Discovering Majorca, between art and gourmet addresses, in the company of Alberta Ferretti
Walks on the Unesco heritage promontory and a swim in the artists' cove. Then, an aperitif in the Bombon's pool bar and dinner in the old town centre with octopus and croquetas.
by Fabrizia Villa
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4' min read
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Majorca is a recent encounter, a relationship that grows each time I return to the island. For years I have brushed against it from the sea in my wanderings by boat among the Balearic Islands, fascinated by its inlets and those red rocks that enter the water drawing spectacular depths. For me, who loves swimming and diving, it is a special place that has few rivals in the Mediterranean. What captivated me about the island from the very first time was the variety of landscapes above and below the sea, starting with the Sierra de Tramuntana, the massif that runs parallel to the northwest coast, from Andratx to Cape Formentor, and which has been a World Heritage Site since 2011.
Here, small towns and villages follow one another, hiding the most authentic soul of Mallorca, such as Deià, a mountain village with its traditional stone houses surrounded by olive and citrus groves, beloved by artists since the 1920s. Sa Fonda is almost a second square in this bohemian village; it is in this informal and cheerful venue that local and international artists and musicians meet. One can come here for a breakfast before heading for a swim in the small Cala Deià, when it is still not too crowded, participate in a DJ set evening or attend impromptu concerts by the village's more or less famous guests.
The presence of artists on the island is very stimulating for my work, and it was one of the aspects that fascinated me most when Gran Meliá invited me to give the beach and pool bar at the Hotel de Mar a new look. The hotel, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024, is an iconic building on the island, and here they affectionately call it 'El Chocolate': designed with geometric rigour by a master of Catalan architecture, José Antonio Coderch, on the tranquil bay of Illetas, it is just fifteen minutes away from the bustling city of Palma.
For the Bombon Pool Club, so renamed in homage to the hotel's nickname, I wanted to go along with the nature of the place by choosing tie-dye prints in shades of blue for the area surrounding the pool and solarium, while for the beach and pool bar I preferred the colour of sand. A dessert, a pyramid of pure chocolate created ad hoc, celebrates this from its name, Bombon, and is available for all guests.
For me, nature is fundamental, I need it to unleash my creativity, and this island is perfect whether I want to take a relaxing day at the beach or explore the interior with its valleys and pueblos where time has stood still. In Mallorca, the coexistence of past and present is evident. I am thinking of the Seu, Palma's Gothic sandstone cathedral, which I chose as the backdrop for photographing our spring-summer collection, but also of the Llotja, a former sea market, and places dedicated to art such as the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró Mallorca, not far from the Marivent royal summer residence, where more than 6,000 works by the Catalan artist are preserved, or the beautiful space of Es Baluard, a contemporary art museum built on the remains of a 13th-century fortress. For me, a small but passionate collector, the range of contemporary art spaces in Mallorca was a real surprise.
