Last summer my husband and I made the mistake of not making plans while our kids were at camp for three weeks. Once Fall rolled around and we found ourselves entrenched in sports practices, carpool, homework, games, schedules, tournaments, etc. etc., we swore we would make up for it the following summer.
We decided to go big, starting in Paris (more on that later – it was amazing but go, go, go) and ended at this incredible secluded resort on the Bay of Palma in Mallorca: Cap Rocat. (You may remember my “work hard, play hard” travel mantra (Paris: work/Spain: play) – it was in full effect on this trip.)
While we were there, we woke up to these headlines every day and I can confirm that in Mallorca, they were no exaggeration. It was sweltering. Thankfully we were on a beach with breezes and water to jump into.
“Millions face extreme heat across the globe” -CNN
World Headlines in July
“Tourists sweat it out at Europe’s hotspots” – Wall Street Journal
‘This is just the beginning’: Extreme heat around the world as fires rage in southern Europe” – CNN
“Intensifying heat waves prompt health warnings for Europe, US” – Reuters
“July has been so blistering hot, scientists already calculate that it’s the warmest month on record.” -AP
“July 2023 set to be world’s hottest month on record” – Reuters
Despite the heat, we loved our visit here. We swam multiple times a day, slept in, went out to late dinners (9 PM dinner reservations!), had gazpacho every day for lunch, rented a boat and a captain to sail around the island, shopped in town, read books and listened to podcasts (I will forever associate Mallorca with Scamanda), and generally just relaxed and recharged.
The resort is just incredible – we kept saying we felt like we were on a set of Game of Thrones or Outlander. It is hard to describe how unique and secluded the property is.
The food and service was impeccable, our room was beautiful, and it wasn’t so far from town that you didn’t want to make the drive. We went into Palma most nights for dinner.
If there is a downside (or upside, depending on your view) to Cap Rocat, it would be that there is no nightlife to speak of (no bands, bar scene, etc.). We really enjoyed the nightly happy hours, but we went off campus for dinner every night except one.
We made one big mistake when we were there which was listening to the concierge when he advised that we not visit Ca’s Patro March, a gorgeous seaside restaurant where one of the famous scenes from The Night Manager was filmed. We were told it would be too crowded, we would never get in because they don’t take reservations and we would have driven all that way (about an hour) in vain.
We ended up cancelling our day there because of his advice which seemed reasonable, but we talked to other people who went the same week as we were there and had no trouble at all. I could kick myself for listening to him but lesson learned – I really wanted to go there and I should have just gone for it. Don’t make my mistake!
“Cap Enderrocat hides a secret—a building originally designed for defence carved out of its sandstone depths. The fortress of Cap Rocat was never used for the purpose for which it was built and at present, it is the architectural complex where our hotel is found. It seamlessly blends into the landscape of this Protected Natural Area and has the privilege of having use of the waters of the marine reserve of the Bay of Palma, an area known for its Posidonia meadows and its wealth of biodiversity. “
–Cap Rocat
Boat Day around the island
