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

Best Activities in Menorca

Hello there, I hope you're all enjoying this late summer as best as you can. It's a difficult year but we should never lose our hope and stay positive that better times are coming. To me personally, one of the hardest part of this year was not being able to travel. As you know I live on an island in the Mediterranean called Mallorca and I love living here cause my life feels like I'm constantly on vacation. However, every now and then it's nice to get away for a bit. One of my biggest passions is traveling, exploring new countries and their landscapes, cities, cultures and food. So this year was a bit tough for me in this regard. I spent a week in the Maldives at the beginning of the year and it was an amazing trip but that was about it for this year. So my boyfriend and I took two short island escapes this year to our neighbor island Menorca which I love so dearly. Menorca to me is like a vacation from Mallorca. It's more quiet, laid-back and more virgin. And even though it's a small and relaxed island there are thousands of things to do! I picked a few of my favorites for this post, so here we go.

Best Brunch in Menorca

My boyfriend and I started our second two-day trip to Menorca this year with an amazing brunch at Quitapenas Menorca. Our friend picked us up from the ferry in the morning and we went straight to Biniali, where this unusual restaurant is located. They call themselves a 'chiringuito de campo' which is an open-air restaurant in the countryside. I found this place on Instagram and because their food looked so good we decided to give it a try. And let me tell you, we were amazed by the place! Quitapenas really does what its name promises: It takes away your stress and pain. The restaurant is such a beautiful, laid-back place with so many details and cool retro vibes. You really do feel carefree when eating here. And their food, seriously, I haven't eaten such a delicious brunch in a long time! At Quitapenas you can expect healthy, colorful, tasty and surprising food. I kicked off my meal with a yummy matcha smoothie followed by an avocado and carrot hummus toast, both delicious! The boys tried toast with salmon, avocado and popcorn and benedict eggs with beetroot salsa. Omg, it was all so yummy! We ended up sharing our plates and I loved each and every one. For the sweet touch we ordered a French toast that came with vanilla cream and bacon, ugh I wanted to lick the plate. Never has a restaurant surprised me so much. Thank you for an amazing brunch, Quitapenas Menorca, we will surely come back! 

Next Stop Binibeca

When visiting Menorca I always love coming to Binibeca. It was one of the first places I visited on this island (see the post here) and I fell in love with it back then. Binibeca is such a charming little town with its whitewashed houses and narrow, winding alleys. It's just a five-minute drive from Quitapenas and other beautiful little towns like Binisafuller. You can spend an hour here or two, depending on how many photos you take, haha. You can also go for a coffee here or just chill and wander this magical, white little town. It's up to you!

Cova d'en Xoroi, a truly magical Experience

We spent a relaxed afternoon at our friend's home and decided to go for a sunset drink at the Cova d'en Xoroi. Now I have to be honest, you better plan your visit of this 'cave club' in advance (you can even buy tickets online) because otherwise you may have to wait in line for over an hour like we did that day. We caught the last sunrays just in time before the sun eventually set because we really had to wait that long before they would let us in. Once inside though, you will not be disappointed. The Cova d'en Xoroi is an impressive club located in a natural cliff with several tunnels and terraces on which you can enjoy spectacular sea views day and night. It really is a unique place in Menorca (and mabye the world) that you should definitely visit when coming to this island. We were lucky because that day they had a live concert with an amazing duo that made the setting feel even more magical. Sipping rosé and listening to 'Your Song' by Elton John in a cave right next to the open sea, is there anything more romantic really?

S’Albufera des Grau Natural Reserve

On our second day of this trip it was a bit grey and cloudy so decided not to head to the beach directly but go for a relaxing walk in the natural reserve of S’Albufera des Grau which covers more than 5,000 hectares in which a large variety of animals and plants live. We have a similar natural reserve in Mallorca, just ten minutes from where we live, and we love going there for walks in nature. It just helps you disconnect from daily life, which can be stressful at times, and reconnect with Mother Nature. Miguel and I went for a two-hour walk with a picnic stop in between and we saw only three persons in the entire park. It was beautiful to have this calm, soothing place all for ourselves... and some turtles and birds. 

Paella in Sa Mesquida

We ended our trip with a relaxing break at the beautiful beach of Sa Mesquida which our friend had recommended. The beach was absolutely amazing. Almost empty, surrounded by lush dunes, with golden sand and crystal clear water, what else could we have asked for? We spent a quiet hour here and swam a bit before meeting our friend for lunch at the nearby Cap Roig Restaurant. We ordered their seafood paella for lunch which was heavenly! The restaurant offers stunning views of the Sa Mesquida bay and surrounding cliffs. All in all, it was a short but very sweet trip to Menorca. We have discovered many new places, tried new restaurants and were beyond happy with all of them. A perfect island escape <3