Mallorca with three little kids
Our first trip to Mallorca was long before Arthur was born. The girls were age 1 and 2. We stayed in a villa in Gotmar near Puerto Pollensa. The villa was one of those architectural dreams which was carved out of the mountain and so stylish, everything white or grey concrete. Stunning views, amazing pool, death trap for toddlers. I don't remember sitting down for longer than five minutes at a time for fear of one of the girls splitting their head open on the stone steps, or tumbling down the hill and into the sea. We decided to save the sexy villa until the kids were much older and looked online for a place to move to.
Cala D'or had a place available that looked family friendly, so we booked it and took a drive over to Cala Ferreira, it is a small cove in the larger resort of Cala D'or. We stayed at the Cala Ferreira Apartments and they were great for families who want an apartment but with lots going on and friends to be made around the pool.
You could walk down to a few beautiful coves such as Cala Esmerelda (like a perfect postcard). The scenery around here is breathtaking. It's hilly around here but we coped fine with a double buggy.
It comes to life in the evening and it's like a paradise for the under 10's. Bungy rockets, trampolines, mini golf, pedalos, night markets and so many lovely restaurants. The hardest thing is keeping the kids moving because they want to stop and do everything!
The marina was pretty breathtaking though, so relaxed and pretty with some impressive boats to put on Instagram. We returned to Mallorca a few years later when we had just had Arthur Bear, who was three months old. Our friends had moved to Soller in the north of the island. They had a beautiful apartment in the old town which had a huge veranda out the back. It was surrounded by mountains either side and the silence was super dramatic. Sitting on their veranda with a cold bottle of Rose (me) and gin and tonics in huge goldfish bowls (them) was pretty dreamy, especially at sunset.
You could catch a tram down to the marina, which was a great adventure for the little ones. Once at the marina, there is a stunning long sandy beach with gentle sea that we could all enjoy and feel safe in. The heat in Soller is intense, so being on the beach was nice, to be able to cool down. There are amazing restaurants along the seafront, and some very cool hotels where you can enjoy a cocktail.
One day we took a drive to Deia, inland, high up in the mountains. It is home to a few stars and the properties there are just stunning!
After five days in Soller, we moved on to Puerto Pollensa. We had booked into Hotel Daina. We think Hotel Daina is the best place to be in Mallorca! It is located right on the Pine Walk in Pollensa. It has a swimming pool which is built out on a jetty so you are surrounded by the sea. If you stay at the Daina, everything you want or need is within a 200 metre radius. Perfect with a baby and two youngsters.
At night the town square is where it's at. Kids play football with makeshift goalposts. Small kids run about chasing each other. Bunting and fairy lights are hung overhead which makes the square feel really magical and inviting. The square is surrounded by probably a dozen restaurants. You can sit and eat tapas, steak and seafood or whatever you fancy while allowing your kids to roam free and you can see them. Amazing!
There are really cool boutiques and ice cream parlours along the Pine Walk. If you walk all the way to the Ila D'or, a well-known luxury hotel, with lots of history, you can reward yourself with the best sangria in Mallorca.
Since Arthur was only three months old, I would take him out early in his buggy so that the others could sleep in. Walking along the Pine Walk at 7am watching the sunrise, and waiting for the first cafe to open are some of my favourite memories of his baby days.
We returned to Pollensa last year, back at the Daina and this time brought friends. They fell in love just like we did. Despite our very lengthy travel bucket list, we hope to return here every other year! It is holiday perfection for us. Other places we have stayed and a quick run-down.
Hotel H10 Playas de Mallorca, Santa Ponsa. Santa Ponsa lacks the picturesque looks of Pollensa and Soller but still has a huge beach and lots of facilities for all ages and we felt it would suit a family with teenage children really well. There are lots of Irish pubs, some nightclubs, and lots of drunk people after midnight. For us, it wasn't our favourite spot, but we've also been to a lot worse!
Palma itself was cool. There is a beach club in San Augustin called Zhero Beach Club. We spent a day here with the kids, to be able to use the pool in an otherwise very hot city. Zhero Beach Club is aimed at adults, but no one made us feel uncomfortable having the kids dive bombing in the pool, and the hubby and I enjoyed cava while enjoying some really good deep house and amazing views of the ocean. Highly recommended! You rent a sunbed for the day for €25 each. Not cheap but so worth it for the location and that pool.
There is a lovely playground across the road which is totally shaded by pine trees. We spent a few afternoons letting the kids play there while we sat on the benches having a break from the sun.
In summary, Palma was a gorgeous place but one we will save until we can have a little city break by ourselves, sans kids, so Will and Trish, book us in for next year sometime?
Our friends now have the famous Pizza Van @thepizzavan_es which travels around the island making artisan pizzas in beautiful settings. We spent an evening with them at a special location in Soller last year surrounded by super yachts, mountains and beautiful people!
So there are many areas of Mallorca we are yet to visit. You could go every year and stay in a different beach and never get bored. Friends can't believe we’ve never been to Alcudia and I'm sure one day our girls might ask to go to Magaluf! I would be secretly excited to be honest!