The Balearics are calling — these are the islands' loveliest villas

Times

21-05-2025

My first family holiday out of Ireland was a fortnight on Menorca when I was seven. I remember being impressed by Spanish lollipops with bubblegum inside, which cost five pesetas. I liked the beach just fine but I was more intrigued by the dusty hills, the dark mouths of caves, the strong, mysterious breezes that would rake the pines overhead.
The peculiar allure of that island I have since come to recognise as a signature murmur heard across the Balearics. By the time I went to Ibiza with a friend — when we were both at the youngest end of our 18-30 package tour group — 'Balearic' also referred to a nebulous subgenre of house and trance music deployed on the dancefloors of Amnesia and Ku. Those superclubs were then in their mid-Nineties pomp, but my best memories of that trip are the bleary sunrises and hungover boat rides over luminous blue meadows of seagrass.
Living in Madrid for the past decade, I have hopped on a lot of short, cheap flights back to Ibiza, though usually in winter when the clubs are shuttered and local life ticks over at a pace and volume better suited to my advancing years. In that time, the visitor demographics have grown and spread on all four of the main Balearic islands — Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera — from the summer charter market to encompass quieter holidays for nature lovers, longer stays in the off-season, and glam options for those who arrive by yacht to occupy the VIP booths at venues like the spanking new 'hyperclub' [UNVRS] (opening this summer where Ku used to be).
The corresponding villa rental business is booming and the very definition of that term might now be stretched to historic Mallorcan townhouses, Menorcan hillside eco-lodges, former farms on Formentera, and luxury compounds atop Ibizan cliffs. Some make handy coastal bases for beach and bar excursions, others take up such remote positions in island interiors that they qualify as genuine retreats for solitary couples or whole extended families.
Swimming pools and barbecue pits come as standard these days, but there's always something distinctive about a villa stay on the Balearics — not just the location or design of the property itself, but the angle at which it reflects that particular cast of sunlight off the Mediterranean, and receives that distinctive whispering breeze. Sitting on the roof terrace of your rental, or half asleep in a hammock strung between citrus trees, you could swear you were hearing the same call that coaxed ancient Phoenicians to these shores 3,000 years ago. Or it might just be the bass from a sound system in the distance.
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Sleeps 4 The farm built by the owner Lucas Prats's grandfather on this site, high on a hill near the centre of the island, gives its modern iteration a pastoral appeal. Olive and citrus trees grow between the free-standing garden suites, villas and holiday homes since added by Prats and his family. Some fall within a 'traditional' zone of architecture around the original farmhouse; other units are sleek and contemporary. The overall feel is something like a sleepy rural hamlet, perfectly positioned for sunset views all the way down to the Med. Nearby, the village of San Rafael hosts various food and craft markets throughout the week. Details Seven nights' self-catering for four from £4,770 (canlluc.com/en). Fly to Ibiza
• Read our full guide to Ibiza
Sleeps 12The architect Rolf Blakstad lovingly modelled Can Nemo on traditional Ibizan fincas — sturdy white stone walls, imposing timber doors — looking east to sunrise from the cape just beyond the bars and beaches of Ibiza Town. Inside it's hypermodern, from the kitchen attended by private chefs (there is also a clay pizza oven and a barbecue pit elsewhere on the property) to a silo-style wine cellar and a basement cocktail bar and disco room that doubles as a cinema. There are 15,000 sq m of gardens, including an area inlaid with a curved pool and hot tub as well as earthier elements such as a roomy chicken coop, whose residents keep the place stocked with free-range eggs.Details Seven nights' full board for 12 from £25,550 (cannemo.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 12Only a ten-minute drive from Ibiza Town and the destination beaches of Bossa and Cavallet, this modernist villa nevertheless feels pretty secluded behind thick shrouds of palms. Within lies a main house with several bedrooms, as well as a separate casita and a bedroom built into a treehouse. Other standout touches include the onsite tennis court, sauna and meditation room, and an outdoor pool with surround-sound music. The house cook makes breakfast every morning, with other meals catered on request.Details Seven nights' B&B for 12 from £20,393 (cvvillas.com). Fly to Ibiza
