Travel to Mallorca: The best places and ways to relax on the celebrity-loved Spanish island

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The skies over Mallorca were so busy last summer that only Geneva’s banking center beat them to private jets. So says Elliot Krauze, who runs the high-end local concierge business Milagro. Since moving to the island from the UK seven years ago, he’s seen it transform from a fly-and-flop spot for package holiday Brits and Germans to the Mediterranean’s discreet, elite island, equal parts Sardinia and Capri . “It’s a real mix of new and old money,” Krauze explains. “Our company focuses on all those people.” Just don’t go there for a flashy outing, warns the London-based fashion executive Daisy hopping, who has long had a family home in the countryside. Mallorca is luxurious, chic and understated. “It’s not flashy here and you never see anyone in high heels. Everyone wears jeans and a T-shirt,” she says. “There’s no real nightlife – this is a daytime island.”

It’s also a huge one – about 1,400 square miles – so choosing the right base is vital. Skip the capital Palma, which can be overrun with cruise visitors, and instead head north towards Deià on the west coast. It has long been a favorite with stars and bold-faced creatives. Ava Gardner was a regular visitor, Andrew Lloyd Webber was there summers, and Triangle of sadness director Ruben Östlund and Fantastic beasts star Mads Mikkelsen reportedly has a second home there. Michael Douglas bought an estate in nearby Valldemossa in the 1980s: the 250-acre S’Estaca was rumored to be on the market until he bought his ex-wife Diandra Luker’s share, so that he and his current wife Catherine Zeta Jones could continue to visit. If you can’t score an invite to stay with them, opt for a suite at the honey-colored Belmond hotel instead La Residence (rooms from $1,682 per night; more booking options with Booking.com, Expedia, and Hotels.com). The big stack was first opened by Richard Branson, but is now operated by LVMH-owned Belmond. Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford are all former guests.

This summer, British photographer Kate Bell and her friend Magnus Reid, a chef turned artist, are opening their own project, Hotel Corazon (rooms from around $500 a night), just between Deià and nearby Sóller (pronounced SOY-uh). Book the El Corazon Suite, with a vaulted ceiling and private terrace.

Last year, English restaurateur Rory McCoy moved to Sóller with his Spanish wife to open Mister McCoy’s Island Ices, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor that also sells organic wines. Lazing around during a long lunch in the Patiki Beach cafe, on the sand in Port de Sóller on the seafront, and don’t be surprised to see stylist Camilla Nickerson or photographer Gray Sorrenti at the next table.

If you want to follow the lead of Hoppen and fashion designer Katharine Hamnett, who has long owned a home there, keep in mind that the best location to buy is inland, nestled in the mountains – that’s where Joseph Fiennes spent more than ten bought a house years ago. . Think close enough to Deià to visit for dinner, but still secluded. The fincas, or old farmhouses in the area, “stay really cool in the summer,” said Hoppen, adding, “but an outdoor shower is a must” to beat the heat. Among the brokers to know are Max Gennel van General characteristicsThe agency Alby Euesden and Eddy Barrera van Engel & Volkers. Among the current offers from Engle & Völkers on the island is a Residence of $69 millionVilla Patience, where Nicole Kidman was staying earlier this year while filming the upcoming Taylor Sheridan series Lioness.

Mallorca is a sporty outdoor destination, with fantastic canyon-like hiking inland – the Tramuntana Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all rolling hills, olive groves and charming mountain villages. There is a beautiful walk, the Cami del Pintors or Route of the Painters, between Soller and Deià – it is named after the route that inspired so many local creatives. Book a day of discovery on horseback with Nature cavall, which offers several routes, including pit stops at little-visited beaches along the coast. And don’t miss the chance to refine your backhand Rafael Nadal’s academy; the Majorca-born superstar has his own tennis school in the east of the island. The best base to focus on all things outdoors is one of the towns in the hills – try the 43 room hotel Castell Son Claretjust outside Es Capdellà (rooms from $473; more booking options at Expedia and Hotels.com), which has its own fleet of e-bikes ready to be borrowed.

And make time to get out on the water — chartering is relatively affordable versus scoring a superyacht in St. Tropez, according to Krauze (prices vary widely depending on boat size, but many run in the low to mid-fours Numbers) . “Day charters are very common and smaller yachts are easy to book. You can come to Ibiza or Menorca for a few hours,” he recommends. Look out for yachts owned by Laurene Powell Jobs and Jack Ma, who regularly dock in Mallorca. The main marina in the island’s capital, Palma, is undergoing extensive renovation, adding more bars and restaurants and improving facilities; the year-long project is nearing completion.

A version of this story first appeared in the May 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.