The best hotels to discover in the Balearic Islands

Formentera! Ibiza! Mallorca! Menorca! With so much choice, read Rosalyn Wikeley's guide to the chicest spots to book this summer (and beyond) in the Balearics

Menorca Experimental

t's the light that has drawn so many poets, artists and writers to the Balearics over the centuries – the unfiltered sort that slices through pergolas and douses the landscape in gold. Everything is dialled up – blue coves rendered luminous and surreal. The Spanish islands’ cicada chorus and wild agricultural hearts are shoulder-lowering stuff – even party isle Ibiza has it in droves away from the clubs.

Having redeemed themselves from an all-inclusive, budget-holiday chapter, the islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera) are gently luring their fincas, noble town houses and rustic buildings into the 21st century – many as a home-spun agriturismo project, others with radically reverential design houses who showcase the talent of local artisans. Some whisper tales of Spain's golden age through tapestries and elaborate tiling, while many adhere to an earthy, artisanal aesthetic and ethos, where breakfast is drizzled with jam from the orchards, beds are framed with ceramics from local potters, and rustic walls are dotted with the works of those who have escaped the cities for a go-slow lifestyle.

From palm-framed grande dames lording over the foothills of Mallorca's Tramuntana mountains to rough-luxe agriturismo in Ibiza's bohemian interiors, here are the best hotels in the Balearic Islands to book this year.

Perched on a hill overlooking the honeyed village of Valldemossa and the surrounding valley framed by the Serra de Tramuntana, Mirabo de Valldemossa is the sort of boutique hotel you live in hope of discovering. Its olive finca roots – dating as far back as the 14th century – were honoured as part of a vast 2004 restoration, where this family farm was transformed into the sliver of bucolic, Balaeric perfection that it is today. Just 9-rooms keep things intimate, all chiselled from local stone and woods, with neutral shades, linen throws and curtains that frame pastoral island views. Following drowsy, poolside afternoons on a terrace that seemingly hovers over the valley below it, guests make their linen-and-loafered descent to the Mirabò restaurant – an old olive press animated with clever lighting and generous plates of paella.

Doubles from £216 per night, book here

This 400-year old estate thrusts guests out of their cortisol-laced realities into some pine-infused dream, where scorched grass crunches below foot en route to the pool, eyes peel open on sun loungers to the soft chirp of swifts and swallows, and sunsets pair with Spanish reds and a sweet, pastoral breeze. Breaking up a prevailing minimalist, white-on-cream-on-olive palette is a smattering of statement local artworks – but the theme here is wholly earthy and artisanal, with an abundance of jute, oaty linen and uplit, original stone reflecting the unsullied surroundings. Cabanas and white sunloungers scattered with turquoise and yellow cushions surround the large pool, and a nearly-always-empty-beach, Cala Agulla, is a scenic walk away via a direct path from the hotel. It's perhaps no surprise that this quietly delicious spot attracted ex-El Bulli chef, Andreu Genestra, who tows the elevated simplicity line with the island's top-drawer produce – expect grilled fish and Mallorcan lamb adorned with braised and roasted garden vegetables.

Doubles from £296 per night, book here

Following on from its classic-cool urbanite sister Hotel Sant Francesc Singular in Palma, Can Ferrereta's diluted modernism works in step with the traditional finca's rustic character. White, wooden-beamed spaces decked in creamy tiles and linens give the sunlight the perfect canvas to dance on, layered on with angular charcoal strokes from the lamps and bannisters. There's an indoor, milky-stone pool for cooler days, though most are spent in the company of cedar and olive trees that line its outdoor counterpart, where delectable plates of tapas and cool glasses of Spanish wine break up the long afternoons. And while the hotel feels miles away from the hustle and bustle of Palma, or really, anyone – it lies in the cobbled, characterful town of Santanyí, with its market rhythms and trinket-lined boutiques.

