What better way to spend a midweek than escaping the doom and gloom of London and jetting off to the beautiful, sunny island of Mallorca for a couple of days?
We went out with womenswear HUSH to showcase their new summer collection and were also joined by some other amazing bloggers, Liv Purvis, Lizzie Hadfield, Hannah Crosskey and Carlie Tasker. Now, for those that aren’t familiar with the brand, it is perfect for any summer getaway. Think relaxed, comfortable yet stylish. Perfect for beach cover-ups, bohemian linen shirts and flowy dinner dresses on a warm summers evening. We now have our holiday wardrobe sorted!
Our stay was spent in a beautiful boutique hotel , Hotel Cala Sant Vicenç which is close to Pollenca on Mallorca’s North West Coast. With just 38 bedrooms, each room has a balcony with views across the village to the sea or over the lovely outdoor swimming pool and lush gardens towards the rugged mountain scenery. They recently re-opened in April and after a whole redesign and refurb, the new contemporary look is luxurious, combining the best of local tradition and culture.
Cala Sant Vicenc is a beautiful secluded resort village, just a 45 minute drive north from the countries capital , ‘Palma’ , where the majority of the population reside. But at this time of year, there are few tourists and it’s pretty peaceful, making it perfect for us to explore the place at our own free will. The location of the hotel is stunning. A few minutes walk and you're surrounded by these lush little coves with the most beautiful turquoise and transparent water. I was shocked at how crystal clear the water was. Now, in most cases, we’d be the first to jump in, but at the this time of year the water is still a bit chilly so we resorted in staying on land and topping up the tans. ( Slightly regretting this now, looking back at how inviting the water looks in these photos!)
Although we only stayed for a couple of days, we managed to squeeze enough in to give you a few recommendations and ‘Must- do’s’ if you ever plan to visit Cala San Vicenc or Pollenca. I’m going back a few more times this summer for weddings, and I literally can’t wait!
1. Take a trip to Pollenca - Pollenca is a 15 minute drive from Cala San Vicenc. It is an ancient town of attractive narrow streets and an impressive main square, lined with cafés, restaurants and bars. It has a rich history and beautiful churches and art galleries too, if you're interested in that kind of thing! We had a lovely, very well cultured tour guide, who showed us round the cute cobbled streets and talked to us about the history and culture of Pollenca.
2. Go cycling - Cycling is huge in Cala San Vicenc, so much so that the hotel had it's own cycling concierge which was extremely handy! You also see more cyclists than you do cars and they all seem to be given right of way. Power to the cyclists, is all I say! So on Wednesday morning the hotel arranged a lovely guide who led us all the way to Puerto Pollensa. This was about a 25 minute cycle but it was so beautiful. Cycling with the sun on our faces, we passed such stunning scenery and rode past picturesque orange and olive groves. A part of the way is on the main road, but again, don’t be scared as cyclists are pretty much given right of way! I felt safe the whole time. If your cycling to Puerto Pollenca, make sure to go on a Wednesday as this is then the market is on which is well worth a visit.
3. Hit up the market in Puerto Pollenca - The market takes place every Wednesday in Puerto Pollenca and here you can find everything from fresh fruits, olives and produce to amazing local hand-made arts and crafts and jewellery. And if you don’t fancy shopping, go sit in a cute cafe by the water and sip on a freshly squeezed orange juice. It's that time of season too, so they taste divine!
4. Visit a vineyard and go wine tasting - If you’re anything like us, nothing beats a nice glass of rose in the sun and a glass of red wine with dinner. There are a few vineyards located around Pollenca, so when we got the chance to visit one (organised by the hotel) we were pretty chuffed! We tried a variety of different roses and some lovely mature red wines. An afternoon very well spent!
5. Visit the Hotel Illa d'Or - This wellness and Spa hotel, located in Puerto Pollenca was founded in 1929 and is a stunning, white washed modern hotel with traditional touches. We were given a lovely tour of some of the rooms which have incredible views of the beach. The best part was dining at their outdoor restaurant located on the port over the water. If you like lots of courses and exquisite fine dining, then this is definitely a place for you!
