Winter in Palma de Mallorca is a relative concept. On a December afternoon, sunlight casts a golden glow on the façade of this historic city’s magnificent cathedral. The sky above is clear and blue, as if it were the middle of summer. If I had toured these 16th century walls and bastions a few months ago, I would have been among hundreds of tourists. But today, when they see me in shorts, there are only local people with coats, scarves and confused expressions. Winter and its perception? It’s really relative.
An island firmly associated with sun, sea and sand, Mallorca has been a summertime destination since the tourism boom of the 1960s. While its busy beach resorts remain the island’s biggest draw, Mallorca’s off-season appeal is now increasingly appreciated, with much of that attention falling on Palma. I’ve visited the city frequently over the last 20 years and watched it grow from a sleepy outback to a reliable city break favorite filled with history, shopping, culture, art and boutique hotels in historic buildings.
Although Palma attracts attention throughout the year, visits during the winter months are especially special. They are also in greater demand. According to the island’s tourism board, Fomento del Turismo, there are 13 percent more flights during the winter months this year than last year, while 85 percent of Palma’s hotels remain open throughout the season – more than ever before.
Welcoming its guests in winter, Calatrava Hotel is a well-established city house located on the city walls. The beautiful roof terrace seemed like the perfect place to end my walk. There I met the hotel’s sales manager, Maria Martinez, who joined me for a coffee with panoramic views of the Bay of Palma, the cathedral and the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains.
“All four of our city hotels will remain open this season,” he tells me, “and at higher rates than in the summer. Besides being cheap, our winters are mild and often sunny, so the weather is perfect for sightseeing. In Palma there are festivals and festivals in the villages and towns here and there.” “There are markets, and in the summer the island feels most authentic, without the crowds. For me, it’s the best time to visit.”
There’s a similarly positive vibe at Nobis Hotel Palma, which opened in November in a former Moorish palace. One of Palma’s oldest buildings, it is full of sweeping arches and has withstood earthquakes, fires and more than 1,000 years of renovations.
Perhaps its best asset is its bar, something out of place in any European capital. Despite its 9m-high ceiling, it’s surprisingly cozy and already popular for after-work cocktails when evening temperatures prevent outdoor gathering.
Equally ideal for colder days is Hammam al Andalus (palma.hammamalandalus.com), an authentic Moroccan-style spa and hammam just outside the old town. With steam pools and sauna in a marble-lined, mostly candlelit space, it’s perfect for situations where sunlight can’t be seen. I easily lost an hour there before being massaged on a marble slab, then returned to the old town to visit the original (and remarkably intact) Arab Baths from the 10th-century Islamic occupation.
Elsewhere, I frequented chapels and churches decorated with varying degrees of opulence, and then stumbled upon more contemporary appeal in boutiques like Arquinesia, whose scents (all locally inspired and produced) are displayed with museum-style reverence. The store is hidden behind the central avenue of Passeig des Born, where majestic plane trees currently sparkle under thousands of festive fairy lights.
But beyond shopping and sightseeing, winter in Mallorca is also a time to get outside. Especially the absence of scorching summer heat causes the Tramuntana mountains to come to their senses. From Palma, I took the historic, wood-paneled train out of the city and headed towards the peaks through almond and olive groves. After an hour-long journey through tunnels and mountain passes to cross the massif, we descended towards the elegant town of Sóller.
It’s a two-minute walk from Sóller station to Meem Townhouse: one of only 10 percent of hotels outside Palma operating this winter. “Only two properties are open in Sóller,” owner Jessica Bosch explains as she shows me to my room: a gorgeous, white, design-friendly space that is almost Cycladic in its simplicity. “Tourism here has always been seasonal and attitudes are slowly changing, but more and more businesses are expanding their operations to accommodate winter cyclists and walkers.”
One thing Jessica has in her favor is that Meem Townhouse is a masterful operation that requires no more than a core staff to keep things running smoothly. After a breakfast of orange juice and Sóller-grown avocados, I chat with local hiking guide Eduard Casajuana and we walk from Sóller to Deià along the GR221: a long-distance trail more romantically known as the Dry Stone Trail.
The cobblestones of the route, polished after centuries of use, speak of their antiquity. “This mosque is also in Ferradura [mule trail] “This dates from Arab times,” Eduard tells me as we pass through bushes and pine forests full of new seasonal plants. “These roads were the main streets of Mallorca until the roads came in the mid-1800s.”
The road along these mountains makes point-to-point hiking possible, with reliable buses connecting the various villages. Without having to turn back, we spend time along the path, admiring the sea views and watching farmers shake the branches of olive trees to harvest this year’s crop.
Before reaching Deià, we set off to visit the hamlet of Llucalcari, then continue along the coastal road, which Eduard thinks is the most beautiful road in Mallorca. The route leads to Cala Deià, where my favorite chiringuito (beach bar), currently closed for the season, is located on a cliff above the bay. Unfortunately, winter visits are not conducive to seaside snacks or refreshing swims. But that’s okay, I think to myself. I’ll be back for this in the summer.
Fundamentals
How to get there
British Airways (ba.com), easyJet (easyjet.com), Jet2 (jet2.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly direct to Palma from London, Liverpool, Bristol and Manchester for £30 return. Central Palma is a 15-minute drive from the airport.
Where to stay
Calatrava Hotel (00 34 971 72 81 10; calatravahotel.com) B&B from £241 per night; Nobis Hotel Palma (00 34 871 55 58 00; nobishotel.es) from £258; and Meem Townhouse (00 34 616 07 29 63; meemtownhouse.com) from £137.
What should we do
Private half-day walks for two with Eduardo Casajuana cost £241 (falcodelareina.com).