Illetes

Illetes is the closest the Bay of Palma comes to a Riviera. Just west of the city, where the coast begins to break into pine-covered headlands and small sandy coves, it is a smart, low-key residential strip with some of the most accessible good swimming near the capital — white sand, turquoise water, and the city skyline a short drive behind you. It is where Palma comes to the beach without leaving the bay.

The setting is the appeal: a coastline of intimate coves rather than one long beach, backed by villas and a handful of upscale hotels, with the open Mediterranean in front and the Tramuntana visible up the coast. It is more polished and more grown-up than the busier Calvià resorts further west — a place for a civilised beach day rather than a package one.

The beaches

The heart of Illetes is its run of small, pretty coves. Platja de Ses Illetes is the main one — fine pale sand, calm clear water, and a beach-club ease that draws a stylish local crowd. Just along the coast, Cala Comtessa and Cala Xinxell offer quieter, more scenic swimming among the rocks and pines. None of these are vast — that is precisely the point. They are intimate, clear-watered and a world away from the long resort strands, which is why they hold a more discerning crowd.

The setting, and what's nearby

Illetes works as much for its position as for its beaches. Palma and its cathedral, old town and dining are ten minutes east; the glossy Puerto Portals marina and the calm of Bendinat are minutes west. That puts the whole sweep of the southwest — city, marina, golf and coast — within an easy radius of a beach-side base. For guests who want sea and city in the same day, few places on the island do it as neatly.

Where to stay

Illetes has a small number of well-placed hotels overlooking its coves — the kind with sea-view terraces, a beach club feel and the bay laid out below — which suit guests who want to step from their room to the water within sight of Palma. Around them, the headlands hold private villas with pools and bay views, the right answer for families and groups who want space and seclusion with the coves a short walk down. Between the sea-view hotel and the private villa, the choice is the usual one, and one we are glad to guide.

Where to eat

The beach clubs and sea-view terraces of Illetes itself are made for the long lunch and the sunset drink. For the serious dinners, Puerto Portals and Palma are both minutes away — the marina for waterfront glamour, the city for the island's most celebrated kitchens. As ever, the better tables want booking in season, and a sunset table on the Illetes coast is worth securing ahead.

When to come

Late spring through September is the season for the coves — warm, calm, swimmable water and the beach-club life in full swing. The proximity to Palma keeps Illetes pleasant in the shoulders too, when the city is at its best and the coast quieter. Come for a beach-and-city stay — the coves by day, Palma or Portals by night — and Illetes gives you both within ten minutes of each other.