What's the attraction?
Holidaymakers first fell in love with Mallorca in the early 19th century thanks to its year-round sunshine, mild climate and plentiful beaches.
Artists, celebrities and families followed, making the most of its golden sands and fertile interior - 40 percent of which is protected. Cyclists love to attack the peaks of the Tramuntana Mountains and a strong rural tourism programme is revamping old farm- houses into luxury accommodation.
Even party town Magaluf is going upmarket with stylish new hotels. BA (0844 493 0787; ba.com) has just launched a new route from Heathrow to the island capital, Palma. Mallorca Farmhouses (0845 800 8080; mallorca.co.uk) offers beautiful and affordable villa rentals, while Mallorca Rocks (020 7952 2919; mallorcarocks.com), a hotel and live music venue in one, is credited with kicking off Magaluf's trendy transformation.
Boutique break
Forget big resorts, Mallorca has plenty of private boltholes for a romantic escape, including several new openings this year. The five-star Boutique Hotel Calatrava (00 34 971 715 012; boutiquehotelcalatrava.com) opened in Palma last week in a 19th-century building not far from the city's old sea walls. It has 16 suite-style rooms overlooking the Bay of Palma, a spa and sun terrace. Double rooms start at €180 (about R1 800), including breakfast.
In the north-east, Alcudia Petit Hotel (00 34 971 549 912; alcudiapetithotel.com) opened last month in the medieval walled town of Alcudia. With just nine rooms, the four-star hotel combines sleek modern décor with exposed limestone walls. Doubles start from €117, including breakfast.
Adventure island
There's a lot more to Mallorca than lazing on the beach. The island is a magnet for amateur and professional cyclists, thanks to its quiet roads. Stephen Roche Cycling Holidays (00 34 971 13 50 54; stephenroche.com) has a package from £576 per person including seven nights' half board at Ponent Mar Hotel in Palma Nova, bike hire, guided rides and airport transfers.
Swop two wheels for two legs with a walking holiday. Inntravel (01653 617 906; inntravel.co.uk) offers seven nights at the Ca's Curial hotel in the pretty town of Sóller, at the foot of the Tramuntana Mountains, from £410 per person, breakfast included. Guests receive daily maps and notes for walks. Levels of difficulty vary throughout the week. Flights extra.
Mature Magaluf
In the southern part of Magaluf, a series of new hotels from Spanish brand Meliá has created the Calvià Beach Resort, with a glitzier crowd in its sights. Beach House Hotel (0808 234 1953; melia.com) aims to create “the first lifestyle destination in Mallorca”, with modern, minimalist décor and guest DJs at the pool. Doubles start at €113, room only. Nearby, at Nikki Beach (00 34 971 12 39 62; nikkibeach.com/mallorca), the season starts from 25 April; opening party entrance is €50.
The Sol Wave House (0808 234 1953; melia.com) combines its infinity pool and DJ entertainment with surf simulators and instructors, including Europe's first barrel-wave simulator. Doubles start at €96, room only.
Family fun
It's been a long, cold winter, so pack up the kids for some sun, sea and sand. The four-star Hotel Bon Sol Resort & Spa (00 34 971 402 111; hotelbonsol.es) is just 10 minutes' drive west of Palma, with tropical gardens leading down to the beach. It has a free kids' club and playground and guests can choose between hotel rooms, which start at €171 per person, half board (under-11s sharing pay €83); or four-person villas, which start at €179 per person, half board.
The five-star, beachside Blau Porto Petro (00 34 902 222 070; blauhotels.com/portopetro) sits alongside the sandy beaches of Parque Natural de Mondragó on the south east coast, with a kids' club that has language and yoga classes. There's also a football field, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts and cycle hire. Family rooms start at €225, including breakfast.
Rural bliss
The countryside is dotted with vineyards and ancient farmhouses. The Sa Cabana Rural Hotel & Spa (00 34 971 62 20 60; hotelsacabana.com) in the Es Raiguer wine region dates back to 1578, but has been renovated into a 25-room hotel with spa, terrace restaurant and kitchen garden. Doubles from £170, room only.
In the foothills of Puig de Galatzó mountains, Es Ratxo (00 34 971 147 132; esratxohotel.com) was once an 11th-century farmhouse but is now the most relaxing of spa hotels. Doubles from €365, breakfast included.
Hotel L'Escaleta (00 34 971 671011; hotelescaleta.com) is an old converted schoolhouse near Port D'Antrax offering a pretty garden, vine-covered terrace and rustic rooms from €80 with breakfast.
Es Turó (00 34 971 64 95 31; www.esturo.com) farmhouse has been in the same family for 200 years. It combines a traditional country setting with luxurious Balinese daybeds around the pool. Doubles from €75, room only.
Finca S'Olivar (00 34 629 266 035; fincaolivar.org) on the north-west coast, is a working farm which serves its own olives and apricot and fig jams. Accommodation is in little cottages sleeping between two and six, spread among the trees that start at €102 per night, room only.
Splash out
If you don't have your own superyacht to moor in Palma's marina, try a luxury hotel instead. Cap Rocat (00 34 971 74 78 78; caprocat.com) is a converted 19th-century fortress on the Bay of Palma, with a private beach, infinity pool, two restaurants and even a drawbridge. Doubles start at €350, including breakfast.
In the hilltop town of Deia, La Residencia (00 34 971 63 60 46; hotel-laresidencia.com) is an ivy-clad manor house with landscaped gardens. Alongside its pool and tennis courts, it offers art classes and Vespa tours of the area. Doubles start at £393, including breakfast.
The restored 18th-century Castell Son Claret (00 34 971 13 86 29; castellsonclaet.com) opens in May offering a rural retreat on a 325-acre estate with views towards the Tramuntana Mountains, landscaped gardens and a luxury spa. Doubles start at €245, breakfast included.
A home from home
Tap into the local way of life on a villa holiday. Freelance Holidays (01789 297 705; freelance-holidays.co.uk) has a new property, Es Bosquet, on the Bay of Pollensa in the north-east of the island. Set in on an old, 1,000-acre agricultural estate - or granja - it sleeps six people in three bedrooms and has a pool, barbecue area and cleaning service. Seven nights cost from £560 per villa. Flights extra.
Scott Dunn (020 8682 5050; scottdunn.com) offers rental of the contemporary Villa La Font in the hills behind the seaside town of Pollensa. With views across to the coast, the open-plan pad has a pool and barbecue area and sleeps six. Stays are fully catered with a nanny, chef and host included. Seven nights costs from £6 120 for six guests. Flights extra.
Insider information
“Mallorca has moved on and up offering top hotels and restaurants, excellent sports facilities for golfers, cyclists and sailors, and a capital with buzz, shopping and nightlife. The island remains a destination with a traditional rural heart dominated by magnificent mountains. With 300 days of sunshine a year and more than 200 beaches - Mallorca simply has it all.”- Dominique Carroll, Mallorca resident for more than 10 years and press officer for Fomento del Turismo de Mallorca. - The Independent