You hear "Mallorca" and immediately images of crowded beaches, British pubs serving all-day breakfasts and unattractive tower block hotels spring to mind.
But you don't have to travel far from the throngs of tourists, jostling for space on the sand, to find an altogether different experience.
The truth is, that most visitors to the island flock to a couple of very small stretches of coast leaving the rest of the island unspoilt and charming. So charming in fact, that the likes of Jeffrey Archer, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Catherine Zeta-Jones all have properties there.
Around a 40-minute drive from Palma de Mallorca airport, is the idyllic village of Deia, perched in the hills on the west coast of the island.
Once the home of English poet Robert Graves, the village isn't exactly a stranger to foreign visitors and today it is still a popular destination for well-heeled tourists, but it still retains an air of authenticity, even if it comes with a hefty price tag.
In the heart of the village is La Residencia – a luxurious hotel once owned by Richard Branson and now part of the Orient Express portfolio of properties.
A blend of two manor houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, it's surrounded by 30 acres of landscaped gardens, terraces and orchards which spill down the hillside towards the glittering blue Med and is the perfect destination for a pampered break in the sun.
In the entrance hall hangs a letter from Princess Diana thanking La Residencia for a wonderful stay, and Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford have also stayed there. Recommendations don't get much better than that.
There are just 67 rooms, scattered between the buildings, so there's a real feeling of space.
Our suite was the height of luxury, with a living area, bathroom bigger than the average living area and a beautiful terrace, complete with plunge pool, looking out over the gardens towards the sea.
There's two swimming pools, a larger one for families, and a slightly smaller one close to the spa which is a kid-free zone. Next to all of the loungers is a buzzer to summon a waiter so you can cool off with a Caipirinha without having to stray from the sunbed.
It's not hard finding peace and quiet at La Residencia, but if you really want to hide away there's plenty of hidden corners.
One little pathway leads to a sweet little kitchen garden, carry on up and there's a jacuzzi where you can chill out completely undisturbed.
Walk a little further up the hill and you'll find the home of the hotel's most popular residents, a trio of gorgeous donkeys.
While burras around the world spend their days lugging heavy loads, this trio have little to burden them.
Some hotels provide dogs for guests to take walkies – at La Residencia it's the donkeys.
The hotel organises regular guided walks up through the olive groves accompanied by the donkeys, which culminate in a picnic at a shepherd's hut on the hill.
It sounds simple and rustic and a wonderful way to spend a morning so we sign up.
We gather with our fellow picnickers and are formally introduced to the donkeys by our guide. Pancho and Luna will be accompanying us. Alba however will be staying behind as she is expecting and therefore excused the exercise.
We meander slowly up the hill, the donkeys padding alongside us in peaceful silence.
Occasionally we pause to admire the view, the donkeys pause to grab the occasional mouthful of grass or dried carob pods which have fallen on to the pathways.
We round a corner and our guide points out the stone hut where we are headed. A few corners later and we have arrived.
It soon becomes clear that the donkeys' wicker panniers were more for decoration than function.
We were expecting a rustic picnic but we are greeted by a table laid with pristine white linen and gleaming glassware and laden with Mallorcan specialities of meats, cheeses and olives.
We sink into chairs draped in swathes of sheepskin and the donkeys arrange themselves in the shade.
Chef Lorenzo has got there before us and is cooking on a fire in the hut.
We were prepared for a simple, rustic picnic – what we are given is a veritable banquet.
Lorenzo speaks little English but talks to us enthusiastically in Spanish, miming and laughing and our guide tries to keep up with the translation. His good humour is contagious and even though we understand very little, we laugh too.
As the wine flows, so does the conversation, and by the time we have finished and are wandering back down the hill we are not just a group of guests, but a group of friends.
The sun is starting to drop by the time we get back to the hotel and it's later than we had anticipated.
It doesn't matter though. I wouldn't have wished to spend the day any other way.
La Residencia is closed until March 26.
Rooms start from around £440 per night. For more information, or to book visit www.hotel-laresidencia.com.
easyJet flies between Bristol and Palma. Flight prices start from £23.99 per person (one-way, including taxes based on two people on the same booking). Visit www.easyJet.com to book.
Avis offers car hire in Mallorca. For more information, prices or to book visit www.avis.co.uk
↧