• 17 of the best hotels in Ibiza
Sleeps 10Many Ibizan villas have a chic rustic look but this compound takes the opposite approach, towards cutting-edge minimalism. It's deep in the northeast wilds of the Morna Valley, and its clean, cubist lines stand out against the pines to make a Balearic fortress of solitude. The bedrooms, with huge picture windows, feel part of the wraparound gardens and there is a gorgeous alfresco dining space, where a Sonos sound system plays clear across the saltwater pool and yoga deck. Forest trails lead over the hills to north coast beaches and lookouts. Details: Seven nights' self-catering for ten from £26,120 (domusnova.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 12The owner-architects Diego Alonso and Alexeja Pozzoni put all their taste and training into reworking a 17th-century monastery in Ibiza's northern hills. Beams of juniper and Ibiza's native sabina wood frame a house fitted with a sauna, massage room and glass-walled yoga studio, while the main bedroom is built into a separate casita over manicured Balinese gardens. There are two pools out there — one saltwater, one 'natural' — and an alfresco dining space big enough for a banquet. The setting is maximally rural but you're not far from the landmark fortified church of Sant Miquel village, nor the island's best bullit de peix (fish stew) in Port Balansat. Details Seven nights' self-catering for 12 from £20,640 (domusnova.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 28For those looking to go large literally on Ibiza, here is a renovated townhouse in the old quarter of the capital which a single party can take over as a complete, serviced villa. Its five storeys are stacked with 14 bedrooms, rising to a penthouse terrace suite and rooftop pool overlooking the walled medieval citadel, Dalt Vila. Inside you've got lounges, bars and a full wellness area with a yoga studio and steam room. Outside you've got the Old Town and marina, with the landmark nightclub Pacha and restaurants such as Ibiza Food Studio practically next door. Details Seven nights' self-catering for 28 from £9,502 (plumguide.com). Fly to Ibiza
• The historic side of the island that everyone knows for partying
Sleeps 9The west coast of Ibiza looks out to the pyramidal islet Es Vedra, which has long been a vector for weird legends, UFO sightings and so on. It's the island's totemic focal point for sunset-viewing, and this simple modern villa gives you the full panorama from the 'infinity edge' of its swimming pool. Drinks at dusk at this elevation may be as sublime an experience as Ibiza can offer. It's about two miles downhill to the beaches of Cala Carbo and Cala d'Hort — the latter home to the seafood restaurant El Carmen.Details Seven nights' self-catering for nine from £3,836 (uniqueibizavillas.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 12The Ses Salines Nature Reserve stretches all the way over the channel from Ibiza to north Formentera, crossing salt deposits, seagrass meadows and green coastal fields to reach the gates of this country villa. Surrounded by Mediterranean gardens and covered with bright spillages of bougainvillea that seem an organic part of the park, the grounds extend to an outdoor pool and courts for volleyball and badminton (as well as a full gym). Insulated as it feels, the house is only a ten-minute walk from Migjorn Beach, which forms a chain of rocky and sandy coves along the south coast, where there are many points en route for seafood or cocktails. Details Seven nights' self-catering for 12 from £20,280 (lecollectionist.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 8A modern villa annexed to a little country house, this one delivers on two key promises of Formentera by way of breezy seaside tranquillity and proximity to the gilded nightlife of the capital, Sant Francesc. Super-stylish but unflashy, the design favours Balearic white stone walls and native woods. Beyond the sunbeds and hammocks arrayed around the pool and garden, nature trails lead straight out of the gate to the beach at Cala Saona, to the lighthouse at Cap Barbaria and to the capital's growing locus of boutiques, bars and clubs.Details Seven nights' self-catering for eight from £2,100 (villasformentera.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 12The house is a gem, distinguished by an especially lovely attic room, a library, and an outdoor pool, lounge and dining area under a thatched canopy. But the location adds immense value: a large herb-scented garden blurs into surrounding vineyards and beyond to the lighthouse at Faro de la Mola, its beam winking over the starry Med by night. La Mola is little more than a mile away for excursions to shops and bars, with a secluded beach, Es Calo des Mort, only a little further on.Details Seven nights' self-catering for 12 from £7,150 (villasformentera.