This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
It’s only just into autumn, still sunny with just a hint of crispness, and there are very few leaves on the lawn in front of the well positioned benches in my local gardens. But already my bronze-skinned companion is talking about the impending dark of the shortening days. So my mind drifts back to last year when we had this conversation and to the Balearics. These golden Spanish beauties are beautifully drenched in sunlight, easy to get to, and are all distinct from each other and from Spain. So if you’re someone who really needs that boost of sunshine then they’re the perfect place to have tucked into your memory. The Hotel Guru has provided the specific hotel recommendations, all ideal for a spot of sunny peace.
Retreat to Mallorca
One of the largest of the Balearics, Mallorca, has a spectacular coastline and mountains dotted with hill towns rich in character, and offering views beyond the mountains and right back to that spectacular coastline. And it’s oh-so sunny. Moreover island traditions remain the life-blood of each community, creating a bustling calendar.
Where to Stay?
The Finca Es Castell is small, rustic and off-the-beaten-track. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, this is a wonderful escape for families, groups or couples. From the outside this looks like an old farmhouse (11th century to be exact) with its ancient vines, 750 acres of working farm (which provide much of the ingredients you’ll see in the daily changing dinner menu), cobbled patios and whitewashed walls, but inside the finca is contemporary and elegant. This is a laid-back place to be, with hammocks, a pool, an honesty bar, and lush gardens. The finca’s 12 rooms start from around €134 per night B&B.
Practical Details: Binibona is the closest town to the Finca Es Castell, but Inca is the closest town with any transport links. To get here you fly into Palma Mallorca https://www.thehotelguru.com/best-hotels-in/spain/palma-de-mallorca, then catch a bus, then train. It’s not the easiest place to get to but it only takes around six hours so well worth it! Alternatively hire a car at the airport – that way you can easily get out an about to explore further afield.
Mallorca’s sunniest month is July, but you can still expect an average of ten hours a day during September and eight hours a day come October. And the sea remains warm too, the average sea temperate off Mallorca in September is 25°C, and still 22°C during October. Though it can start to get rainy in October.
Or?
Casal Santa Eulalia is a beautiful farmhouse in a peaceful part of the island. The pool is really lovely, and the spa is outstanding, and everything is decorated with Spanish flair – despite the rustic feel. This hotel makes for the perfect retreat. There are just ten rooms and they start from €195 per night including breakfast.
Practical Details: Ca’n Picafort is the closest centre, and to get there you fly into Palma Mallorca then catch a bus. The journey takes just under eight hours from London.
See the sights on Ibiza
I think by now we all know Ibiza isn’t just a place to enjoy being young or young at heart. Yes, the clubs are here, and if you can manage it you can dance until dawn, and then keep right on dancing all day; but Ibiza is also a wonderful place to come for the Mediterranean’s quiet, rural charms. For charming ports, white, hilltop villages, incredible marine life, and for pine trees, figs, almonds and olives – which are what the island was known for until the 60s. In Ibiza Town you’re hardly ever more than a few steps from a bar or club, but you’re also protected by Heritage Listed Phoenician walls, built in the 16th century to keep out Turkish pirates, and surrounded by medieval mansions.
Where to Stay?
Ca Na Xica is a country house style hotel, with large comfortable rooms with their own private terraces or balconies, and fantastic rural views. Ca Na Xica’s design is a clever blend of traditional Ibiza and modernist shapes, and it’s strangely cocooning. The landscape’s barren dryness is a contrast to the cool comfort the hotel promises with its big pool, shady walks and covered terraces. There are six rooms in the main house and then 14 beautifully simple, entirely self-contained suites, arranged throughout the grounds. The restaurant is excellent, the pool dramatic, and the spa, with its own little beach garden, is a true pleasure. Rooms start from around €260 per night B&B.
Practical Details: The closest town is called Sant Miguel de Balansat, and you can get there in about seven hours if you’re leaving from London. Flights come into Ibiza Airport and then there are two buses (or it might be useful to hire a car).
Ibiza’s weather is similar to Mallorca’s: warm and sunny, with an average of ten hours a day of sunshine in September and eight in October. The daily average temperature is still 21°C in September.
Or?
La Torre del Canonigo is a 14th Century tower in the very heart of Ibiza Town. If you’re looking for a romantic place to stay these eight stylish rooms are the ones to book. The hotel doesn’t occupy just the tower, it sits on top of the walls of the old Roman fortified city, offering guests incredible views of Ibiza Town and the harbour. Inside the rooms are chic and minimal, with four-poster beds with floaty, white tuile canopies and terracotta floors. You’re only five minutes from the bars and restaurants of Ibiza Town, but the hotel has a Japanese fusion restaurant too. Rooms start from around €224 per night.
Practical Details: Of all our hotel recommendations today this is the easiest to get to, on a fairly straightforward flight to Ibiza Town. If you start off in London it takes around five hours.
Enjoy Great Value on Menorca
Menorca lags behind Mallorca and Ibiza when it comes to development, but this rural idyll in the middle of the Med. is perfect for families, or anyone who wants to relax and eat well alongside a beautiful coastline, or overlooking charming, rural views.
Where to Stay?
In a beautiful, rural spot close to the beach and Ciutadella, Biniatram is a family-owned argiturisimo offering both B&B and self-catering accommodation. As well as the eight charming rooms there’s a fantastic outdoor pool. This is a great value property with rooms starting from around €115 per night.
Practical Details: Ciutadella, the closest centre to Biniatram, is about an hour’s bus journey from Menorca Airport, and the airport is about two and a half hours flight time from UK airports. So, all up, the journey time might be under seven hours ex-London.
Mild and Mediterranean, Menorca expects average temperatures of 23°C during September and 20°C during October, along with long, sunny days and warm seas.
Got the travel bug? More ideas here