Latest update: 14 July 2023
For two months, I can call Montuïri on Mallorca, my home. The village is untouched by tourism. That’s what makes it so lovely. It is definitely not the prettiest village on the island, but it is my village.
Montuïri in Mallorca: a perfect temporary home town
Montuïri means mountain town. Or mountain village, as Montuïri is not that big. Seen from the highway between Palma and Manacor, the village stands proudly on top of the mountain. You can see almost the entire town at a glance. Especially when the sun shines its rays on Montuïri, it’s a beautiful image. For two months, I ‘live’ in Montuïri. I work remotely from here and explore the island.
I consciously chose this part of Mallorca: relatively centrally located on the island, near a highway, and I want to be in the countryside. I’m there at the end of the year, so no long beach days. That’s not bad, because Mallorca is a fantastic island to go on beautiful walks and visit villages. Villages like Montuïri.
Montuïri is for the Mallorcans
Montuïri is one of the oldest villages in Mallorca. You get to work on your calves walking the steep up and down streets. Catch your breath every now and then and peek through the streets for views of the fields and meadows. Walking through the center feels like you are going back in time, or at the very least, that time stands still. Old stone windmills, medieval details, and very quiet. It is hushed on the street. Montuïri does not have a shopping street, an extensive range of restaurants, or anything else. This is just a Mallorcan village. Not taken over by wealthy Germans or English. Just simply authentic.
The inhabitants have a few favorite spots to gather at the beginning of the day for a cup of coffee and after work for a dirt-cheap glass of wine or beer and a pa am boli. A Mallorcan snack: bread with oil, tomato, some salt, and toppings like cheese, Iberico ham, or sobrasada (a local spreadable sausage, think of filet Americain but much firmer). The sobrasada is made from the black pigs on the island, and it is a protected recipe. The one and only Sobrasada de Mallorca cannot be made anywhere else.
Local cafe in Montuïri found: S’Hostal
I have become a regular guest of S’Hostal. After the working day, less than 100 meters from my Airbnb, I’m greeted cheerfully by the waiter from S’Hostal. He doesn’t speak English, I don’t speak Catalan, and my Spanish is quite rusty, to say the least. But that doesn’t matter. I love it here. Inside it is anything but cozy: no effort has been made to furnish the place nicely. But that goes for many cafes and restaurants on Mallorca. For modern, Instagrammable places, you have to go to Palma.
A narrow line of outdoor seats runs across the width of the building, with wooden tables on both sides. Most are occupied by a group of older men you’d consider furniture – that’s an expression in Dutch, not sure if it’s in English too. It means that you have become an inseparable part of the venue. The men come, sit together, order a beer, discuss life loudly, and leave. It’s a beautiful sight; even though I’m not part of it, I feel at home.
The waiter recognizes my best friend and me in no time and knows exactly what we want: red wine and pa amb oli to share. And sometimes he manages to sell us a dessert. A glass of wine costs… don’t be alarmed… 2 euros. You understand why I go for a drink here more often than in Amsterdam.
Across the road, in the parking lot, S’Hostal has another large terrace. That is closed in the late season, but I imagine it gets busy here in the high season, with Mallorcans and cyclists who make a stopover. Mallorca is quite a cycling mecca.
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Stay in Montuïri
Because Montuïri is not so focused on tourism, there are not so many hotels. However, there are beautiful fincas, such as Finca Son Manera, and there are also plenty of options on Airbnb. So that’s what I do.
Booking.comThe street of S’Hostal is also the street I live on. When we first arrive on the island, we’re a bit shocked. The first part of the road is a kind of industrial area. But it turns out perfectly. A little further down the road are a few large mansions, slightly dilapidated. And our Airbnb: a spacious villa with a huge garden and a swimming pool. We could never afford such a villa in the high season, but you can score good deals deep in the late season. We use that pool exactly one time, purely on perseverance because it is much too cold.
The garden is mainly meant for my dog to run around in circles (and bark at the people waiting at the bus stop). But we also enjoy a coffee in the sun, another Tinto de Verano at the end of the day while we move our chairs a little further to soak up the last ray of sunshine. We pick oranges from the tree to squeeze into orange juice. It doesn’t get fresher than this. There are walnuts in the back of the garden, so many that my dog almost has a day job eating them with their hard shells.
In the house, a pellet stove (in which you throw compressed wood chips) is almost continuously on. The homes in Mallorca are built to stay cool in the summer and are not really suitable for cold days. In a side room, we make an office. Fortunately, there is also an IKEA in Mallorca. The beds sleep wonderfully, and the wifi is good, but we keep astounded by the crazy space on the house’s ridge with a table and a chair. The area is unreachable. No stairs, no entrance. Is this just decoration? Is it Mallorcan design?
The owner of the Airbnb could not have been more helpful and friendly. When we send a message, he answers quickly. If the gate jams, someone comes the same day to fix it. When our pellets for the stove are low, we get a new load in his name across the street. When my mother comes over for a few nights, that’s no problem. In other words: if you have the chance and the money, this Montuïri house is a wonderful base on Mallorca. You can book it on Airbnb.
More Mallorca inspiration?
Useful links for your Mallorca trip
- Accommodation. All-time favorite: Booking.com. Rather stay in a hostel? Try HostelWorld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide and Viator. You could also check out WithLocals. Book ‘free’ walking tours at Freetour.com or GuruWalk, and for bike tours, try Baja Bikes.
- Attractions and museums. Get a 5% discount on museums and attractions with the coupon code KIMOPREIS22 at Tiqets.
- Boat. You can get to Mallorca by boat from Barcelona and other places on the Spanish mainland. Balearia also sails between the other Balearic islands. But be sure to compare prices at Omio and Direct Ferries.
- Car rental. Compare prices at Discover Cars and Rentalcars.
- Flights. Be sure to check out Vueling, but do compare all your options! Definitely check out Skyscanner and Kiwi.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? Maybe Expedia or CheapOair have got a good deal for you.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high calling and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Travel guides. I love the practical travel guides from Lonely Planet, buy them at Amazon. And I love this guidebook: 111 Places in Mallorca that you shouldn’t miss. Buy it at Amazon.
- Yoga retreat. Or, what about a yoga retreat on the island?
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First published: February 2022. Updated since!
