Majorca, Spain - Majorca is still the perfect choice if you want those simple holiday staples of sun, sand and sea. But there is so much more to see and do away from the beach on this eternally popular island, as Gareth Huw Davies discovered…
1... ON THE RIGHT LINES
The Soller tramway, built in 1914 on three miles of track, provides an utterly charming ride between Soller and Port Soller. The original wooden cars have reversible seats – so you can choose which way you face.Trams trundle along Port Soller’s curving bay, then cross the fierce-sounding Torrent Major on an iron bridge.
In Soller they proceed importantly through narrow streets, bisecting the central square, Placa de la Constitucio. Then they run past the fine church of Sant Bartomeu to connect to the equally atmospheric railway to Palma. There are two free museums next to the terminus, with works by Miro and Picasso.
2... Take a spin
Majorca has become a major destination for cyclists of all types – the Lycra-clad and serious, and the slow and local.
We hired bicycles in Port Soller and ambled up to Centro Capvespre, in the little valley above Soller, where oranges and olives grow.
It’s a longer jaunt to the town of Valldemossa, where they have long since forgiven composer Chopin and his partner George Sand for negative comments about the winter weather when they stayed on the island – these days they hold frequent recitals of Chopin’s work.
My choice for the most delightful visit on the island is to the house where the devout little girl who became Santa Catalina Thomas (Majorca’s patron saint) was born.
3... LAND THAT TIME FORGOT
Dry stone walls frame an ancient tapestry of terraces, orchards, vegetable gardens and olive groves on the island’s north-west coast.
This land is still worked, a millennium after Arab settlers first managed the water that tumbles off a sheer-sided mountain range above.
An ingenious system, based on ancient and still-functioning vertical shafts linked to gently sloping tunnels, transformed a harsh region.
Unesco has awarded ‘Cultural Landscape’ status to the Serra de Tramuntana, a spectacular example of a terraced, farmed landscape, dotted with churches, sanctuaries, towers, lighthouses and small stone buildings. Steep and twisty roads and a network of paths link villages that are well worth a visit and only lightly touched by tourism, such as Lluc, Escorca and Pollenca.
4... A POET’S CORNER
Robert Graves, one of the First World War poets, found tranquillity in Deia. The English writer built a house on a stupendous plot by the village, mountains behind, the Mediterranean below, on the proceeds of Goodbye To All That, his candid war memoir. To pay off the mortgage, he wrote I, Claudius here.
Graves lived in Deia from 1929 until he died in 1985. His home has been restored with all essential details in place, down to the Aga in the kitchen. A gallery displays the covers of his many books, alongside newspaper cuttings and letters.
There’s a well-kept garden, with carob, almond, orange, tangerine and lemon trees. This place of peace feels as if Graves had just popped out for a quick swim down at the beach. He and his second wife lie in the village churchyard.
5... HOTEL SERENITY
The Jumeirah Port Soller, a brilliant vision in white clinging to the cliff high above the town and opened in 2012, is one of the best hotels on the island. As well as looking gorgeous, the hotel has many eco-friendly features, including rainwater recycling and renewable energy use. This serene retreat seems to float above the island, with views far out to sea.
6... MEALS OF DISTINCTION
A short stroll from Deia, just above a pebbly beach, there are two simple waterside fish restaurants. The one we sampled was the perfect example of a little family-run place. Our next meal of distinction was in a far busier place, at Sa Cova, in the main square in Soller, where we had octopus ink risotto. Most spectacular was the Cap Roig tapas restaurant, facing the setting sun at the very top of Jumeirah Port Soller, above the infinity pool. - Mail On Sunday
l Elegant Resorts (elegantresorts.co.uk) offers seven nights B&B at the Jumeirah (jumeirah.com) from £1 175 (about R22 000) including flights.