Only Summer Holiday Finca in Mallorca

Hello my dear readers, I hope you are all doing well and enjoying a beautiful spring season. I'm certainly making the most of these breezy and relaxed months before the summer heat and tourism hit our island. I have gone on some beautiful excursions, participated in a yoga retreat, renovated my apartment with my boyfriend and enjoyed two staycations here in Mallorca. One of the properties I stayed at with my family and friends was the stunning Only Summer holiday finca which I'd like to show you today. Come immerse yourself in a boho-luxe dream with me at this unique holiday home near the charming town of Llubi in the heart of Mallorca.

Only Summer Lifestyle Finca

Completely and tastefully renovated just a few years ago, the finca is a modern mix of design and artisanship featuring a unique interior design, a stunning outdoor space and breathtaking views over Mallorca's countryside and the mountains. The house perfectly blends in with the natural environment offering maximum privacy.

I arrived at the finca on a Friday afternoon, quite exhausted from work and our ongoing renovation. The lovely manager Max showed us around the huge estate and explained us some helpful details. The second we entered the property my mind was set on vacation-mode. The Only Summer finca in Llubi is the perfect spot to disconnect from the stress of daily life. You will find a sun-drenched pool there set in a lush garden of palm trees, exotic plants and herbs. As it was still a bit chilly during our stay we didn't get to enjoy the pool but we loved the beautiful outdoor dining areas where we enjoyed our lunches. On the property you will also find a unique table football that the owners brought from Senegal, a large barbecue area, numerous fruit and olive trees, beehives and an organic orchard which offers a variety of fresh fruit and veggies year-round. Only Summer even produces its own organic honey, olive oil and natural soaps!

The beautiful holiday villa can comfortably accommodate ten people and is perfect for a holiday with family and friends. The finca features a spacious and bright living and dining room as well as a large kitchen where you can enjoy breathtaking mountain views while preparing meals with your loved ones. There are three bright and stylish double bedrooms in the main house, and two more in the connecting guest house, all with en-suite bathrooms and walk-in showers. I slept like a baby in the high, comfortable bed and woke up each morning to the birds singing in the lush garden. The finca counts with all extras you can wish for such as floor heating, air conditioning, wifi and a sound system, all throughout the house.

Only Summer really is a unique holiday home. There is a lightness, harmony and peace to this place which I can't explain. The whitewashed walls contrast beautifully with the large black window frames that let in the Mediterranean light. The furniture and decoration is held in soft natural colours while wooden elements spread a relaxed natural flair. What I loved most about Only Summer, apart from its surroundings, was the unique interior design and decoration. Each piece of furniture or decoration is a work of art either created by the finca's owner or international artists. The lovingly selected accessories such as oriental lampshades, colourful vases, baskets, carpets and cushions provide a unique bohemian flair. You can tell that the owner of the estate has a background in professional furniture production. Only Summer is not only a private escape but a whole lifestyle concept. You can find most of the pieces that are exposed at the finca in the Only Summer online shop.

We spent most of my first day at the finca taking photos (the surroundings were just so inspiring), exploring the property and of course relaxing in the beautiful garden. But there are a lot more things to do at Only Summer, so stay tuned for my next post!

Excursion to Ermita de Betlem

Hello everyone and happy new year! 2021 is 25 days old already but I haven't found the time yet to sit and write a new post. January is all about detoxing for me. I've decluttered my home, started a new yoga 30-day challenge and my first ever detox as well. After spending the holidays and beginning of the year with my family in Germany I have returned to Mallorca but haven't been out much lately due to all these new Covid restrictions here on the island and also because I've been pretty occupied. So today's post is about one of many excursions I did last year with my dear friend Mar. 

Hike to Ermita de Betlem

Mar and I started our excursion to the Ermita de Betlem in the town of Betlem, right on the main road. The beginning of the trail is well-signposted so you can't miss it. We went on a Monday and since it was a holiday and great weather we met many other hikers, especially families. What was supposed to be an easy one-hour hike turned into a challenging two-hour hike for us.  It had rained heavily the days before our hike so we spotted a beautiful small river with several waterholes and waterfalls of different sizes along the way. We couldn't resist and left the path to take a dip in the crystal clear and freezing cold water. It was amazing! Even though reaching the river and different waterholes was quite a challenge we were so happy we took the chance to spontaneously bathe in the middle of the greenery. It was such a unique experience bathing in the crystal clear river surrounded by huge mountains and bonding with Mother Nature. The other hikers who could see us from a distance were quite surprised that we were having a bath in the river I guess, cause it was quite cold on that day. However, a group of three boys and girls of our age got inspired and went for a bath too. After our river dip we got dressed and continued our way up to the Ermita de Betlem, which is a church on top of a big mountain near Betlem. Once up there, we relaxed in the sun and enjoyed our self-brought picnic. On our way back down to the car we stopped at a viewpoint from where we could enjoy breathtaking panoramic views over the entire bay of Alcúdia. All in all, it was an unforgettable hike (mostly thanks to our spontaneity and improvised river bath) that I can totally recommend!

Shaka Restaurante in Palma

My dear readers, I hope you're all doing fine. We are probably all looking forward to Christmas and some down-time by now. I'm planning to go to Germany in two weeks to spend the holidays and some quality time with my family so I hope everything will work out fine with the flights as they have been changed so many times already. I just wanna spend Christmas in Germany with my family because I wasn't really able to be with them much this year.

