Notorious yet underrated—Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, has reinvented itself as an exclusive retreat. A fresh discovery, from luxurious private hideaways to the rugged peaks of the Tramuntana Mountains.
The usual hustle and bustle is barely noticeable in Mallorca during the off-season—except, perhaps, along the shopping streets of the capital. But the rest of the island is anything but asleep: from west to east, busy craftsmen are hard at work. Nowhere is the transformation more visible than at the airport, where operator Aena is currently investing over 400 million euros. Out with the old, in with the new—the island is polishing itself up across the board, ready to welcome residents and travelers alike with fresh ideas and renewed charm.
The dream of Mallorca evolving into the next Ibiza, Sylt, or Mykonos is becoming increasingly tangible. Especially in the high-end and wellness segments, Mallorca is steadily rising to world-class status. One of the island’s newest trends is, in fact, a revival of an old one: positioning itself once again as an exclusive retreat.
Can that really succeed amid mass tourism? 2024 was a year of extremes in the Balearic Islands: record-breaking visitor numbers, peak revenues, and all-time highs in passenger traffic at Palma Airport. A staggering 18.7 million travelers visited the islands in 2024—most of them headed for Mallorca. More than 120 airports worldwide now offer direct flights to Palma, including 25 in Germany, five in Austria, and three in Switzerland. Sounds anything but relaxing? Think again. These days, Mallorca offers countless ways to escape the crowds and embrace tranquility.
You don’t have to go quite as far as pianist Frédéric Chopin and writer George Sand, who spent the winter of 1838 in complete isolation at the monastery in Valldemossa. Sand had hoped the climate would help ease her partner’s lung illness—but as she described in her 1842 book A Winter in Majorca, it did anything but.
Then again, expecting a cold, damp monastic cell to cure a health condition may have been a stretch. “Until 2019, residents were constantly on the go—dining out every day, a different restaurant every night,” says Austrian star chef Klaus Brunmayr.
Since the pandemic, however, the desire for privacy has grown. In 2020, trained sushi chef Brunmayr launched his own business as a private cook. Back then, he recalls, there were only a handful of competitors across the entire island—today, he estimates, there are around 300. Brunmayr remains the most well-known among them.
In 1999, the now 46-year-old Brunmayr became something of a culinary celebrity on the island—he was the first to introduce the Parmesan wheel to Mallorca. It quickly turned truffle pasta into the signature dish at Tristán, then the island’s only two-star restaurant. His clientele today includes top athletes, executives, board members, and celebrities—people who value discretion and privacy.
He cooks on chartered yachts, in villas, fincas, or for special events. What he treasures most is the variety and freedom his work brings. “The pandemic made people realize how beautiful life can be at home,” he says. “Even if it’s just a rented terrace—it’s still your own.”
Domenic Amat Kreft would certainly agree. The 28-year-old winemaker stands on the Terra Ión vineyard in the middle of the wooded hills of the Tramuntana and shows with cheerful pride what he and his team have created over the last two years: a place of mountainous coziness in the middle of the Mallorcan nothingness.
Set on an estate composed of a main house and several outbuildings, six hectares of vineyards are cultivated and processed into wine. A large vegetable and herb garden underscores the self-sustaining spirit of the newly renovated finca. In this secluded setting, future plans include not only wine tastings but also retreats, seminars, cooking classes, and weddings with overnight stays. The booking situation says it all: retreat is the new trend.
Many such sanctuaries have emerged in the post-COVID years. The Private Hideaway is among the island’s most exclusive providers, offering modern designer fincas and villas for eight to twelve guests, complete with 24-hour full service. The motto: limitless comfort. Clients don’t have to lift a finger—everything is arranged for them: shuttle service, golf courses with gear, bikes, private chefs, yachts, restaurant and show reservations, even helicopters.
For those who prefer a little more social atmosphere, Mallorca’s high-end hotels offer the perfect alternative. The growth of the island’s five-star segment has been remarkable. A prime example: the newly reopened Four Seasons Formentor in the island’s north, unveiled after years of meticulous renovations.
Its most affordable room comes in at around the same price as a night in a private hideaway (€1,550)—but it offers something extra: a sense of history. Winston Churchill, Helmut Schmidt, Gary Cooper, and Charlie Chaplin all stayed here. One of the first guests after its 2024 reopening? Richard Gere.
Janina Zweig has created a private hideaway of her own—for herself and her guests. Located in the upscale Puerto Portals, Janina is the smallest restaurant in the marina, a true rarity on Mallorca with just 30 seats right on the waterfront. The operation is so intimate, it doesn’t even have a walk-in fridge. “We shop fresh every single day,” Zweig says.
For groups of ten or more, the restaurant transforms into a private dining experience. The master table is set right next to the open kitchen, and as the evening unfolds, the lines between chef, server, and guest begin to blur. After a culinary journey through the flavors of Japan, Thailand, and Spain, the finale is delightfully down-to-earth Austrian: Kaiserschmarrn and Salzburger Nockerln round off the evening in hearty style.
Marlon Keller has been a real estate agent on Mallorca for ten years. The Düsseldorf native knows that the desire for peace and quiet on the island isn’t always permanent. “At first, clients want a house right on the water,” Keller explains. “But staring into a black void at night eventually wears on some of them.” The next move? A finca in the island’s interior—until they realize how much upkeep such a property demands. “The third and final choice is usually a townhouse in Palma”—back to the bustle. The motto of the Palma Beach association sums it up: Party, but with style.
The slogan was coined by Juan Miguel Ferrer, president of the hospitality division of the Balearic business association CAEB. And in a way, it’s his attempt to make amends for what his father started: in 1979, Toni Ferrer invented the infamous Bierstraße on Playa de Palma. He was the first to bring German draft beer to the island—selling it right on the street outside his bar, König Pilsener Stube.
For many Mallorcans, it was something of an original sin—one that paved the way for excess and decline. In 2015, Juan Miguel Ferrer set out to change that. He renovated his father’s aging restaurants and transformed them into stylish hotspots in the very place locals still call Ballermann. Today, they go by names like Chalet Siena, Chiringuito, Bonito, Ginger, and Bikkini Beach.
Ferrer raised prices and made headlines with a €14.50 scrambled egg—sending a clear signal to the bargain-party crowd. But since the launch of Palma Beach, the once-faded Playa de Palma has undergone a remarkable transformation. Even the island’s most controversial party stronghold is adapting: this year, Megapark turns 25—and is investing millions to win over a more upscale clientele.
