Artists and writers from Joan Miró to Anaïs Nin have escaped to Mallorca in search of light, beauty and inspiration. Ikos Porto Petro harnesses the island’s painterly vistas to create a sublime coastal haven
“In some places, Mallorca still feels as fresh as if the world had just been created,” said Joan Miró, the Spanish surrealist whose coup-de-foudre affair with the island resulted in many of his skittering, curlicued masterpieces. Miró arrived in the 1940s, and through the decades was joined by fellow pioneers: Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas holidayed, Grace Kelly honeymooned, and Lauren Baccall, Jane Birkin, and Anna Karina all shot films on the island, the latter for 1967’s sun-drenched riddle, The Magus. Tucked away on Mallorca’s eastern coast, Ikos Porto Petro, a sanctuary among Aleppo pines and olive trees, captures some of that timelessness; among its secluded sandy coves, the luxury resort feels like the pristine Mallorca those previous generations fell for. Below, find our guide to the perfect Mediterranean getaway.
Where to Stay …
With its airy design – all earthy Mallorcan stone, local wood and meandering paths – the all-inclusive resort follows the coast’s natural landscape of beaches and outcrops, so that every vista frames glassy, turquoise water. The clean architecture feels like an accomplice to minimalist architect Jørn Utzon’s interlocking home – considered one of the most important houses of the 20th century – which happens to be perched on a cliff just around the bay. From Ikos’ spectacular reception area with its vertiginous views of the Mediterranean, guests are checked in on low-slung sofas accompanied by free-flowing champagne. There’s not much the dedicated concierge can’t arrange – just WhatsApp them – whether cultural day passes, dinner in the tiny, picturesque fishing village of Porto Petro (also included), boat trips to visit hidden coves and complimentary use of an electric car for the day to explore the local region. This season, the carbon neutral resort has added deluxe one-and-two-bedroom villas to their already generously proportioned accommodation – sumptuous, peaceful hideaways with private gardens and infinity pools. Room service is 24 hours, and all-inclusive really means what it says, from plentiful cocktails and snacks delivered to your sunbed to Michelin-starred dinners accompanied by a selection of more than 100 wines.
What to Visit …
In Mallorca, Miró found an expansiveness as cosmic as his own art. When he arrived in 1940, escaping the war-torn continent, he had almost nothing but a roll of his “starry” paintings under his arm. He completed what became his famed Constellations series over the next year, inspired by mornings gazing at the glittering sea and afternoons in the cool of Palma’s gothic cathedral watching the light dance through its stained-glass windows. By the time of the artist’s death there four decades later, his creative haven extended to a library brimming with books on contemporary art (now freely accessible to all), a sprawling garden dotted with sculptures and pools that reflect the sky, and two studios: a modernist space with paint-splattered floors still intact, and a rural 18th century house across whose interior walls the artist loosely scrawled his frolicking shapes. Inside, there are half-finished artworks, pots crowded with paintbrushes, and a clutter of found objects gathered by Miró’s magpie eye – stones, shells, postcards, newspaper clippings, and artefacts. To get there, Ikos Porto Petro offers the use of a complimentary electric MINI Countryman for the day – and their cultural pass offers access to a handful of capital city Palma’s landmarks.
Where to Eat …
Ikos’ Spanish restaurant Oliva has bewitching nighttime views of Porto Petro’s harbour, its lilting sailboats and twinkling lights. The menu has been curated by Andoni Luis Aduriz, the celebrated two-Michelin-starred chef renowned for Spanish culinary phenomenon Mugaritz in the Basque country. For Oliva, he draws on his roots in San Sebastian, a bastion of Basque cuisine steeped in seafood culture. There are steamed mussels in a lightly spicy tomato marinera sauce, loaded with fresh parsley and chives, sautéed prawns in hot garlic and chili olive oil, rock fish stew in a rich broth or seafood paella with prawns, mussels, squid and cuttlefish served with Saffron aioli. The caramelized Basque-style cheesecake served with forest fruit sauce should be mandatory. There are six other, equally superlative restaurants to choose from at the resort, including Anaya from master of Thai cuisine Chef Thiou: think vegetable gyoza with truffle ponzu, black cod with miso glaze and flamed edamame, followed by chocolate namelaka with passion fruit, mango and almond cocoa streusel.
How to Rejuvenate…
Ikos’ peaceful, cell-phone-free spa includes a serene indoor heated pool, a thermal suite to soak in with steam bath and sauna, and treatments exclusively designed by Parisian luxury spa brand Anne Sémonin. Choose from body wraps and white sand scrubs to facials supplied with Sémonin’s beauty products, each including a lymphatic massage designed to gently release toxins from the dermal tissues and increase blood flow for radiant skin. There’s also a gleaming gym on site, tennis courts to work off the fabulous food and five heated pools – when we visited, we often had one to ourselves; the resort is so spacious, it never felt crowded despite being at capacity. Sign up for the morning yoga on the beach to take full advantage of the uplifting scent of pine and gentle sea breezes. And if you do hit a rare seasonal shower, there’s even a cinema, done out in red velvet – this stellar resort has thought of everything.
Book your escape to Ikos Porto Petro, here
