Imprenta Nueva Balear
Roberto Aguiló is the fourth generation of the family behind printers La Nueva Balear, founded in 1913 and still in its original location on Palma’s Avinguda. A recent collaboration with Stick No Bills, which rescues original designs from the golden age of tourist posters from Mallorca and elsewhere, has given this historic print shop a new lease of life. The beautifully reprinted posters are displayed for sale around the beam-ceilinged, tile-floored workshop. (These make great souvenirs.) Roberto enjoys showing visitors the century-old presses, some of which are still in use.
Cabrera
For a privileged glimpse of the Balearic islands as they were in the days before mass tourism and development, take a day-trip to Cabrera, a protected archipelago (and one of Spain’s 15 National Parks) lying 11 miles off Mallorca’s south coast. A regular boat service leaves from Colónia de Sant Jordi for the 25-minute journey. On the main island of Cabrera there’s little to do beyond delicious dips in deserted coves (bring a picnic and a snorkel) and gentle walks in a pristine landscape smelling of sun-warmed herbs. Round off the day-trip with a sun-downer G&T at the bar in Cabrera’s minuscule harbor. And if tearing yourself away from this idyll is proving tough, check for availability at the Refugio Parque Nacional de Cabrera, a no-frills hostel and the island’s only place to stay.
Can Lis
Fleeing from the disastrous gestation of his Sydney Opera House, in 1966 Danish architect Jorn Utzon bought land on a cliff-top in Porto Petro on Mallorca’s east coast. Here, in 1971, he built a house, described by Richard Weston in his book on Utzon as “one of the finest built in the 20th century,” using the local pinkish sandstone in a clean-lined modernist manner. Can Lis, a simple Mediterranean masterpiece preserved just as the master left it, can be visited every Friday from May 23 through October 17, 2025. Opening hours 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; visitors are admitted on a first-come-first-served basis. Professional architects can also rent the whole house at $2500 per week.
Can Cavall Blau
A country estate near Sencelles at the island’s agricultural heart, on weekend afternoons Cavall Blau opens its doors to (in the words of owner Katja Lebelt) “people like you—islanders, expats, and visitors in the know.” Lebelt, who practices regenerative agriculture on her 10-acre farm, holds informal visitor events on Saturdays and Sundays, with tastings of farm products like Cavall Blau’s signature orange-based aperitif Amargeró and low-intervention wines and encounters with the estate’s pure-breed polo ponies. It all makes for a convivial experience of rural Mallorca. (Reserve via the Instagram account @cancavallblau; the visit is free, but you pay for drinks.)
Viti Vinci
Squirreled away in an alley behind Palma Cathedral is this artisan perfumery, an oasis of historic charm and excellence among the souvenir shops and tourist filling stations. Founded in 2019 by biochemist Victor Alarcón, Viti Vinci creates bespoke fragrances and also offers experiences in the world of natural perfumery under the guidance of a professional “scent scientist.” Create your own fragrance according to your particular aroma preferences, learning how to combine top, hard, and base notes; or explore the olfactory world of Mallorca’s native aromatic plants, distilling their essences in Viti Vinci’s own copper still. (Experiences last around three hours; price on application.)
