Winter is a relative concept in Palma de Mallorca. On a December afternoon, the sun casts a golden glow on the facade of this historic city’s beautiful cathedral. Up there the sky is as clear and blue as if it were high summer. If I had walked past these 16th-century walls and bastions a few months ago, I would have been among hundreds of tourists. But today it’s only locals wearing jackets, scarves and expressions of surprise when they see me in shorts. Winter and the experience of it? Relatively indeed.
Mallorca, an island closely associated with sun, sea and beach, has been a summer destination since the tourism boom of the 1960s. While the busy seaside resorts remain the island’s biggest draw, there is a growing appreciation for Mallorca’s off-season appeal – and much of that attention is focused on Palma. I have visited the city regularly over the past twenty years and have seen it evolve from sleepy provincial to a credible favorite for a city break full of history, shopping, culture, art and boutique hotels in listed buildings.
Although Palma is attractive all year round, visits in winter are particularly special. They are also in higher demand. According to Fomento del Turismo, the island’s tourism agency, there will be 13 percent more flights this year than last year, while 85 percent of hotels in Palma – more than ever before – will remain open all season.
Among the hospitable winter guests is the Calatrava Hotel: a renowned mansion on top of the city walls. The beautiful roof terrace seemed like a perfect place to end my walk. There I met Maria Martinez, the hotel’s sales director, who joined me for a coffee with panoramic views over the Bay of Palma, the cathedral and the foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains.
“All four of our city hotels will remain open this season,” she says, “and at more competitive rates than in the summer. Besides being cheaper, our winters are mild and generally sunny, so the weather is perfect for sightseeing. There are festivals and markets in the villages, towns and here in Palma; and without the summer crowds the island feels most authentic. For me this is the best time to visit.”
There is a similarly positive atmosphere in the city at Nobis Hotel Palma, which opened in November in a former Moorish palace. It is one of the oldest buildings in Palma and is full of impressive arches. It has withstood earthquakes, fires and more than 1,000 years of renovations.
Perhaps its best asset is the bar, which wouldn’t look out of place in any European capital. Despite the 9-metre-high ceiling, it is surprisingly cozy and already popular for after-work cocktails, when evening temperatures discourage outdoor gatherings.
Equally ideal for colder days is Hammam al Andalus, an authentic Moroccan-style spa and bathhouse just outside the old town (palma.hammamalandalus.com). With steamy pools and a sauna in a marble-lined, largely candlelit space, it’s perfect for those sun-drenched occasions. I easily lost an hour there before being massaged on a marble slab, after which I returned to the old city to visit the original (and remarkably intact) Arab baths, which date back to the 10th-century Muslim occupation.
Elsewhere, I encountered chapels and churches decorated in varying degrees of opulence, before encountering more contemporary charm in boutiques like Arquinesia, where the fragrances (all locally inspired and produced) are displayed with reverence, museum style. The store is hidden behind the central avenue Passeig des Born, whose stately plane trees are currently glittering under thousands of festive lights.
But as well as lending itself to shopping and sightseeing, winter in Mallorca is also a time to get outside. The absence of scorching summer heat in particular ensures that the Tramuntana Mountains come into their own. From Palma I took the historic, wood-paneled train out of the city and on through almond and olive groves to the peaks. The hour-long journey took us up through tunnels and mountain passes to cross the massif, before heading down to the elegant town of Sóller.
From Sóller station it’s a two-minute walk to Meem Townhouse: one of only 10 percent of hotels outside Palma operating this winter. “There are only two properties open in Sóller,” explains owner Jessica Bosch as she showed me to my room: a beautiful, white, designer-friendly space that is almost Cycladic in its simplicity. “Tourism here has always been seasonal and attitudes are slowly changing, but gradually more and more companies are expanding their activities to accommodate winter cyclists and hikers.”
One thing in Jessica’s favor is that Meem Townhouse is a slick operation, requiring little more than a skeleton staff to keep everything running smoothly. After a breakfast including orange juice and avocados from Sóller, I chat with Eduard Casajuana, a local hiking guide, as we walk from Sóller to Deià along the GR221: a long-distance hiking trail, better known as the Dry-Stone Way.
The cobblestones of the route have been polished by centuries of use and bear witness to their antiquity. “This cami de ferradura [mule trail] dates back to Arab times,” Eduard tells me as we walk through scrub and pine forests teeming with new season growth. “Such routes were Majorca’s main arteries until the roads were added in the mid-19th century.”
The road through this stretch of mountains allows point-to-point walks thanks to reliable buses connecting the different villages. Without having to walk back, we take our time along the path, pausing to admire the sea views and watch farmers shake the branches of their olive trees to harvest this year’s crop.
Before reaching Deià, we make a detour to visit the hamlet of Llucalcari and continue along a coastal path that Eduard considers the most beautiful in Mallorca. The route leads to Cala Deià, where my favorite chiringuito (beach bar) – now closed for the season – sits on a cliff above the bay. Winter visits are unfortunately not suitable for snacks by the sea or a refreshing dip. But that’s okay, I think to myself. I’ll just come back in the summer for that.
Essentials
How to get there
British Airways (ba.com), easyJet (easyjet.com), Jet2 (jet2.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly direct to Palma from London, Liverpool, Bristol and Manchester from £30 return. Palma city center is a 15-minute drive from the airport.
Where to stay
Calatrava Hotel (00 34 971 72 81 10; calatravahotel.com) has rooms from £241 per night B&B; Nobis Hotel Palma (00 34 871 55 58 00; nobishotel.es) from £258; and Meem Townhouse (00 34 616 07 29 63; meemtownhouse.com) from £137.
What must we do
Private half-day walks for two people with Eduardo Casajuana cost from £241 (falcodelareina.com).