Can Isabel

Rooms

The staircase leading to the rooms is dark and narrow, but thankfully all 6 rooms are light and airy. Each has some interesting original features: old-fashioned light switches, exposed wooden beams and gorgeous floor tiles. Beds are comfortable doubles or twins with plump cushions and pretty French bedspreads.

The Blue Room and Ivory Room are the smallest, which is reflected in the cost, but we thought them lovely rooms and would happily return to either - we had a slight preference for Blue, with its little dressing table and garden view. Ivory can be made up as a twin. The Red Room, the Romantic Room and the Terrace Rooms are all very spacious. The Romantic Room is especially popular as it has an antique claw-foot bathtub in the middle of the room (as well as a shower in its bathroom).

The Terrace Room has double doors leading onto a great, Moroccan-style roof terrace overlooking the garden, mountains beyond and local church. We stayed in this room when we revisited in 2012, and loved the little touches such as cushioned loungers, fluffy bathrobes and citrus-scented toiletries, and we slept incredibly well. The White Terrace Room also has a terrace with similar views, and a calming ambiance. The Red and Romantic Rooms are at the front of the house and some traffic noise can be heard if you have your windows open (however, there is double glazing and AC).

Bathrooms are internal, with French doors separating them from the bedroom, but they come with lots of quirky features such as ornate glass holders, carved wooden beading around the walls, and kitsch soap dishes. Organic toiletries are made with orange essences, bathrobes are fluffy and a couple of the rooms have baths.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Minibar/fridge
• WiFi

Eating

There's nothing so common as a buffet at Can Isabel; breakfast is served to you on antique plates, dainty cups with saucers and 3-tiered silver cake stands. Previous guests have raved about the tasty timbales of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, tea (using homemade tea bags) in ornate pots, and fresh baguettes accompanied by divine homemade lemon and orange marmalades served in tiny glass jars decorated with gold leaf. Sadly, when we last visited, the breakfast wasn't very good - croissants were packaged, cheese was processed slices, and our eggs and bacon (no choice menu) were a little burnt. However, we did love the dining experience itself. During the summer months, breakfasting alfresco in the sunny garden is a must.

For other meals, there's a little cafeteria called PIA Gourmet in the garden, which is open from 12:30 until 20:00 and offers light snacks and lunches. Otherwise, there are many small restaurants in Soller; in the nearby main square you can eat outside at several casual cafes until late into the night. We had great pasta at Cafe Soller. If you don't mind driving, Sa Teulera in Arta is fantastic; try the meat slow roasted on almond shells. Down at the port (5-10 minutes by car or tram), we recommend Restaurant Agapanto (modern cooking) and Es Faro (local seafood). The Lighthouse has great views and fancy food, but we feel it is a little overpriced.

Features include:

• Minibar/fridge
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Explore Soller's narrow cobbled streets lined with honey-coloured stone and green-shuttered houses, old-fashioned baker shops and chi-chi boutiques
  
  
• Take a trip to picturesque Puerto Soller - the 10-minute tram ride is a great way to get there, or you can rent a bicycle in the town. You can have lunch in one of the many seafront restaurants, walk along the beach front or if you're feeling energetic, walk up to the lighthouse for the fabulous view of the harbour
  
  
• The area around Soller is great for hiking, with well-marked walking trails. The pretty villages of Fornalutx and Biniaraix are a 2-hour round walk from Soller; lovely Deia is 2 hours each way
  
  
• If you want to go the beach, Puerto Soller has a long narrow beach but it's rather characterless and often covered in driftwood. Prettier, small shingle coves can be found 25 minutes away at Cala Deia and Cala Tuent. For one of the island's best sandy beaches go for the day to Formentor in the far north (golden sand, calm shallow waters, pine woods and dramatic mountains)
  
  
• Take the scenic wooden train ride to Palma - where you'll find a wealth of historical and cultural sites including the huge Cathedral and a number of modern art galleries

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Hiking
• Shopping / markets

Kids

Not really a place for kids - fragile antiques and the winding staircases and size of the rooms could be a little difficult to negotiate. Cots, however, are free and extra beds are available for a supplement.

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Can Isabel is centrally located in the pretty town of Soller, approx 30 minutes from Palma airport.

By Air:
Palma (35km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

From the Airport
You can take a taxi (see Rates) or hire a car - make sure you have a few euros with you for the Soller tunnel toll.

By Car:
See our car rental recommendations. However, it is possible to stay here without a car due to its location next to the tram and train station, and driving around Soller can be tricky. A good option would be to make your own way here then ask Sebastien to organise car hire for a couple of days once you are here. The hotel has no car park but there is a free car park in town.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Mallorca and getting around