The key to the villa turns in the lock, the door opens onto the cool, the white, and the silence, the entrance hall of the Mallorcan finca, the 200-year-old farmhouse in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana, the stone walls, the wooden beams, the terracotta tiles, and the view through the French windows of the terrace, the olive trees, and the sea, and the key, the heavy iron key on the leather fob, is the threshold of the best holiday you will ever take. The villa holiday in the Mallorca is the combination of the privacy, the space, and the beauty that no hotel can match: the pool (the essential villa feature, the turquoise rectangle of the water, the sun lounger, and the sound of the silence that is broken only by the water lapping against the tile), the outdoor kitchen (the barbecue, the fresh fish from the Palma market, the local wine, and the dinner at the 9pm under the stars), and the sense of the Mallorca that is yours, the village, the beach, the mountain, without the crowds, the buffet, and the “reserved” towel on the sun lounger. Here is your guide.

Villa Holidays in Mallorca

• The best areas for the villa: The north-west, the Serra de Tramuntana: The mountain range of the north-west is the most beautiful part of the Mallorca, and the villages, the Deià (the artists’ village, the Robert Graves, the Cala Deià, the rocky cove, the seafood restaurant, the best swim in the mountains), the Sóller (the orange groves, the wooden tram to the Port de Sóller, and the most beautiful bay in the Serra), and the Fornalutx (the most beautiful village in the Spain, the stone houses, the flowers, and the view of the mountains), are the essential villa destinations. The villas in the Tramuntana are the stone fincas, the olive groves, the views, and the price (the €2,000–5,000/week for the 3–4 bedrooms in the summer). The north-east, the quieter coast: The Pollença and the Alcúdia, the old towns (the Pollença, the Roman bridge, the Calvari steps, the 365, the best view in the north, and the Sunday market), the beaches (the Platja de Muro, the 6 km of the white sand, the Blue Flag, and the best family beach on the Mallorca), and the villas (the modern, the pools, the proximity to the beach, and the €1,500–4,000/week). The south-east, the best beaches: The Santanyí, the Cala d’Or, the Cala Figuera, the calas, the turquoise water, the best swimming in the Mallorca, and the villas (the white, the Mediterranean, the pools, and the €2,000–5,000/week). More Spain →
• The booking, the essential strategies: The booking site: the Specialist (the Mallorca Farmhouses, the Fincallorca, the Balearic Villas, the local sites have the best selection and the best prices, and the essential strategy: search the local sites before the Airbnb and the VRBO), the Villa Plus (the reliable, the curated, and the best for the first-time villa renter), and the Airbnb (the widest selection, the important to read the reviews, the 4.8+ rating, the Superhost, and the “private pool” that is actually the shared). The essential questions: the pool (is it the private or the shared? The photograph of the pool that is the full and the beautiful, the pool is the essential villa feature, and the shared pool is the hotel with the extra steps), the air conditioning (the summer in the Mallorca is the 32°C, and the air conditioning in the every bedroom is the essential. The “AC in the living room” is not adequate), and the check-in (the key collection, the lockbox, the code, and the check-in that is the “after the 4pm” is the standard. The early check-in and the late checkout are the rare and the requested in advance). The essential strategy: book the 6–12 months in advance for the summer (the best villas in the Mallorca are booked by the January for the August), and the shoulder season (the May–June, the September–October, the best months for the Mallorca villa holiday: the weather is the warm, the sea is the swimmable, and the villas are the 30–50% cheaper)
• The essential Mallorca villa experience: The market breakfast (the village market, the fruit, the cheese, the bread, the jamón, and the breakfast on the terrace that costs the €10), the morning swim (the pool, the book, and the sense of the time that is the unscheduled), the lunch (the beach, the Cala, the sand, the turquoise water, and the chiringuito, the beach bar, the grilled sardines, and the beer. ~€12 for the sardines and the beer), the siesta (the hammock, the shade, and the most important hour of the day), and the dinner (the barbecue, the fresh seafood from the Palma fish market, the local wine, the Binissalem, the DO, the best wine on the Mallorca, and the stars above the Tramuntana)