Secret Balearic Islands: Explore the archipelago off the beaten track

Secret getaway in the Spanish archipelago

The Balearic Islands… It’s easy to imagine them as overrun with holidaymakers eager to bask on the fine sands of their heavenly beaches. But this famously discreet Spanish archipelago has managed to preserve many hidden beauties, tucked away from prying eyes.

In Majorca…

From impressive limestone cliffs to idyllic coves, passing through the plains of the Serra de Tramuntana, the island of Majorca remains one of the most beautiful “natural” destinations in the Mediterranean.

Inland escape to Valldemossa

Discover Majorca’s rural hinterland! Valldemossa stands in a valley in the Serra de Tramuntana, about ten kilometres from Palma. You’ll love the tranquillity of this authentic village as you wander past its sandstone houses with green shutters and explore its cobbled streets and squares. These very rooms were home to the romance of George Sand and Frédéric Chopin.

Suspended moments through bucolic Petra

Roads lined with almond trees, olive groves and vineyards will take you all the way to Petra: an irresistibly inspiring village where you will rediscover a taste of Majorca as it once was. Come and contemplate the story of the country’s favourite son, Franciscan missionary Junípero Serra. He is everywhere: from the house where he was born to the Gothic church of Sant Pere where he was baptised, from the Sant Bernardi convent where he was educated to the square and museum that bear his name.

An assault on Castell d’Alaró

Clinging to the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana, the rocky Castell d’Alaró is one of the secret eagles’ nests of a fortified medieval Majorca. This is the climax of an ascent into the heart of the island’s history and lush natural surroundings, between terraces of wild olive trees, holm oak forests and ancient mule tracks. A tower, a sanctuary, and a hermitage, now a refuge, stand on the prominence where the remains of the fortress stand. Above all, there is a stunning view over the surrounding plains and the main peaks of the Serra de Tramuntana.

Alone – or almost – on a desert island

Other superb walking trails await you on Sa Dragonera and Cabrera, two uninhabited islands off the coast of Majorca. First, Sa Dragonera, with its silhouette of a sleeping dragon watching over its mother earth. It is home to remarkable endemic flora and fauna, most notably its lizards, the little “dragons” to which this piece of land actually owes its name. The creeks are home to some remarkable crustaceans. In the air, its Eleonora’s falcons, kestrels and peregrines.

Return to life in the wild in Cabrera

The island of Cabrera owes its name to the wild goats that once roamed its rocky terrain. Today, you’ll discover a precious jewel of nature. Cabrera’s real treasure is its particularly well-preserved flora and fauna. Along its unspoilt coastline, you can enjoy one of the best-preserved examples of marine life in the whole of the Mediterranean.

Majorcan inspirations

It was at the Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa that the two lovers George Sand and Frédéric Chopin found refuge during the winter of 1838. Within the neoclassical walls of the monastery, the novelist wrote her travelogue Un hiver à Majorque, while the Polish pianist found inspiration for many of his Preludes.

In Minorca…

Smaller but no less luminous, the island of Minorca has managed to benefit fully from its unique features. And you’ll be amazed by the wealth of historical and archaeological heritage as well as the natural and cultural treasures of this little piece of land, with its winding landscapes swept by the tramontane wind.

Surprises in store on the Île du Roi

From the shores of the bay of Port Mahon, Minorca’s capital, set sail for the Isla del Rey. A fifteen-minute crossing embarks you on an astonishing journey between the 6th and the 21st century! Here, the remains of a Paleo-Christian basilica rub shoulders with the most avant-garde artistic expressions. And it is here, on this beautiful tiny Mediterranean island, that the famous Hauser & Wirth art gallery – with 14 exhibition venues around the world – has chosen to drop anchor, within the walls of a former 18th-century naval hospital. It’s a chance for an unexpected cultural immersion!

Getting lost in the Lithica labyrinth

Just outside Ciutadella, visit this quarry of “marès”, the limestone typical of the island that adorns its houses and churches. Since 1994, there has been no further extraction at Lithica. The site has become a fantastic mineral curiosity surrounded by a seven-hectare botanical garden. Lose yourself in this maze of rock-studded vegetation, alongside the beds of aromatic herbs. Dive into the bowels of the quarry until you reach the bewildering stone labyrinth at its heart – a masterpiece by Laetitia Lara, directly inspired by the Cretan Labyrinth of the Minotaur. An adventure as playful as it is romantic!

Contemplating Gil’s Bridge

Another curiosity, once again in the Ciutadella area, is the Pont d’en Gil, a superb natural stone arch that forms a kind of “suspended” bridge in the middle of the sea. It’s easy to reach from the bustling Cala en Blanes district. And it’s an amazing contrast to suddenly find yourself at peace in this magical and unusual place. A particularly inspiring setting for lovers of photography and sunsets. And to make the pleasure last, follow the Camí de Cavalls hiking trail to the Punta Nati lighthouse, where another splendid view awaits you.

In Ibiza and Formentera…

As well as – obviously – being the most festive island in the Balearics, Ibiza can also be much more authentic. Take, for example, its secluded coves and peaceful inland villages. As for Formentera, the smallest of the archipelago, it is the ideal refuge for a deliciously languorous escape.

Hike to the wonders of Atlantis

You will need to go and seek it out, half an hour’s walk away with appropriate footwear: the Atlantis cove, whose real name is Sa Pedrera de Cala d’Hort, nestling in the south-west of Ibiza. But what a surprise when you get there! You find yourself on a curious “beach” of yellow ochre rock formations. A former quarry “pierced” by natural pools, from which a supernatural atmosphere emanates. A place apart, untamed, and one of the most beautiful coves in Ibiza.

Explore the intriguing rock of Es Vedrá

Off the coast of Atlantis lies Es Vedrá, an enigmatic stone “tooth” linked to numerous legends. The beach at Cala d’Hort is an ideal spot for watching the sun go down, but you can also take a boat trip around it to explore its protected nature reserve.

A break in the secret coves to the north of Ibiza

Far from the festive hustle and bustle of the south, you’ll discover a completely different island. More discreet and wild. Just like the small cove of pebbles and sand Pou des Lleó, dotted with a few fishermen’s huts, to the east of Sant Carles. A little further north, over the hill from the village of Sant Vicent de Sa Cala, you can reach the pretty, little-known cove of Port de Ses Caletes. Peace and quiet guaranteed! As for the rocky cove of Es Portixol, to the north-west of Ibiza, its handful of regulars praise its natural beauty and tranquillity.

Village-to-village road trip

There are fifteen of them. All bear witness to the island’s rural past and its population of fishermen and farmers. The villages of Ibiza are best discovered as you explore, such as Sant Vicent de Sa Cala, Sant Joan de Labritja, on the way to Cala Benirrás, or Sant Agustí des Vedrà, a charming village perched on a hill with a remarkable 18th-century architectural ensemble. You’ll soon realise that it owes its nickname, the “White Island”, to these settlements and their traditional whitewashed houses.

On the edge of the Balearic Islands, Cape Barbaria

Formentera, Ibiza’s discreet sister, at a remove from its more popular neighbours, could be seen as an ode to tranquillity – and if so, its lighthouse on Cap de Barbaria, to the south, would be its perfect embodiment. Surrounded by wild open moorland, it owes its name to the memory of the pirate ships that cruised the southern tip of the “Little Caribbean”. From Cape Barbaria, Africa has never been so close. At the tip of the promontory stands a lighthouse and, beside it, the Garroveret tower – a watchtower from which, it is said, on a clear day you can see the coastline of the far-off continent in the distance…

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The Balearics away from the crowds