Three villas, three styles, three settings - take your pick. First up, Sa Fontasa: rustic, quirky, full of charm, with two bedrooms, a sunny pool bordering the fruit groves, and terraces looking up to rugged, pine-cloaked hills. Hidden in Mallorca's rural heartland, it's a lovely, affordable, secluded escape for a couple or small family who prefer shabby-chic over shiny-boutique.
Next is Can Tortet: a little larger, with three crisp white bedrooms, sleek airy interiors flowing from one room to the next, and a good-sized pool in large, open grounds. This one's for larger families looking for a bit more space and style, in a serene inland location which is still close to shops and restaurants (pretty Pollenca is just 5 mins' drive away).
Finally: Muro Beach House - the clue's in the name. Fringing a long sandy beach near historic Alcudia, this super-sleek house will wow you with its huge rooms, its minimalist wood and stone finishes, and its uninterrupted sea views. It's a perfect fly-and-flop flagship for larger families: find your flip flops and recharge.
What they all have in common is serene seclusion in the island's northern corner; and superb service - both before and during your holiday - from our friends at Simpson, who manage them exclusively. Sounds like the perfect post-pandemic remedy, right? We think so too, and will be heading out to vet them properly just as soon as we can.
Mallorca Boutique Villas
Pollensa, Alcudia & Selva, Soller & Mountains, Spain
Highs
- We love this part of Mallorca: wooded mountains, historic towns, sleepy hamlets, spidery peninsulas, hidden coves
- Painterly Pollensa boasts a popular plaça (with live music in summer), a great golf course, and a pilgrims' path up to a hilltop chapel
- Parents with toddlers will appreciate the free, prebookable infant pack, including cot, high chair, baby gate and more
- Those with older kids can book childcare (including beach trips, drawing and games) courtesy of Jelly & Ice Cream
Lows
- Weekly rentals only, starting Friday or Saturday (depending on the house)
- Muro Beach House has a short season, and is by some margin the priciest of the three (understandably so)
- Sa Fontasa might be just a bit too secluded for some, and both bedrooms are doubles (no twins)
- Did we tell you to take your pick? Hmm, limited availability may scupper that idea
Best time to go
The villas are open from April-October (except Ca'n Tortet: June-September). July-August are of course the busiest and priciest times, but two other great options - if you're tied to school holidays - are the May and October half-terms (both have their merits; we'd actually pick them over the summer). April sees blossoming trees, verdant fields and perfect conditions for walking or cycling (the pools will be chilly, though). If you have pre-schoolers, or are coming without children, we'd recommend June or September - the perfect shoulder season.
Our top tips
In Pollenca, Onze restaurant (aka Q11) on the square comes recommended, as does the Sunday market.
- Boutique Villas
- 3 villas for 4-6
- Self-catering
- All ages welcome
- Closed: end Oct-mid April
- Outdoor Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car essential
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Daily Maid Service
- Towels & Bedlinen
- Light midweek clean
Sa Fontasa (sleeps 2-4)
This charming, shabby-chic, two-bedroom hideaway is tucked into the Tramuntana foothills, near the picturesque small towns of Selva and Moscari. The inland location means total tranquillity (apart from buzzing crickets!), long views over fruit groves, and great walks or bike rides from the door. There are plenty of indoor and outdoor sitting and dining areas, plus a lovely little pool (8.6x4m) to cool off in - though in fact the beaches of Alcudia and Pollenca are only half an hour away.
Inside, expect wooden beams and rustic furniture offset by white or straw-yellow walls and splashes of colour. Collections of hats, glassware and bright candles add humour, and there are lovely views from most rooms. Besides the open-plan living-dining area, there's a traditional-looking but very serviceable kitchen, two double bedrooms (one with shower room, the other with bathroom; neither ensuite), and an additional upstairs sitting room with its own raised terrace. Overall, it's a lovely, affordable, secluded escape for a couple or small family, if the kids don't mind sharing a double bed.
Ca'n Tortet (sleeps 4-6)
Just outside the cultured town of Pollenca, and next to its pretty 9-hole golf course, sits this handsome and spacious three-bedroom house. Its airy gardens are dotted with fruit trees, oversized lanterns and poolside loungers, offering views up to the eastern Tramuntana foothills: you could happily spend all your afternoons here.
The interior is equally generous, with crisp, clean, white-painted rooms flowing into each other. Downstairs is a contemporary kitchen, a dining area for 6 (though you'll probably prefer the patio table outside), and a sitting area with huge L-shaped sofa (again, the sail-shaded outdoor sofas are calling us). There's also a double bedroom and shower room, plus a laundry room. Stylish metal stairs - no banister or stairgate, note - lead up to the other two bedrooms, both with ensuite shower; one of these can be set up with twin beds. We think this would work well for a family of 4-6 wanting a stylish, secluded summer home which is still near shops, restaurants and beaches (Puerto Pollenca is 15 mins).
Muro Beach (sleeps 4-6)
To find a villa directly on a blond-sand beach in Mallorca is a rarity. To find one which is stylish - and set on an undeveloped, seemingly endless beach - is a godsend. The Playa de Muro is not quite endless - it's 5km long - but it falls within the S'Albufera Natural Park outside Alcudia, so no high-rises here. A restaurant flanks the house on one side, a small hotel on the other, and there's a mini-market nearby. Best of all, you can flip-flop straight from house to beach, via its sand-covered sunbathing terrace. No shoes, no news, as they say.
After a day in and out of the shallow turquoise seas, retreat to contemporary, minimalist indoor living spaces: a vast open-plan living room-kitchen-diner, with sliding glass windows and naturally marbled floor and wall tiles. Needless to say, the kitchen is superbly equipped, and there's a covered dining patio too. Of the three bedrooms, one double is downstairs while the other two (one double, one twin) are upstairs, with wonderful sea-facing balconies. All three are light and airy, with wide comfy beds and ensuite showers. This is a superb seafront holiday home: grab it while you can, as it's bound to be popular.
Kids
All three villas are well set up for families, with 2-3 bedrooms, and either a pool or direct beach access . Rates include a free infant pack if required, and you can pre-book childcare (see below).
Best for:
All ages
Family friendly accommodation:
Cots Available
Babysitting:
English-speaking nannies and baby-sitters via Jelly and Ice Cream
Baby equipment:
Free infant pack includes: bed guard, highchair, baby-gate, bottle steriliser, baby bath, non-slip bath mat, potty.
Remember baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking
Families Should Know:
Pools are unfenced, unless you have pre-booked the pool fencing service. The stairs at Ca'n Tortet have no banister or stairgate.
Distances:
- Sa Fontasa: small shop 3 mins (Moscari), hospital 12 mins (Inca)
- Ca'n Tortet: shops 3-5 mins, hospital 15 mins (Alcudia)
- Muro Beach House: shops 3-5 mins, hospital 5 mins (Alcudia)
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
The villas are located in northern Mallorca, near the towns of Selva, Pollenca and Alcudia respectively.
> See exact villa locations on a Google map (new window)
By Air:
Palma de Mallorca international airport is 45-60km from the villas (35-50 mins' drive). You'll almost certainly want a hire car to reach shops and restaurants; though you could probably manage without one at Muro Beach House. Al houses have off-road parking; Muro has a garage.
Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.
Airports:
- Palma de Mallorca 60.0 km PMI
Other:
- Beach 5.0 km
- Shops 3.0 km
- Restaurant 3.0 km