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 6A modern villa built in 2019, this is styled like an exclusive beach club set on a pine-forested hill over the northwest coast. Interiors are fresh and stylish — all Dutch furniture and whitewashed walls — and there's an emphasis on outdoor living by way of an alfresco kitchen, fire pit, tennis court and swimming pool. It's right on the edge of Can Marroig too, a former estate turned nature reserve with natural pools in disused quarries, protected habitats for native birds such as the Balearic shearwater, and a prime dive site around an undersea rock arch.Details Seven nights' self-catering for six from £4,120 (plumguide.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 4A relatively small and simple option geared towards the traditional quietude of Formentera: a two-bedroom bungalow in classic Balearic blue and white, with a fireplace, terracotta tiling and some nicely chosen artworks. It opens to one of those covered garden verandas that allow for all-day dining and lounging. Migjorn Beach nearby begins a stretch of white sands and sheltered coves, with the idyllic fishing village Es Calo almost as close.Details Seven nights' self-catering for four from £1,449 (plumguide.com). Fly to Ibiza
Sleeps 12A Mallorcan country house in a garden of palm and fruit trees, with the Serra de Tramuntana mountains as a painterly backdrop and the culture-rich medieval town of Pollensa just out of view. Recent restoration work preserved the traditional stone walls, wood beams and classical archways while adding smart modern lighting and entertainment systems. Besides the large pool and orchard-view terrace, the big sell for many will be a full leisure annexe with pool and football tables, exercise equipment and a separate hangout lounge.Details Seven nights' self-catering for 12 from £7,968, including flights (splvillas.com)
Sleeps 10 This one has the trifecta many seek on Mallorca: an outdoor pool, a seabird's vantage over the Med, and equally easy access to town and beach. The garden terrace looks unobstructed over the southeast edge of the island, and it's a short walk downhill to the sand at Cala Esmeralda or dockside bars and restaurants in Cala d'Or. Cooking within the villa itself is easy and appealing enough to stay put — there's a fully kitted kitchen and a substantial barbecue area out on the patio.Details: Seven nights' self-catering for 10 from £5,880, including flights (splvillas.com)
• Read our full guide to Mallorca
Sleeps 7Most Mallorca villas are at least a little out of town, but this slots neatly into the historical centre of Pollensa at the north end of the island — a five-storey townhouse with a beautiful façade built from the same yellow stone as surrounding architecture (mostly 17th and 18th century). The interior rises from an open-plan ground-level lounge to a top-floor master bedroom overlooking those timewarped rooflines, and the sweetest touch is a private pool terrace that fills the outer courtyard. Pollensa's market, beach, medieval churches and central square Placa Major are effectively around the corner.Details: Seven nights' self-catering for seven from £1,718 (oliverstravels.com). Fly to Mallorca
Sleeps 11Big enough for almost a dozen, with a child-friendly dorm-style bedroom, this south-coast villa rolls out across various outdoor dining and lounging spaces so guests can also look west to sunset over the Med from the pool or roof terrace at dusk. Son Bou beach is just downhill through a small, sleepy residential area, and the location makes a perfect jump-off point for exploring some of the island's most isolated coves and sea caves in rented boats or kayaks.Details: Seven nights' self-catering for 11 from £6,127, including flights (splvillas.com)
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Sleeps 2More a chalet than a complex, this whitewashed bungalow is concentrated on simple, essential pleasures: a private pool with loungers under almond trees, and a cooling, cane-covered porch oriented toward the sunrise. The interior is a cosy open-plan arrangement of kitchen and living room, and surrounding land leads out through orchards into the Tramuntana mountains — prime hiking, cycling, and climbing territory — with the small, sweet central Mallorcan village of Selva a short walk away.Details Seven nights' self-catering for two from £1,904 (belvilla.com). Fly to Mallorca
