Spending a week in Majorca is a delight. Spending a week in Majorca, in the most whimsically restored villa, armed with good company, great cooks and an all-time playlist (think James Taylor ilk), and the week is taken to a whole new level.

Majorca is the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea. Often branded a pseudo Ibiza for London go-ers and their hen/stag do’s, there is a much quieter, more majestic side of the island that won my allegiance.

A lucky drawcard for us was our accommodation was the home of some Australian family friends whom I have known since I was born – a home in the small town of Soller which they artistically restored, guiding it to its ultimate glory. It. Is. Sensational.

We kicked off the week settling into our respective bedrooms. As I opened the old shutters and peered out onto a garden laden with rich fragrant Jasmine, I spotted an old church in the distance. As it began to sound it’s elegant chimes I knew this was one room I wouldn’t want to leave. We lay by the pool, put some tunes on and flipped through recipe books – like all truly relaxing getaways, our hardest decision most days was deciding what we would make for dinner that night, and I completely basked in the respite. It’s rare for me to allocate a huge amount of downtime on holiday – I’m usually the one with the rigorous itinerary making sure we “tick-everything-off”. But this time was amiably different. Perhaps with an eminent relocation to the US on my horizon, I found it easier than usual to take a back seat and leave my explorer’s cap on the hat stand. We did, nonetheless, explore the small town of Soller, which conjures the essence of quaint, and by bike we visited the nearby towns of Deià and Palma.

Soller itself is bordered by the mountains and the sea, and speckled allover with orange groves. The old town is filled with narrow winding alleys and a chain of boutiques which all feel the same; it’s a very quiet, residential and authentic town. On Saturdays, the local market is thriving and runs throughout the whole village. From olives and cheeses to cured meats, fresh vegetables, fruit, leather goods and clothing – they leave no stone unturned. There is a vintage tram, which runs from the centre of the town down to Port de Soller, where more restaurants sit waiting, harbored by a series of boats.

Aside from a little bit of exploring, we cooked, we bathed, we danced, we talked, we ate, we drank and boy did we have a ball!