HIDDEN GEM:IT HAS IMPROVED in recent years, but there are still parts of Majorca with an image problem, particularly resorts such as Magaluf – whose trademark dish, for example, remains the belly-busting English breakfast.
It’s equally true, however, that many parts of Majorca, especially the interior and the north coast, are remarkably beautiful and unspoiled – as attractive a no-news, no-shoes holiday location as you’ll find anywhere.
The extraordinary village of Fornalutx is a perfect example. Hidden away in the Sóller Valley, in the heart of the Tramuntana Mountains on the east coast of the island, it has twice been named the most beautiful village in Spain. And for good reason.
Dating back to medieval times, when it grew up around a primitive Moorish farmstead, it’s a charming network of winding stepped streets, lined on both sides with ancient stone houses, beautifully decorated with colourful flowers and plants.
Look out in particular for the painted roof tiles, which project from under the eaves of the oldest houses. This is one of only three villages where you’ll find them, and they’re by far the finest examples.
Usually red, with some dating back to the 16th century, they show a wide range of hand-painted images of people, animals and religious symbols.
Tradition has it that these images protected the occupants of the houses from misfortune and made them lucky in love, so how and why the habit died out remains a mystery.
Fornalutx is also known for its fragrant orange groves, which cover the lush mountain terraces and surround the larger houses and hotels – taken for granted, of course, by the locals, but still a source of endless delight to northern Europeans. What more could you want?
** Do you know of a hidden gem? E-mail us at go@irishtimes.com