It’s been a very hot and busy few months with lots of friends and family coming to see us in our new home. So as the summer was drawing to an end we decided to grab some holiday time ourselves. With so much to see and do in Mallorca we cut out the airport experience and headed over to the other side of the island.

 

The Northeast coast has a very different vibe to Pollença and as we settled into our mini break we once again found ourselves absorbed by the beauty and variety of this island. We stayed somewhere that isn’t our go to type of hotel, normally favouring the smaller boutique types, but Cap Vermell Grand Hotel in Canyamel did not disappoint at all.

 

You can judge a hotel by its breakfast and here it can only be described as a truly scrumptious affair. You can really indulge yourself with the choices being offered. Sitting on a sunny terrace, a smiley happy team offers an at table service, takes your order for eggs cooked however you would like them or stacked high pancakes and crepes. There was also a gourmet selection of fruit, cheese, meats and pastries… it was the perfect start to the day, all washed down with great coffee and a cheeky glass of Cava… we are on our holidays after all!

​

So what do you do on a little break when you want to recharge your batteries? Yep, you jump in the car and go on a wild goose chase searching out more Mallorcan wine! We drove off with google maps muttering away and ringing in my ear were those wise words from my wife Sam…"have you rung them and booked?". Of course not, these vineyards are going to be open, google said so, but sadly a lack of planning (or listening) meant driving up to the gates of various vineyards only to find them firmly shut! How we laughed as we headed back to the hotel… sorry wifey!

 

Arriving back we grabbed a sun lounger at the smaller of the two pools, where we spent the rest of the day reading and enjoying the place to ourselves, interrupted by the occasional need to have an Aperol Spritz! That set the pattern for the rest of our stay and we enjoyed every minute of it… no more hunting out places to go… actually having a rest… feels strange!

​

As Sam will tell you, I am slightly obsessed by food. Cooking is a passion, reading about it is an obsession and eating plates of food from creative chefs is simply tantalising. No surprise then that we would hunt out some special food moments, but I had promised not to be glued to my ipad, looking for ‘the’ place to go… apparently I do that a lot !

 

So we actually kept it simple and ate in the hotel restaurants for a couple of nights. Voro, the 2 Star Michelin restaurant at the hotel was fully booked, but we thought the others must be pretty good if Voro is their big brother. We both thought the food we ate was absolutely delicious and enjoyed both restaurant experiences. A piece of turbot that was cooked with a skilful appreciation for this wonderful fish, a delicious rack of perfectly cooked local lamb and a tapas with a fine dining approach… exceptional to be honest.

 

On the other night we had the privilege of eating the food of a true artist of Mallorcan cooking, Andreu Genestra and on our way home (sort of) we tried out a fabulous new place in Porto Colom called Nomi. You can read more about our experience of these restaurants in our features section.

 

As we packed up to leave our stunning view of the Canyamell valley we both said we would love to come back again…. maybe with some better planning we can get to experience a couple of the vineyards too…

​

Website: Cap Vermell Grand