Barceló Illetas Albatros — a spring escape on the Majorca coast

A quiet April week on the southwest coast of Majorca: warm spring days, calm coves, and an adults-only hotel that feels worlds away from the island's busier resorts.

We landed in Palma in late April, when the island is just waking up from winter. The airport was busy but the roads west were calm, and within twenty minutes we were pulling into Illetas, a small coastal settlement that sits on a rocky headland between Palma and Portals Nous. The Barceló Illetas Albatros is perched above a quiet cove, with the sea visible from almost every terrace.

The hotel is strictly adults-only, which gives it a noticeably calmer rhythm than the family resorts further along the coast. Our room had a generous balcony overlooking the water, and we made a habit of breakfast out there with the morning sun on our faces. The buffet is excellent: fresh fruit, local cheese, cured meats, and warm ensaïmadas. The pool area is the real heart of the place — a long terrace with loungers, a saltwater pool, and steps down to a tiny beach where the water is clear and swimmable from April onwards.

Illetas itself is compact. There are a handful of restaurants along the seafront, a small supermarket, and a bus stop that will take you into Palma in under twenty minutes. We walked the coastal path towards Portals Nous one evening, stopping for sunset drinks, and spent another day in Palma exploring the old town and the cathedral. April is a lovely time to visit: warm enough for the beach and terrace dinners, but not yet crowded. The only trade-off is that a few beach clubs and seasonal restaurants are still gearing up for the summer.