Adults Only In Mallorca

Before we confirmed our holiday to Portugal in May we had endeavoured to book Ca’s Curiel, a beautiful rustic finca just outside the pretty rural town of Soller in Mallorca.

We stayed there four years ago and had the most relaxing time, plus there are so many activities and amenities in convenient walking distance we figured it would be perfect for a family break. Unfortunately (or fortunately as it turned out) we were informed the owners of Ca’s Curiel have made their venue adults only, a response to the majority of their regular customers requirements.

Instead of a Mallorca adventure with Madame Mabel, James and I decided that perhaps we should take a few days away just the two of us, an opportunity for sand, sea, sun and……sleep (!). Although I still don’t feel particularly comfortable leaving my daughter for any length of time (I always feel nervous and anxious even if it’s just for one night) I fully appreciate that sometimes you just need 72 hours of R&R to re-charge the working girl/Mama power supply. (I was going to insert batteries here but I think that’s doing us parents a dis-service, I don’t know about you but I certainly need direct access to the ruddy mains some days in order to juggle the various responsibilities.)

We made a last minute booking, there was one suite left and we could fly out of Manchester super early on Thursday morning with Monach and return with Easy Jet on the Sunday afternoon. We drove up to Cheshire on the Wednesday night to drop Mabel off at her Granny’s and enjoyed an early bedtime before rising at 3.30am to begin our trip. Soller is a 30 minute transfer from Palma airport – Ca’s Curiel organised a taxi for us and our driver was waiting promptly in arrivals.

Where To Go

I LOVE Soller. As I mentioned earlier, there are so many things to see and do near by without it seeming terribly tourist orientated. The town itself is pretty with various restaurants, small shops and bars. There is also a train station and a regular tram, the tram takes you to Puerto De Soller where there is a sandy beach and even more places to eat and drink. I would recommend both Hotel Espendido and Nunu, amazing views of the harbour and delicious food.

The train is old school style and rather rickety but takes you directly into Palma centre in under an hour and you can see far and wide across the mountains during your journey, well worth the trip. I’m actually a big fan of Palma, it’s cosmopolitan and clean with all sorts of live music, dancing and merriment going on around every corner.

In Soller town my favourite place to eat is the secret garden at the rear of Hotel La Vila , SO ROMANTIC. Think giant candelabras and dining under the stars. The menu is very reasonably priced and they have some dreamy wines and desserts – I also had the best salad ever (really, on a par with the Tiramisu!), I’m sure it had something to do with a caramelised balsamic dressing that I would love to know how to create myself.

If you are considering taking your littles to Soller then the aforementioned Hotel Espendido is a good choice however, if you’re looking for a smaller more rural setting then Trip Advisor has a wealth of highly recommended options, many with glowing reviews and hundreds of pictures…there are a fair few that have taken my fancy for a future holiday.

What To Wear

I was ruthless when it came to packing, we had just a small suitcase between the two of us and as essentially only 3 days and 3 nights worth of clothes were required I really couldn’t justify taking my entire summer wardrobe.

Mallorca in July is HOT, the forecast predicted 34 degrees for the duration of our getaway and with that in mind I treated myself to 4 bargain maxi dresses from Boohoo (No I didn’t need new frockage but the whole lot came in under £70).

The Tina Tie Dye off-the-shoulder design and the Mia floral style were perfect for evening and the Scarlett ribbed dress ( I have it in both khaki and grey and it’s just been reduced down to a tenner!) were ideal for day.

I travelled in my favourite lightweight cropped trousers which also worked for the return journey, packed a couple of bikinis, a bandeau and a vest top, a poolside cover up, a pair of shorts, my straw cowboy hat and two pairs of flat sandals. I also took this brilliant (wipe clean, roomier than it looks and only twenty quid!) cross body bag which I used everywhere for everything. I use it all the time post holiday too – it’s completely Mabel proof.

Me travelling anywhere without heels is quite an accomplishment. And I didn’t miss wearing them one iota. I also liked the fact I didn’t have to decide what to wear so could actually spend a bit of time on make-up and hair. Ahem, although it was so ruddy roasting I was in a permanent fishtail plait and absolutely minimal face paint anyway. My Stila stay all day waterproof eyeliner, the compact powder version of my shiny luxe Guerlain Meteorites balls and Lancome shine lover lipstick in 314 were my daily go-to items.

We had the most wonderful time, having the opportunity to really talk about all sorts of things, from the future of our respective businesses to what we both really want from our next house move and everything in between. And of course we talked about Mabel. Mostly we just talked about Mabel 🙂

Have you ever been to Soller? Anywhere in Europe you would recommend for a long weekend away that is perhaps a bit of a hidden gem? Do share your recent holiday wardrobe and cosmetics purchases in the comments box below, I love having a nosey at other folks shopping.

There are a few more images on my personal instagram if you fancy a butchers.

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