Mallorca

The Island of Mallorca

South - Palma and outskirts

Palma is not only the capital of Mallorca, but also the economic and cultural centre of the island. The international flair in combination with the typical Mediterranean character creates a very special charm and due to its variety, numerous cultural events, its animated nightlife and lovely old town - where property is high in demand - Palma is known amongst insiders as "New Barcelona".

Demand is also high around lively Paseo Marítimo and Santa Catalina. The promenade of Paseo Marítimo runs along Palma's yacht marina and has an appeal of its own. Here you can find spacious, modern apartments offering spectacular views over the bay of Palma. Santa Catalina is just a stroll away and is known as Palma's most funkiest and bohemian neighbourhood. It offers a great choice of restaurants, cafés and bars, as well as a very popular indoor market.

Areas on the outskirts of Palma that have to be mentioned, are the residential area of Son Vida, famous for its luxury properties and golf courses and offering lots of privacy; charming Portixol, a former fishing village that has seen major refurbishment in recent years; and Santa María, a lovely inland village, offering amazing and very well priced rural properties.

South West

The South West of Mallorca is a privileged area of the island, combining beauty, exclusivity and convenience. It is a destination of easy access within the immediate reach of the whole of Europe and the climate is a major attraction, as in winter it is protected by the Tramuntana mountain range. Those who are looking for charming villages, breathtaking coastlines, beautiful mountain views, sandy beaches with crystal clear water, stylish marinas and prestigious golf courses should definitely take this area into consideration. The most popular towns and villages in the South West of Mallorca are Bendinat, Puerto Portals, Santa Ponsa and Puerto Andratx.

Bendinat is an exclusive and sought after residential area located close to the sea, only a few minutes drive away from the cosmopolitan city of Palma. It is a lovely place, surrounded by pine-covered hills, where the green coordinates with the blue of the Mediterranean Sea. Transfer time for Palma and the international airport is possibly one of the shortest on the island. On this account it is most popular with visitors and residents who are looking for stunning villas close to the sea, offering at the same time ready access to the various attractions of the capital Palma. Apart from its unique environment, Bendinat is also popular for its prestigious 18 holes Golf course and its proximity to Portals Nous with the famous marina Puerto Portals.

Puerto Portals, located beneath the urbanisation Portals Nous, is probably Mallorca's most famous marina, sheltering the yachts of many international celebrities. The truly international flair of this region has encouraged the development of a sophisticated and well-serviced area, offering first class restaurants, exclusive boutiques, chic bars for the in-crowd and a wide range of services, making the owning of a property as stress free and pleasurable as possible. To the west of the port there is a sandy beach, provided with a popular "chiringuito" - the perfect place to enjoy a sunset whilst listening to some chill out music. In this area you find many first-rate villas. These properties, located on gorgeous plots with spectacular views onto the harbour and the open sea leave nothing to be desired.

Santa Ponsa is located approx. 20 km to the west of Palma and is the perfect place to live. It is especially popular for its 3 golf courses and the Santa Ponsa Country Club. Additionally this locality offers a small marina, sandy beaches with pine trees at the back, providing plenty welcome shade and a beautiful centre with a great variety of restaurants, nice pubs and shops. Further major features of Santa Ponsa are the fantastic surroundings and the proximity to other famous localities as Puerto Andratx and Puerto Portals. In the sought after urbanisations around Santa Ponsa you can find an amazing diversity in properties - ranging from high-exclusive villas to fascinating finca style mansions. Prices here are affordable and offer excellent value for money, which explains the significant demand for properties in the buy-to-let rental market. Due to the lack of plots with building licenses, the existing properties will also increase in value in the future.

Puerto Andratx is located in the extreme South West corner of Mallorca, encompassing the picturesque village of San Telmo and the famous beach resorts of Camp de Mar and La Mola. Formerly Puerto Andratx was a small traditional fishing harbour and although commercial fishing is still carried out here, without a doubt the major feature of the town is the large new marina with provision for over 300 moorings. Puerto Andratx has remained almost "undiscovered" by the mass tourism and on this account has managed to retain its authentic flair, despite the recent residential development of the rugged headlands. Exclusive fashion boutiques and cosy cafés and restaurants line up on the waterfront, where you can enjoy the gorgeous view onto the marina. Puerto Andratx has the reputation of being one of the most expensive areas on the island and is in high demand with investors.

The West Coast

The west coast, dominated by the Tramuntana mountain range, is a beautiful region of olive and orange groves, pine forests and picturesque villages, with a spectacular rugged coastline, which has never been overbuilt, thanks to its rocky and steep formation. Clearly this region has much to offer. Although some of the beaches are a little difficult to reach, it only seems to add to the charm and exclusive feel. While it lacks large, sandy beaches, it has plenty of unspoiled nature, top-class restaurants, cultural diversity and most importantly the character and beauty of the original Mallorca. The most sought-after real estate locations in this area are the villages of Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa, which have always been very popular with artists, writers and musicians. The people buying property here tend to be eager to find privacy without pretention and even celebrities can stroll around places like Deià and Sóller without being bothered. Demand, however, far exceeds supply and there are very few properties for sale, which is reflected in property prices.

