Can Simoneta

Can Simoneta occupies a group of late nineteenth-century stone buildings on the cliffs of Canyamel, in north-east Mallorca. In the 1800s the main house was the retreat of a priest who came here for the sea air and sea-water cures; today, restored by the architect Antoni Esteva, it is a five-star adults-only hotel set in more than fifteen hectares of Mediterranean gardens, pines and olive trees overlooking the bay.

Rooms are spread between the historic house, Can Nofre, which holds the restaurant and bar, and the Beach House, a few minutes' walk through the grounds. Two pools, one of them an infinity pool facing the sea, outdoor hot tubs and a wellness area with sauna and Turkish bath complete the property; a staircase cut into the rock leads down to a cove reserved for guests and to the sandy beach of Canyamel.

The hotel belongs to the Torre de Canyamel group, which also runs Pleta de Mar nearby and the medieval tower of Canyamel with its restaurant. It welcomes adults only, aged 16 and over; reception and security operate around the clock, parking is free, and transfers, car hire, excursions and boat trips can be arranged.

Guests have access to the wellness centre with massages and treatments, a gym and yoga classes. No pets; non-smoking rooms. The hotel closes in winter, roughly from November to the end of February, and a minimum stay may apply in high season.

Twenty-eight rooms, each different, including doubles, junior suites and superior suites, furnished with wood, natural fabrics and stone floors; many have a terrace or a sea view. The Gran Neptuno Suite occupies a small independent house with its own garden and pool, and two ground-floor junior suites are adapted for guests with reduced mobility.

In the room: air conditioning, sitting area, satellite TV, minibar, safe, bathrobes and slippers, toiletries and hairdryer.

Can Simoneta's restaurant, in the Can Nofre building, serves creative Mediterranean cooking based on island produce, with tables inside and on covered and open terraces looking over Canyamel bay. The menu is à la carte, with a tasting menu for those who want it.

Breakfast is a buffet with a short menu of freshly cooked egg dishes. The lounge bar with its fireplace stays open in the cooler months; special diets on request.

Can Simoneta's wellness area lies in the gardens, in wooden cabins with sauna and Turkish bath, next to the outdoor hot tubs overlooking the sea.

Massages, including for couples, facial and body treatments, scrubs and wraps can be booked; guests also have a gym and yoga classes.

Canyamel is a small bay in the municipality of Capdepera, on Mallorca's Llevant coast, framed by wooded headlands and known for the Coves d'Artà, limestone caves open to visitors two kilometres from the hotel. Close by stands the Torre de Canyamel, a thirteenth-century defensive tower.

Capdepera, with its medieval castle, and Artà are about 10 km away; the Talaiotic village of Ses Païsses and three golf courses are a quarter of an hour by car. Cala Rajada, departure point for boat trips, is about ten minutes' drive; Palma airport is roughly 75 km, an hour by road.