Doubles from £280 per night, book here

The legacy project of eminent Spanish designer, Antoni Esteva (Toni), Es Raco d’Arta on the fringes of the pocket-sized Mallorcan town of Artà is a creative spin on back-to-basics, slow-living culture Mallorca has long embodied. It's a pastoral paean to Esteva's hallmark style – the considered interplay of old and new, where minimalist interpretations of traditional, finca-style spaces are softened with artisanal linens, clays and jute, and rendered more intriguing with such calculated simplicity. One of Mallorca's largest rural estates, the hotel feels lost in acres of farmland, forest, vineyards and valleys – much of which offers up its treasures (olives, fruit, vegetables, wine, honey) for the hotel's organic restaurant – Beni Axir. If a sweet rural breeze, linen draped beds to snooze in and nearby Cala Torta beach to lounge on isn't enough to fully lower the shoulders, the hotel has a superlative spa imbued with the same organic and good-living philosophies as its design and restaurant menus.

Doubles from £480 per night, book here

The grande dame island hotel sits rather dramatically above the photogenic scatter of houses in Puigpunyent village, as if lording over its subjects from a higher, mightier Tramuntana mountain perch. The antithesis of the minimalist, rustic-luxe finca, Son Net harks back to Mallorca's gilded yesteryear, of noblesse oblige, curiosity cabinets and four poster beds, albeit in a sun-drenched island context. Heavy curtains and cypress trees frame the extraordinary mountain and valley landscape, while inside, guests float between salons decked in velvets and elaborate tiling, topiary-studded courtyards where each heel click echoes and hallways dressed in wallpaper and patterned drapes that seem to stretch on forever. Days here roll on along the pool, on scenic romps through the surrounding orchards and fields, armed with picnics, or are forgotten about entirely in the wellness centre with its tempting treatment menu. And while guests can dress up for a gastronomic ride at Oleum, breakfasts and lunches along the terrace have an easy-going yesteryear charm to them.

Doubles from £551 per night, book here

If ever there was a reimagined finca embodying the Balearic-boho design-forward movement, it's Son Blanc Farmhouse Menorca – described as a ‘utopian hospitality concept’ with sustainability and human connection at its core. Set in over 300 acres in the island's wild, rugged heart, 19th-century Son Blanc Farmhouse sways to slow, agricultural rhythms, with 14 meticulously choreographed ochre and cream rooms reflecting the natural hues, dry grasses and rural textures beyond their windows. There's the sense that everything could have been hewn in one of the barns to deck the boutique hotel's spaces – with ceramic art hanging above beds and smooth milky pots stuffed with dried wheat decorating dressing tables and bare corners. When not embarking on cortisol-lowering walks through the surrounding countryside or hopping on a bike with a picnic, guests can lean into Menorcan culture with meaningful workshops, such as ceramics with local makers and traditional dance sessions.

Doubles from £276 per night, book here

The formula sounds familiar – a 19th century former farmhouse reimagined by a design savvy team with back-to-the-land philosophies and a studious approach to preserving original rustic character. The fact that the cosmopolitan Experimental Group behind it is famed for its superlative cocktails and farm-to-fork food only adds to the allure – with the surrounding acres of wildflowers, orchards and fertile land these mixology maestros’ pantry. Guests can walk off sun-dappled lunches of fattoush salads and just-caught, perfectly-grilled fish under the pine groves – with a quiet, surreal beach only a five-minute sandal crunch away. And while in plum position for exploring the south coast's ravishing beauty (secluded coves, time-warp villages, acres of wilderness), you’d be forgiven for spending Sangri-sweet afternoons amid Menorca Experimental's peachy, earthy walls – poolside or with lengthy snoozes in the highly Instagrammable, calming rooms with kitsch accents.

Doubles from £171 per night, book here

On the pastoral edges of the port city of Ciutadella lies Hotel Rural Morvedra Nou – another refashioned farmstay with pared down, elemental-inspired interiors – a neutral canvas for he occasional pop of bougainvillaea, hand-blown glass or colourful woven lamp. Designers appear to have seized on an agrarian-cool brief for the previous byre – with linen-framed doors spilling onto terraces decked in pastel striped loungers, olive trees and dry grasses. Angular glass showers somehow weave into this rustic picture, as do the al fresco baths carved into old island stone and pampas encircled sunbeds scattered beyond the saltwater pool (perennially calm with the hotel's 14+ stance). Naturally, vegetables here are plucked from the kitchen gardens, seafood from the island's daily coastal plunder and wine from its own vineyards – just don't leave without a bottle or two of the estate's own olive oil.