Taking the narrow winding road over the pass, you will most likely never forget the moment when the beautiful orange valley, in which Sóller is located, suddenly appears below you. The extraordinary combination of mountains and sea, the traditional houses with stone facades and large patios and the gorgeous, colourful landscape compose the magic of this place. Sóller and its harbour Port de Sóller are located close to Palma, which can be reached in less than 20 minutes, thanks to the Palma-Sóller tunnel and offer all the amenities of a urban town: schools, shopping facilities, cultural diversity and nightlife. Port de Sóller is located in a beautiful bay, featuring a small sandy beach.
Close to Sóller, a bit further down the coast, you find the picturesque village of Deià. The luxurious hotel "La Residencia" and the yearly international music festival attract an exclusive crowd and the village was internationally popularised by the moving in of numerous celebrities and artists. You can feel the Mediterranean lifestyle at any street corner and the stunning properties in this area offer gorgeous sea views.

Valldemossa is equally stunning. The lovingly restored stone-built houses, the narrow cobblestone lanes and the multitude of plants and flowerpots account for the charm of this fairytale village and the views over the valley and the surrounding mountains are breathtaking. Well-known thanks to the composer Frederic Chopin and writer George Sand, who passed the winter of 1838/1839 in Valldemossa, it is one of the most visited villages of Mallorca. By night, however, it returns to it quiet self, enjoying a very peaceful atmosphere.

Valldemossa is a historic place with original untouched constructions of the 16th century, like the old churches and the famous monastery.

The North

The north coast of Mallorca is characterised by a superb natural scenery. The mountain range of Levante stretches out over the complete coast and provides for a fascinating panorama, composed of an imposing highland and a fantastic littoral. Visit for instance the bay of Alcudia or Puerto Pollensa and enjoy beaches of fine sand, small isolated bays and crystal-clear water - the perfect setting for sailing, diving or sea-angling. Alcudia is not only a famous beach resort, but also steeped in history and the old part of Alcudia was built within the city walls which were completed in 1362, retaining a medieval ambience with its charming narrow streets.

If you are looking for something really exclusive, Formentor is the place to be. This is due in part to the rather difficult access by car, leading over the twisting road from Puerto de Pollensa with hair pin bends. On the peninsula there are two beautiful calas: One is Playa de Formentor, which is tucked away on the southern side of the peninsula and has one of the earliest beach resort hotels ever built on Mallorca - the famous "Hotel Formentor" with a celebrity guest list, which in the past included Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Princess Grace of Monaco and Charlie Chaplin. The other, Cala Figuera, is one of the most inaccessible beaches of Mallorca. Both calas can however be reached by making the journey from Puerto de Pollensa by boat and you will find exclusive sea-front villas with private beaches, dotted along the coastline. In the inland the landscape is characterised by a gorgeous nature where impressing manors watch over pasture land and plantations of almond and olive trees. This incomparable environment remains unaffected from the tourism for the most part. The most famous locality in this area is Pollensa, an idyllic place with an important history. It is considered as the place of artists and intellectuals on Mallorca and many international residents have settled down in the surroundings. Here you will find the quietness you need for relaxed activities like golfing, horse riding or hiking.

The Northeast of Mallorca offers an attractive international flair, beautiful mountains, fantastic beaches, several protected Nature Reserves and a famous golf court close to Canyamel, which as been built without much interference in the natural environment. The court which is considered as very difficult is surrounded by palm trees, almond trees and fig trees. Canyamel itself is a quiet resort, popular for its 300 meters wide, smoothly sloping sandy beach, with even a reedy lagoon. The small harbours on the northeast coast, like Colonia San Pere, have retained their original charme, as they have not been the subject of mass tourism and are protected by severe building regulations.

East / Southeast

The beautiful nature in the southeast of Mallorca is characterised by crofts, grazing lands, fruit orchards and pine forests, remaining mostly unspoiled. The famous beach of "Es Trenc" between the localities of "Sa Rápita" and "Colonia St. Jordi" is offering a nearly Caribbean flair and thanks to the strict nature conversation in this area, it will continue to be an exclusive resort, protected of mass tourism and excessive edification of hotels. The coastal towns in this area are too numerous to mention, but places like Porto Petro, Cala Figuera and Cala Mondrago are major attractions, offering a high quality of life and a very traditional "Mallorcan Style". In this area you can find as well many, very attractive coastal ports and marinas to choose from, such as those at Porto Colom, Cala d'Or and Porto Cristo.

The fertile inland of the south-east features numerous farms with overflowing cultivation surfaces and typical Spanish villages. This area offers interesting investment opportunities as some of the old country-style houses come with large areas of land, offering great value for money.

The Inland

The whole central island has managed to retain its authentic Mallorcan charm with the villages still having weekly markets and with its inherent traditions, providing an attractive lifestyle option. The sources and the traditions are particularly noticeable in the upcountry of the island. Here you will discover a very special side of Mallorca: With rural character, fertile corn fields and market gardening, orchards, almond tree groves and sheep-run. This is a scenery that invites you at any season to dream and relax! Thanks the expansion of the highway (between Palma and the far north) most villages in the centre of Majorca are by now easily and quickly reachable, meaning that people can combine the benefits of rural living, while still enjoying all the attractions of a major capital city.

The fact that the properties in this area provide excellent value for money also explains the increase in popularity during the last few years. The most important localities are: Alaró, Artà, Betlem, Bunyola, Costitx, Inca, Llubí, Marratxí, Petra and Selva.

Address:
Av de Gabriel Roca, 9,
07014 Palma de Mallorca,
Islas Baleares, Spain

Telephone:
+34 971 45 04 22

Email:
info@vidabalear.com