the Island together was back in 2019 for our very dear friends wedding and we haven't stopped dreaming about the Island since. We got this strange feeling we had both lived there in another life and felt a comforting familiarity with the land. It just felt like home.

This summer in late August, we decided to reconnect with the land and discover its expansive and varied beauty. We rented a small, “casa de aperos” a converted rustic tool house set in the most beautiful vineyard, completely immersed in the bounty of nature. Each day we rose early with the morning glow of the Mediterranean sun flooding through our bedroom, a warm breeze gently entering in through the open windows and a faint sound of cowbells ringing in the distant background. Our days were spent driving through the Island from the north to the south, the east to the west, with our car roof down, no agenda in mind other than discovering the charming towns and hidden coves set throughout the Island. We let the roads lead the way, one path more beautiful than the next. As the nights slowly creeped in, we would close out the day perched on a dramatic rock with front row seats to observe the daily show of the sun slowly dropping into the cradle of the ocean. The painterly sky would transform within minutes from a vibrant blue, to a warm peach with streaks of golden ochre, followed by a deep fiery coral to close out the show. Each day was nothing short of magical.

We hope our thoughts and suggestions below inspire an adventure for next year and you too fall head over heels in love with the Island of Mallorca.  

Mallorca The Arjé Way.

There are many ways to do Mallorca. We enjoyed experiencing the towns in the morning, visiting beaches during the late afternoons, finding a magical spot for sunset and eating local fresh produce from the farmers market.Follow our map once you are on the Island, we've saved all the places we love, and places we still can't wait to discover for next years summer adventure.

Thoughts.

You absolutely need a car to navigate Mallorca.

We recommend a convertible. It makes long drives so inspiring as you weave around the most breathtaking bends. You will find yourself hypnotized by the idyllic land, the golden sunsets, the rolling hills, dramatic plunging cliffs that drop down to the most beautiful rugged callas and the expansive flat land full of ancient olive groves.

Be prepared to drive long distances as towns can be anywhere from 20-90 mins apart. If you are staying on the East - West - North - South side of the Island you we reccomend making day trips to other parts of the Island. You can thank us later for the roof being down, the music being up, the warm wind and soft sunshine drenching you in that golden Island glow.

A note on The Beaches.

Whilst there are many sandy beaches on the Island, most of the beaches that are close by to the charming towns are very rocky with no amenities. Be prepared to take your towels and some food (and maybe umbrellas) and find a large earthly rock to lay on all day soaking up the sunshine. And it's always good to mention - some of the best beaches are the most remote (just the way it should be!) you have to take a long walk through rocks to find some of the most magical spots. If you are traveling with young kids some of these may be harder to access.

About Each Area.

The West: DEIÀ

The beautiful drive up to Deià is enough of a reason to visit (and fall in love with) the dreamiest village in the heart of Tramuntana. Nestled between rugged mountains, meandering high cliff roads, a dramatic coastline and lined with ancient olive trees, Deià feelslike a world of its own, straight out of an idyllic story book.

We recommend spending a whole day here, explore the hilltop village by foot, walk up to the historic church and take in the mesmerizing views. We fell in love with the sandy stone homes, the charming architecture and every shade of green that graced the window shutters on each of the homes. We coined the colour as “Mallorcan Green” and will no doubt be bringing it into our next summer collection for both home and wardrobe…

From the town you can drive down (or take a long 30min walk down and steep climb back up) to the local cala - Cala Deiá, a tiny cove beach lined with rocks, pebbles and crystal clear waters. Enjoy a long lazy lunch on the beach at our favorite spot Ca’s Patro March, a simple seaside restaurant serving fresh local fish. As the day slowly turns into evening, soak up that sunset glow in one of the hilltop restaurants above the town with the most unbeatable views. There are so many good options to choose from - here are some of our favorites (note most of these restaurants do require booking). Sa Fonda, a simple cafe by day and a place to dance with live music and local djs by night. El Olivo, Located in the Belmond la Residencia - this is a fine dining restaurant serving elevated Mallorcan cuisine. Es Raco de Teix, A family-owned intimate restaurant serving elegant food made with local ingredients

The West:Valldemossa 

Valldemossa - translated as the Vale of Muses is one of the more touristy towns on the Island. We drove through it on our way up to Deià and honestly thought we could skip it, however we were meeting family who live on the Island the following night and they wisely brought us back to this beautiful town just an hour before sunset, and we recommend doing just that. We meandered through the pebble lined streets, so rich in texture in colour andfilled with an eclectic mix of cactus outside each front door, unique mosaics and old stone tiles.We enjoyed dinner at Es Taller - a beautifully restored restaurant away from the main town, tucked away on a more residential street and set in a former mechanics garage.

We were glad we didn't miss this incredibly picturesque town and could experience its beauty as the sun was setting. Its old world charm at its best and if you have a love for local markets like us, we also suggest visiting the Sunday Market between 9am - 3pm every week.

The West: Banyalbufar

This is a beautiful UNESCO heritage mountain village where time sits still - and the dramatic rocky unobstructed sea views take your breath away. We snaked our way through this small town through the Tramuntana mountain roads en route toEstellencs for a sunset dip in the local cala.

As we drove through the town with wide eyed curiosity taking in so much beauty, we were reading that Banyalbufar is home to one of the oldest grape vines cultivated in the Mediterranean since ancient times - Malvasia grapevines. We sadly didn't have time to visit a vineyard - but saved on our map for next summer - one of the most exclusive and smallest family run vineyards in Mallorca, Can Pico.

