Saturday Magazine - 03.09.2019

66 SATURDAY MAGAZINE

flight, we were able to enjoy a late lunch

by the beach.

Our Junior Suite was delightful, a great

size and stylishly decorated, and had

a spacious bathroom. It also had a large

outdoor terrace, which became our

favourite spot for an aperitif.

When it came to dining, we were spoilt

for choice as the hotel has a wide range of

restaurants. There’s an Italian, a Majorcan,

sushi and oriental, and a poolside restaurant

offering a casual menu of barbecue food and

burgers. There’s also the option of eating in

The Market, the buffet restaurant where we

enjoyed the most impressive breakfast every

morning. It offered everything from fruit and

muesli to eggs, bacon and hash browns.

Had we wished to exert ourselves, the hotel

boasted aqua

aerobics classes

and a high-tech

gym. But

relaxing was

definitely at the

top of our to-do

list and our

favourite place

was beside the

pool, where we

lounged on day beds and caught up with our

reading between swims.

I also enjoyed a visit to the hotel’s tranquil

Zen Spa. All the treatments you’d expect are

on offer, including a few just for couples. I had

a wonderful 80-minute full-body massage and

virtually floated back to the pool.

We could have filled our days without setting

foot outside the hotel, but we fancied doing

a little exploring. The coast is a five-minute walk

from the hotel and we spent a day on the beach,

swimming in the sea and then having lunch at

one of the waterfront restaurants.

As the hotel is just 15 minutes from Palma

Old Town’s cobbled lanes, we also headed there

for a stroll. It’s a lovely city, with a great mix of

culture, shopping and restaurants. My partner

scored brownie points spotting a Mango outlet

store and when we’d had our fill of retail therapy

we headed off for some spiritual fulfilment with

a wander around Palma Cathedral. Built on the

site of a Moorish-era mosque, it’s a Gothic

W

ith its beautiful coastline, great

weather and short flight time from

the UK, Majorca has always been

a popular choice for a short-haul

break. But these days the biggest Balearic island

is reinventing itself – rather than a touristy,

package holiday destination, it’s now becoming

a glamorous and upmarket retreat full of posh

restaurants and shops,

and five-star hotels.

It’s for this reason that my

partner and I chose it for an

adults-only long weekend,

checking into the five-star

Zafiro Palace Palmanova. It’s

just 30 minutes from Palma

airport on the southwestern

part of the island, which

meant that, with a morning

The largest Balearic Island

used to be synonymous with

families on cheap package

holidays. But now it’s the

place to go for an upmarket

break, says Tricia Martin

Magical

MAJORCA

Zafiro Palace hotel

Palma

Old Town

Majorca’s beautiful

southwestern coastline

Pictures: Alamy; Getty Images