Mallorca, an beautiful island hideaway or heaven for teen clubbers? - Page 2

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Nov 27, 2003

Luckily after driving around for hours we do find a few charming, genuine spots that haven't been sacrificed to the God of tacky tourism.

But all is not lost. Fantastic countryside and stunning sunsets make me realise it was worth the trip. Bright pink and purple dapples the entire sky. The heavens seem alive with streaks of vivid colours. Just staring at the sky above the olive groves and the vineyards, contrasting with the sharp rocky mountains in the backdrop is a treat. It's quite dramatic.

On day One we set off to visit was Porto Colom. This sleepy little town built into the hillside is very picturesque and totally tourist free. The sweet houses, colourful shutters and perfect harbour dotted with sailboats made for an ideal setting for a photo shoot for a holiday magazine on one hand, and a couple of sandwiches for us on the other.

On our expedition we also ventured into Felantix and Compos where a medieval market was in full swing complete with straw on the streets throughout the town, pony rides and folk dressed in old fashioned clothes trying to impress the kids with music and tricks. The village itself was, aside from that, quite lovely and welcoming - a definite spot to stop off for a quick drink in the blinding midday heat.

At Porto de Los Pinos, a residential area with grand villas it's worth driving down the Avenidas del Pinar to the end of the road where there is a viewing area. This spot on the edge of the island has a beautiful view but if you are checking it out by night then watch out for bats!

On our quest for somewhere cosy to eat we came across the Torre de Canyamel. This beautiful medieval fort looked stunning from afar but as we got closer the un-cosy cantine like atmosphere put us off. It seems quite a sacrilege to me to transform these grand historical sites into basic tourist traps.

We carried on our quest until we found Porto Cristo. A small harbour about half way up the Eastern coast, it is an oasis of calm. Dinner at Sa Cantina was a revelation with friendly service, fantastic seafood and perfect Paella washed down with the loveliest freshest white Rioja I've ever sampled.

On day 2 the plan was to visit the Northern half of the island. A mistake. We started off in Alcudia in order to visit another market. This one was heaving with hundreds of Brits and Germans milling around haggling for bad fakes, wearing little to no clothing and showing off their "tans". The people and the smell of chips were enough to send us packing within minutes.

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