Kimpton Aysla Mallorca by IHG

Kimpton brings its thoughtful, design-forward sensibility to Mallorca, the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands, where pine forests meet the Mediterranean and terraced hillsides cascade down to hidden coves. The property sits in Son Ferrer, a quiet village in the municipality of Calvià, surrounded by wooded slopes and positioned between working farms and the island's southwestern coast. This is the Mallorca that exists beyond the beach-club circuit: forested walking paths, the scent of pine resin warming in the sun, and the distant hum of cicadas.

The Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO-recognized mountain range shaped by centuries of agricultural terracing, rises to the northwest. To the south and west, three golf courses unfold across gentle slopes near Puig de Saragossa. The village itself divides neatly into residential and commercial zones, laced with Paseo Calviá, a promenade that threads through the municipality. Santa Ponsa's beaches lie just over two kilometres away, while the marinas at Port Adriano and Puerto Portals draw sailors and yacht-watchers alike.

Palma de Mallorca Airport sits 21 kilometres east, connected by highway and shuttle services. The capital, Palma, is less than 20 kilometres distant, its cathedral and old town a short drive inland.

Book a table at Es Fum, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant 4.6 kilometres away at the St. Regis Mardavall, where creative international cuisine unfolds beneath works by Miró. Closer still, Sa Clastra earns its star within the gardens of Castell Son Claret, offering alfresco dining on a romantic patio. For those willing to venture into Palma, DINS Santi Taura reinterprets traditional Mallorcan dishes in the shadow of the cathedral, grounding modern technique in island recipes passed down through generations.

Three golf courses lie within walking or short driving distance: Golf Santa Ponça I and II, and T Golf Calviá. The beaches here are sand-fringed and relatively uncrowded: Platja de Santa Ponça, Platja del Toro, and Caló d'en Pellicer all sit within three kilometres. Dive operators work the Reserva marina de l'illa del Toro, while the island's wine country beckons further afield. Macià Batle and Bodega Bordoy produce reds and rosés from indigenous Mallorcan grapes, their tasting rooms set among vineyards roughly half an hour's drive into the interior.

Summer burns bright and dry: July and August see temperatures near 29°C, the sky a relentless cobalt, and rainfall almost nonexistent. The Mediterranean warms to bathing temperature, and the island's rhythm slows to accommodate afternoon siestas and late dinners that stretch past midnight.

Autumn softens the edges. September remains warm, the sea still swimmable, but October brings cooler evenings and the first significant rain. The light turns golden, vineyards prepare for harvest, and hiking the Serra de Tramuntana becomes feasible again without the punishing midday heat.

Winter is mild by northern European standards, temperatures hovering in the mid-teens, but the island quiets considerably. Spring arrives early: by April, almond blossoms dust the hillsides white, and the island greens before the summer sun scorches it back to ochre.