The West: Estellencs

We were meeting our friends who moved to the Island (the same ones who introduced us to the Island) one early evening to watch the sunset and take a dip in one of there secret spots, we wanted to experience something off the beaten track - something that we would not have known about had we not been with locals - and it truly was so beautiful. We came prepared with a bottle of local wine, some snacks from the market we picked up earlier in the day in Sineu, a big blanket to lie on and revealed in the beauty as we watched nature's evening show. The sky turned every shade of pink, and the sea went from being bright blue to a metally black - the sun was dropping into the ocean whilst a soft half moon crescent popped up to say hello on the other side of the rocks. If youfollow our journey on instagram, you know we truly live for moments like this.

Estellencs is a tiny village (the smallest population in Mallorca) also situated within the Tramuntana mountain and is perhaps the least touristy of all the villages in the area. We meandered through the charming stone streets in the town and walked down to the local Cala enjoying the walk amongst fig trees, olive trees and lemon trees (if you stay for the sunset you may want to take your car down as the walk can get very dark). There is not so much to explore in the town, but there are a couple of simple local restaurants to unwind in following your magical sunset experience.

The North West: Pollensa

Pollensa’s location nestled in the farthest tip of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains and surrounded by the sea makes it feel like a secret hideaway on this special Island. We were really curious to visit the north side of the Island as both times we had come before - we never made the trip up to either the North West or North East side (Each is about an hour and a half from Palma). We had saved on our list for years the well known Sunday market in the main square in Pollensa -Plaça Major Pollença. As we were visiting our friends for lunch who live on the Island (and offered to cook a delicious meal) we arrived here early and it did not disappoint. It was a feast for our senses, pleasantly overwhelmed with all the market stalls - from homemade breads, traditional pastries, local figs, tomatoes, olives and cheeses, we came with a hungry tummy and left with our arms full of produce prepared to cook an absolute feast for Sunday lunch. The local pastry ensaymada were delicious and the local mallorcan cheese is a must to try.

We do suggest brushing up on your Spanish skills and learning some basic Catalonian phrases when market shopping in these small towns. There is nothing like a tourist being passionate about the bounty of the landand the language when choosing the perfect ripe tomatoes for your meal or asking to try the abundance of home cured olives at each stand.

The North East: Artà

The ancient town of Artà - set against the backdrop of the Serres de Llevant mountains, has avery different energy and landscape to the rest of the island. The North East tip feels quieter, greener and a lot more lush. We were amazed by the change of trees, from perfumed pines to richly toned pink azalea bushes, and jewel toned emerald green trees that are set alongside kilometers of unspoiled natural beaches with golden sand and crystal clear waters.

We drove through the honey coloured town and had our hearts set on visiting a property we have been eyeing up online for years. If you are looking for a special and more secluded spot to stay and don't mind being further away from the main attractions on the island - we highly recommend Es Racó d’Artá- a dreamy resort located right outside of Artà.No detail was forgotten and the entire property made youfeel so good.We were so inspired by this place and we can't wait to stay here next time. We then ended the day with a visit to Cala Torta - a secluded cove with a beautiful sandy beach. There are no bars or restaurants in most of the Calas here, so we came prepared with a bottle of wine, local jamon, cheese and a fresh loaf of Sourdough we bought earlier.

The Heart of the Island : Sineu

Located in the heart of the Island, Sinue is a small rural Mallorcan town and plays host to the most traditional market on the Island, every Wednesday between 8am and 1pm. We visited on a somewhat perfectly cloudy day and spent the morning mazing around the local market stalls. The stalls are scattered all around the main square leading up into the surrounding streets. It's such a nice way to experience the town and the market has everything from livestock animals for farmers, fresh fruit, homemade breads, local pastries to local crafts.

The South East Beaches

El Caragol

This is one of our favorite natural beaches on the Island. Set at the furthest South East tip of the of the Island - you have to walk about 20 mins from the lighthouse (where you park) and are met with the most picture perfect, cloud like soft sandy coves and calm sea, making it a perfect refuge for an all day beach day - but come prepared. There are no amenities here, so you will need to bring an umbrella, towels, some food and drinks and a good book to keep you company as you spend a lazy day soaking up the sun and admiring the beautiful environment.

Cala Sa Nau

We didn't make it over to Cala Sa Nau this year, but we love this cala and the perfect chiringuito that welcomes you in. You can spend a full day here.

We navigated our list of must-sees stop by stop so you don’t miss a thing.

The Foundation of a Sunny Home

When creating and curating our collection for Arjé HOME so much of our inspiration was drawn from the tones and textures of Mallorca. We brought in our signature warm aesthetic by focusing in on a colour palette of terracotta, ochre, sienna, umber, stone, antique ivory, natural and deep brown, whilst embracing ancient materials and textures. So, no matter what the season, our curation of products will build the foundation for a sunny home.

Vol. II, Pages are a little piece of the new Arjé World in your inbox each week.

 For us, a favorite source of energy is stopping into our local coffee shop each morning. We never know what inspiration we’ll run into or news we’ll overhear- on fashion, culture, design, music, art, travel and restaurants. Consider our newsletter your coffee shop anywhere in the world, where we share our newest loves, our stories on makers and collections, our sounds and tastes and projects. Welcome to the conversation.