Doubles from £325 per night, book here

This rose-hued aristocratic pile, located in the rolling, citrus tree-dotted countryside between Son Bou and Cala en Porter, peers over Moorish, palm-strewn gardens and whispers old tales of Spanish Empire. Rooms once dripping in curios, tiles and tapestries have received a modern lick – with whitewashed beamed ceilings, bamboo headboards and the Balearic-boho staples: jute, rattan and thick oaty linen. But the building's noble past is easily traced in its soaring ceilings, standalone bathtubs with views over the walled gardens and its Belle-Epoque style bar, decked in tiles and palms. Carved into an ancient cistern with design panache, the spa is worth coming for alone, with a gym in its roof, treatments that use the estate's botanicals and a pool sliced into its cool innards (the al fresco equivalent is just as striking). Add to this the hotel's proximity to some of Menorca's prettiest beaches, with boat trips and snorkelling the gin-clear waters easily organised by the hotel, and Santa Ponsa is the ultimate Balearic country house escape.

Doubles from £232 per night, book here

The perfect pairing with a secluded farm-stay, Jardi de Ses Bruixes occupies a handsome townhouse in the Menorcan capital's pretty historic centre. It blends a heritage theme (as if someone inherited a whole raft of colonial-era furniture) with modern restraint – muted artworks and whitewashed walls. Mediterranean sunshine floods the rooms, from tiled floor to beamed ceiling, and moves the paints and linens through buttermilk and golden shades. The dining room has skipped the minimalist treatment, with an elaborate carved ceiling, busy tiles and vibrant green, amid which both guests and locals devour fresh, Menorcan-style breakfasts and, after 2pm, traditional home-made cakes. The courtyard here has a Moorish magic to it – an oasis-style sunspot where dinner is served and time seems to stop; much like the subterranean spa with its steam rooms and hydrotherapy pool.

Doubles from £147 per night, book here

The boho-bucolic brainchild of two Austrian creatives, Finca Legado is a design-forward enclave that weaves cleverly into the scrubby, Ibicencan landscape and rural culture. Only 15-minutes’ drive from the airport, this under-the-radar, adults-only sanctuary feels worlds away from the island's party pulse, surrounded by palms, olive groves and emerald green hills. Original beamed rooms veer towards the rustic-luxe style that top-end Balearic boutiques seem to master, albeit a little kook – botanical wallpaper, floral headboards in places and smooth, concrete bathrooms. Guests are well-placed to venture into Ibiza Town or Cala Llonga, with only breakfast served at the hotel (expect their own hens’ eggs, fresh tomatoes and Viennese twists on Finca fare).

Doubles from £272 per night, book here

The latest from the immaculately stylish Beaumier group (behind Hôtel Les Roches Rouges in the Côte D’Azur and Alpaga in Megeve), Petunia Ibiza hits that considered rustic note, where everything is stitched into the craggy, mottled and palm-strewn surroundings. Its views are knockout – the rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant doubles up as an amphitheatre for the dramatic Es Vedrà act, a great mass of mystical rock surging from a twinkling, flat Med. The hotel itself surges from a wild tangle of gardens in the Sant Josep de sa Talaia hills – a paean to traditional Ibicencan architecture with any internal spruce towing the laid back, rustic line. It's all fresh mint mojitos, speeding along the coast in one of Petunia's speedboats or hurtling down hillsides to collapse along pretty beaches. Menus are crafted from homegrown goodness, guests (18+) while away afternoons around a boho-chic, terracotta pool, then that short interlude before golden hour is spent showering off the day on sun trap terraces.