Shaka Restaurante 

Today I have a new post for you, a restaurant recommendation for those who live in Mallorca or plan to visit the island anytime soon. I got invited to try Shaka Restaurante in Palma yesterday and left with a full belly and happy heart. I had heard about Shaka when they opened last year and had seen photos of their beautiful restaurant before. But the place looks even more stunning in real! Their interior is a creative mix of everything I love. Colors, tropical details, plants, unique tiles, elegant furniture. Interior Designer Cristina Egurolla of Lala Home Mallorca, who I've met before at her restaurant Randemar, has done an amazing job creating this tropical oasis with a Hawaiian touch in Mallorca's capital.

The interior design was only outdone by the excellent food my boyfriend and I could try yesterday. Luis, the lovely waiter and restaurant manager, was a great help recommending different dishes that could go well together. We enjoyed a lomi lomi as a starter, which is basically a salmon tartar with kiwi, ginger, pineapple, tomato and onion in a lime sauce. It was so refreshing and delicious, a great mix of sweet and salty. As a main course we chose the Shaka Poke, a lobster poke bowl with quinoa, and pulled pork tacos that came in blue corn tortillas. Ahh, I could have licked my fingers, it was a true culinary delight. The tacos were beyond amazing, a mix of sweet and spicy flavors and the meat was so tender. The lobster poke bowl was equally delicious and fun to eat with the lobster on top. The desserts left nothing to be desired either. We chose a matcha coulant with ginger beer sorbet and hot apple crumble with almond sauce. All dishes were a real treat for the eyes and the taste buds! 

Thank you so much Lucas, Luis, Matias and the rest of the Shaka team. We couldn't have imagined a more delicious and surprising lunch. We will definitely be back soon with our friends and families for another unique food experience!

SHAKA RESTAURANTE

C/ Hostal de Santayí 11, 07002 Palma de Mallorca

info@shakamallorca.com

www.shakamallorca.com

@shakarestaurante

+34 871 177 066

Hike to Cala Matzoc

Dear readers, a few months have passed since I last sat down to write a few lines on my blog. Many things have happened. It's been a strange year. A sad and also an exciting one. It had both its positive and negative moments. Many people have sadly lost their lives due to Covid. I myself have lost a beloved family member this year. But not because of the virus. Even though I had never imagined that one day he wouldn't be with us anymore it was time for him to go. It was a very sad and heart-breaking but also beautiful and peaceful goodbye. On the other hand, my family has gained a new little member who really makes the world shine a bit more. We are very much in love with the first baby in our family and oh, what a cute one! She makes my heart so happy and puts a smile on my face every day. 

What else has happened? As I told you in one of my earlier posts, here in Spain, more precisely Mallorca, we have spent a few months in lockdown. Literally, we were not allowed to leave the house at all. So my boyfriend and I, just like the rest of the island, were stuck in our little apartment for almost three months and were only allowed to leave home for grocery shopping. It was weird and a bit scary to be honest but we also kinda enjoyed it. Fortunately we got along really well which has only shown me once more that he's a great life partner I dearly love. 

It's also been a really strange year for me jobwise with lots of ups and downs and worries. I currently work in a villas rental agency and as you can imagine it was a tough year for us with almost no tourists coming to Mallorca. We experienced an unprecedented, short two-month season. Mallorca received the first tourists in July and by the middle of September they were all gone again. It was a quite agonizing sight, seeing the beaches, hotels and restaurants all empty or closed. I remember a day I walked down the beach with my boyfriend in August and felt like a light panic attack was creeping up. I had never seen the island like this before (in the middle of summer) and suddenly felt such a heaviness in my heart, pain and sadness thinking of all the employees who have lost their jobs this year. Families in Mallorca, and around the world, who have no income this year. It's a difficult year for everyone and those who can allow it themselves should help others by donating food, money, clothes or time. Right now, it's more important and appreciated than ever.

Nevertheless, I also enjoyed the calm season and having the island all for ourselves. Since I worked less this year (due to the lack of work) I was able to spend looots of time with our new little family member, went to our neighbor island Menorca twice this year and went on some beautiful hikes with my friends. 

Hike to Cala Matzoc

And that's what today's post is about. A new hiking route for you. For those who will hopefully come back to Mallorca next year to explore and enjoy the island and spend their vacation here. 

The starting point of this hiking trail is in Cala Torta, a beautiful sandy beach near Artà in the north of Mallorca. My boyfriend and I left our car in Cala Torta and walked over to Cala Mitjana from there, all the way along the coast to Cala Estreta and finally to Cala Matzoc. The hike only took about 40 minutes with a picnic stop in between. We went a bit further in the end, up to the Torre d'Albarca, an ancient watch tower from where you have stunning views of the coast and open sea. I'd love to do this hike again in the middle of summer (with lots of sunscreen and a hat as there is almost no shade on this hike) because the day of our hike it was quite cloudy and windy so the water was a bit wild. But I'm sure that on a calm, sunny day Cala Matzoc is a stunning cove with crystal clear, turquoise water perfect for a refreshing swim. It's also a lovely sand beach so you can have a picnic there and just chill under the surrounding pine trees.

I hope you like this post and that it makes you look forward to your next vacation on Mallorca. I'll be uploading a few more posts these days about some more cool things to do on the island. I was just really lacking a bit of motivation (not material, as I got loads!) to publish new blog posts this year. I hope you forgive me. Thank you for being here. We'll get through this together.