Camp de Mar

Camp de Mar solves a problem the rest of the exclusive southwest mostly ignores: where to actually swim. Port d'Andratx, Andratx, the villa-clad hills — none of them have a proper beach. Camp de Mar, a few minutes down the coast, has one of the best in the area, and it has wrapped that beach in the kind of discreet, golf-and-villa comfort that the southwest does so well.

It is a small, contained resort in a sheltered bay between pine-covered headlands, with a sandy beach, calm clear water, and — its signature image — a tiny offshore islet linked to the shore by a long wooden footbridge, with a restaurant perched on it. The effect is unmistakable and slightly surreal: you walk out across the water to lunch. It is the picture that defines the place.

The beach, the island, the bay

The beach is the heart of it — golden sand, gentle shelving water, backed by pines for shade, and calmer and prettier than most of what the busier southwest resorts offer. The islet and its footbridge are the local landmark; the walk across to the island restaurant for lunch or a drink is the thing everyone does, and rightly. The bay's shelter makes it genuinely family-friendly — safe swimming, paddleboarding, the easy rhythm of a beach day — without the package-resort density of the bigger bays further east.

Golf, and the coast around it

Camp de Mar is home to the championship Golf de Andratx — one of the most demanding and architecturally admired courses in the Mediterranean, with its lakes and its mountain-and-sea backdrop — which makes the resort a natural base for golfing guests who also want the beach at the end of the round. The setting puts the rest of the southwest within easy reach: Port d'Andratx and its marina minutes away, the coves toward Sant Elm and the Sa Dragonera reserve a short drive, and the whole exclusive western corner on the doorstep.

Where to stay

Camp de Mar is anchored by a small number of upscale resort hotels set above or beside the beach — the polished, full-service, spa-and-pool option for guests who want the beach handled and the golf next door. Around them, the hillsides hold private villas with sea views and pools, the right answer for families or groups who want space and seclusion with the beach a few minutes below. Between the serviced resort and the private villa, we match the property to how the guest likes a beach holiday to feel.

Where to eat

The island restaurant on its footbridge is the experience-dining of the place — you come for the setting as much as the plate. Beyond it, the resort and beachfront offer relaxed Mediterranean and seafood dining, and the serious tables of Port d'Andratx are a short drive for a more ambitious dinner. As ever, the better seats want a booking in season, and the island table in particular fills fast at sunset.

When to come

Late spring to early autumn is the window — warm, swimmable water, the golf course in good condition, the beach pleasant before high-summer fills it. July and August are the busiest, in the genteel southwest manner rather than the package-resort one; the bay's shelter keeps the swimming easy throughout. Come for a relaxed few nights — the beach by day, the island for lunch, Port d'Andratx for dinner — and you have the most balanced base in the exclusive southwest.