Doubles from £259, book here

London's cool, oh-so conscious, crowd flocked to Cala Xarraca for Six Senses Ibizas opening last year, with promise of the group's hallmark wellness wizardry, farm-fresh cooking and glossy magazine-worthy interiors. Reflecting Ibiza's boho-culture (amplified in the north), the hotel blends healing, self-care and spirituality with its own good living mantras (and a spot of live music – there's even a recording studio). The spa, unsurprisingly, is something to write home about with its sauna, steam room wellbeing assault course, alternative-style treatment menu and raft of daily classes for guests to make the most of. All is neutral, wicker and wild, with rooms’ bamboo terraces sieving the light in jagged stripes and framing sparkling views over the bay. And while this vast hotel, staggering down the hillside, can hardly be described as a boutique – its light touch on the landscape, reverential materials and island home-from-home choreography in the rooms saves it from the resort label.

Doubles from £485, book here

The Dutch couple behind this Ibiza agroturismo-style boutique have struck the perfect balance between a private rental squirrelled away in the lesser-known stretches of the island, and a hip, easygoing hotel, where service is slick and dressed in white linen. While being seriously central (only five minutes from San Rafael), Can Sastre Ibiza hits like a rural-beachy hideaway, with interiors seizing on a haute-bohemia theme – driftwood towel ladders, woven rugs and textured white plaster walls. And rather unusually for a hotel of this size and villa-from-home feel, there's a superlative breakfast (from healthy egg numbers and beetroot juice to pancake stacks), as well as lunch cold cut and cheese platters and Thai-flavoured supper menus (though these are only available on certain days throughout the week). After days spent exploring nearby beaches, hiking or browsing village boutiques, guests can nod off in a hammock under the shade of the palms, meander through the citrus groves or enjoy a large glass of rosé from the honesty bar next to the pool, as the sun dips.

Doubles from £400, book here

Cool, milky stone sanctuaries carved in contemporary shapes, the rooms at Casa Pacha Formentera are a welcome respite from the fierce Formentera sunshine. Everything feels spun by artisans, from the linen bed throws to the little craftsman benches perched on the balconies, and the hotel itself still feels drunk on the free-spirited Balearic vibe, albeit an elevated one and with its sprawl of rooms. These spill onto the beach or sun-drenched balconies peering out to sea, mirroring the camel, beige and dried-grass hues and inhaling the warm Mediterranean breeze. In fact, Casa Pacha Formentera is so in tune with surroundings (textures all seemingly etched in with a scalpel), that it's challenging to pinpoint where the hotel ends and the wild begins. The form here is slumping into sun-bleached furniture for a glass of tinkling rosé and a board game, or floating through gin-clear water that renders long-haul Caribbean plans a waste of time.

Doubles from £540, book here

A sandy-hued oasis chiselled into the cool bowels of Sant Francesc's scorched centre, Es Mares Hotel & Spa blends island escape with just-the-right dose of bohemian bustle. In many ways, Es Mares was a pared down, white-washed ode to the island well before the earthy, woven aesthetic consolidated itself in haute bohemia hotel style, but the look has stood the test of time. The mix of sandstone, white and driftwoods are given a more elegant, Moorish edge than the rustic-luxe style of Ibiza's agroturismos, and the restaurant and terraces have a classic, beach club feel. Days spent wallowing in the sea along the island's craggy fringes (beaches are an easy 10-minute drive away) can wind down along the immaculate, blue-on-beige pool with a sun downer, before closing over clipped plates of Mediterranean fare in the restaurant.

Doubles from £128 per night, book here

A Formentera classic, The Gecko Hotel & Beach Club occupies a long stretch of blonde coastline ( and stretches out in giant palms, emerald lawns and neutral palettes interrupted with splashes of cobalt blue. When not reclining on a sun lounger by the pool that seemingly tips into a sequinned Mediterranean beyond it, guests can hop on bikes to explore the island's bone-white beaches, its markets and pocket-sized towns, or rebalance with an open-air yoga class under the dappled morning light. The Gecko's Beach Club lends the hotel its lively, easy-going character – one that's fun to dip into every now and then before retreating back to simple (in some places a little dated) rooms with knockout beach views and, some, with their own cubic plunge pools alongside cream cushioned loungers. And its as family-friendly as it is romantic, with shady cabanas, private terraces and warm, mottled turquoise shallows for sprogs to splash about in.

Doubles from £435 per night, book here

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