Where to stay
Bed down at Grand Hotel Son Net, undoubtedly the chicest sleepover in the valley. This pink-toned palace sits atop a hill overlooking Puigpunyent (it’s an easy wander down into town) and was formerly the home of Spanish nobility: you’ll feel the royal treatment from the moment you arrive. Interiors are by celebrated Spanish designer Lorenzo Castillo, and are a dizzying, kaleidoscopic layering of colour, pattern and print (Castillo reportedly employed a team of five just to source various textiles). No two rooms are alike, and all are meticulously appointed, regardless of size – antiques from Morocco, France and Italy are scattered throughout the property. The dining room sits within the estate’s former olive oil mill, a sprawling pool is framed by swaying palms and jasmine-thick bushes, and there’s even a small onsite vineyard producing the house wine you’ll taste at dinner.
For complete privacy, book a villa instead: Villa Puig sits within walking distance of Puigpunyent town, while Hush Hush in neighbouring Galilea and Buenos Aires on the outskirts of nearby Esporles offer the same hideaway feel just one valley over. For a fuller list, look beyond Airbnb to locally based rental sites such as Milagro.
Where to eat
Puigpunyent doesn’t attract floods of tourists in the same way that the island’s quaint hilltop towns and seaside spots do – and that’s exactly its appeal. Its short list of eateries means you’ll spend most mornings rubbing shoulders with the locals rather than fellow visitors.
Start at Mercat Tramuntana, a relaxed all-day cafe that wouldn’t look out of place in East London: perfectly poured flat whites, artfully arranged granola bowls and avocado toast feature on the menu here, with tables spilling onto a sun-kissed terrace framed by mustard-yellow parasols. The shelves are stocked with cult pantry brands (White Mausu peanut rayu, Torres crisps, and stuffed dates by Palestinian-owned Kala), and in-the-know locals drift through every hour to peruse the lineup. Come evening, the menu segues into slices of pizza and handmade pastas.
Round the corner, locally owned Sa Vinya is where the village reconvenes after dark for pintxos and tapas; in the mornings, keen cyclists tend to fuel up here on espressos before disappearing into the mountains. For a fancier meal, Mar&Duix, the flagship restaurant at Grand Hotel Son Net, pulls a steady stream of diners from across the island for its fine-dining menu, though it’s the breakfast spread here that is the real showstopper: the pastry chef creates a daily-changing spread of viennoiserie, including coils of sugar-dusted ensaimada (a signature Balearic pastry) and flaky cinnamon buns, all brought tableside on a tray for you to choose from.
