In April, four lovely journalists and I spent three days in Mallorca at Zafiro Palace Andratx, soaking up the Spanish way of life and making the most of the sun before returning to rainy England.
We arrived at a leisurely hour into Palma Airport and were greeted by not only the smiling driver, but also by torrential rain! Being April, we were prepared for some bad weather, but I hoped that this was not a sign of things to come, and we hopped into the car to drive the 30 minutes to Camp de Mar.
Sitting above the town, the hotel almost blends into the mountain, with the bright blue pools and stone coloured suites creating a calming atmosphere, even set against grey skies. The lovely concierge Martí who gives us the tour of the hotel laughs at my Mallorca football scarf, and slyly tells me the weather is supposed to brighten up the next day.
Bright and early the next morning, we pile into a taxi and drive across the island to the local winery Bodega Ribas, receiving a lively wine tour from sommelier Juanma and settling down for an extensive tasting at 12pm. As we taste the jamon iberico, the third red wine and the local olive oil, the sun slowly begins to peek out from behind the cloud in what must surely be pathetic fallacy.
That afternoon is spent sunbathing on the bali beds and being treated with a massage with Germaine de Capuccini products, before fully embracing the spanish way of life by taking a siesta before supper.
Our second morning on the island takes us to the capital, Palma, for a local perfume making course. As the ‘nose’ Carolina takes us through each of the natural scents that the perfumery uses, we are taught what each scent evokes and which are widely used in the industry. Each of us creates a wholly personal scent, all of which smell incredible. Lunch is at El Camino, an incredible display of Spanish cooking, with fresh, gorgeous ingredients elevating pan con tomate and the classic tortilla to new heights.
Once back at the hotel, we take the opportunity to make use of the hotel’s electric mopeds under the watchful guidance of Eva, Zafiro’s Marketing Manager, who leads the way to Port D’Andratx in the setting sun. We stop off at turquoise calas on the way, and return to the hotel invigorated and wishing we had more days to keep exploring.
