Wondering what to do about a late holiday, and with a limited budget I was determined we would not to stay in a large anonymous hotel on the Costa ‘somewhere’.
So I typed in B & B Mallorca into my search engine and was amazed to see the results.
OK I had to filter out the large anonymous hotels offering B & B but I came across a number of small privately owned establishments. Some with only one room to let , others with as many as 8.
I chose Casa Dane, described as a luxury retreat, just outside the historical town of Arta. See www.casadanemallorca.com
Here the owners, Sharon and Dave, have just four comfortable double rooms to let, on the first floor of this stunning villa. Set in its own gardens it has a pool and it looked just what we wanted. A little different from the usual run of the mill holidays and without breaking the bank. Only 70 euros a room high season with a breakfast fit for a king and the use of all the villas facilties. Dave will even pick you up from the airport if you don't want to hire a car.
Only open for a year this delightful, Yorkshire couple, made us feel like old family friends from the moment they replied to my e mail enquiry, giving us hints and tips on travelling about the Island, before we had even arrived.
I booked a car on line to pick up at Palma airport and armed with my trusty Sat Nav Iwe set off down the motorway to Arta. What a surprise – think M1 on opening day, quiet with wonderful views. ?
Mallorca in September in beautiful, no longer as searingly hot as August but warm enough to swim in the sea.
With the help of mine hosts we set off each day to visit different areas of the island. Binissalem for its vineyards – never underestimate good Mallorquin wine, its reds are good as the French and the whites crisp and dry, just right for an evening on the veranda, watching the sun go down. Port Cristo for its old fashioned sea front and magnificent harbour and the Tramantura mountains for the stunning views. Sharon and Dave had plenty of suggestions and recommendations for places to see and things to do.
Some days ,we went no further than the pool others were spent visiting tiny hamlets and villages where no one spoke English and there was a lot of laughter to be heard as we tried to order our lunch in pidgin Spanish.
Arta itself is an interesting and picturesque town, think mini York. It has delightful restaurants,cafes, boutiques and a proper country market each Tuesday. You won’t hear much English spoken here. With only a couple of hotels and a hilltop church it doesn’t attract the lager louts that have come to epitomise the typical Brit on holiday. The Mallorquins are charming and hospitable folk and those in Arta and other rural areas are not jaded by the mass tourism in the larger resorts.
The surrounding countryside has hidden gems of restaurants serving food that would not be out of place in the top restaurants of London and New York. Finca Es Serral and the Teulieres are just two of many. Again Sharon and Dave can personally recommend the best places to eat and they were spot on every time. The prices are a nice surprise as well.
£35 each will buy you a superb 3 course meal with wine, just right for a special occasion. Or you can have a simple pizza and wine in one of the super resturants in the town for as little as a 6 euros.
Staying at Casa Dane is like having your own place in the sun, without all the expense and hassle. It was so nice to come ‘home’ each day to an immaculate villa and welcoming drink. No housework, just peace and quiet. A truly relaxing holiday. If you are a golfer then you will be in seventh heaven, since the villa is close to many of the award winning courses on the Island, and you can book a special golf package direct with Casa Dane
After this hotels and apartments will never be quite the same.