Sleeps 10The garden really sells this hillside ranch, with 18-acre grounds across a northwestern valley of olive and orange groves. There are many shaded places to sit or eat half hidden out there under ancient trees while the main house uses lots of local wood inside for added organic effect, from walls to wardrobes to ceiling beams. It's not unduly rustic though: you've also got a cinema room and a big modern kitchen for cooking with the olive oil made on-site. Soller itself is the closest place to eat out, an incredibly attractive town with an outstanding art museum at Can Prunera (canprunera.com).Details Seven nights' self-catering for ten from £4,582 (oliverstravels.com). Fly to Mallorca
Sleeps 6Rentals are hard to come by in and around the pretty northern fishing village of Cala San Vicente, most local villas being private summer retreats for Spanish owners. This house in the residential outskirts has more character than surrounding properties too, all exposed beams and stones with a lovely lounge on the balcony and a walled garden terrace around the pool. Four separate beaches are a short walk away in turquoise coves under sheer cliffs, and an hour's gentle hike will bring you to Puerto Pollensa for lunch at the new marina. Details Seven nights' self-catering for six from £4,669, including flights, care hire and concierge services (simpsontravel.com)
Sleeps 22That very cool name for a villa — the Eagle's Beak — testifies to the prime hilltop position chosen by the merchant family who built their weekend retreat here almost 200 years ago. It's isolated in a hikeable expanse of central countryside, and a recent restoration revived the best original features: vaulted ceilings, Cuban tiles, a country club living room with a marble bar and library. Eleven bedrooms make room for a big crowd of guests but the set-up allows everyone to spread out across the yoga studio, cinema, and ceramic workshop, with Balinese sunbeds at the pool pavilion in a French-style landscaped garden.Details: Seven nights' full board for 22 from £20,300 (esbecdaguila.com). Fly to Menorca
Sleeps 14A 74-acre estate near the island's southeast beaches, this villa sprawls across a private vineyard, mini-golf course, pétanque court and bowling lanes, not to mention two outdoor pools and a hot tub. The interior is modern-Mediterranean; it houses a library, lounge and screening room personalised with the owners' tasteful art. Their passions are also geared toward the gardens, where the grapes, olives, and lavender yield wines, honeys, and oils so good they're used by chefs in Paris (and by the optional house cook right here in the villa kitchen). A housekeeper and concierge service is included.Details Seven nights' self-catering for 14 from £12,191 (oliverstravels.com). Fly to Menorca
• Read our full guide to Menorca
Sleeps 13At the edge of Alcaufar, a small fishing village on the southeast coast, this property descends to its own private cave, converted into a summer hangout. A concrete platform drops directly into the Med, with a buoy just offshore that guests can rent to tie up small boats out front. It's a fine spot for sailing, the local cove and beach being the very spot where the French landed to retake the island from the British in 1756. Wrapped inside a large garden, the house itself makes for a pretty singular base.Details Seven nights' self-catering for 13 from £6,470 (evholidayvillas.com). Fly to Menorca
Sleeps 14An actual working finca here, on a 2,500-acre plot home to pigs, cattle and Menorcan horses that you can ride along the isolated trail to the north coast beach of Cala Pilar. That remoteness is a big part of the appeal, with a main farmhouse, a separate lodge in a converted cowshed and an outdoor pool in fields of almonds, olives, herbs and vegetables. Design-wise it's all fittingly traditional: whitewashed walls, rattan furniture, stone fireplaces and a big old country-style dining table, where hosts Toni and Sisca provide outstanding homemade meals (as well as sorting hikes, rides, and massages on request).Details Seven nights' full board for 14 from £13,617 (mrandmrssmith.com). Fly to Menorca
• The Med island where you can still find splendid isolation
Sleeps 8Many Balearic island villas play up proximity to a beach, but few have the Med itself at the end of the garden. This mid-sized, light-filled villa near the southern tip of Menorca looks straight out the kitchen window to an elevated terrace and sun deck overlooking a glowing blue swimming pool on a vivid green lawn, with the sea so close that passing sailboats seem to float over the boundary hedge. The fishing hamlet of Cala Torret on the doorstep, and the bigger, busier coastal resort of Binibeca less than a mile away.Details Seven nights' self-catering for eight from £2,170 (solmarvillas.com). Fly to Menorca
Sleeps 4It can be tricky to find smaller villas with a bit of character, especially in the Balearic summer, but this little gem is a good call for couples or families with up to two children. Right on the sea near the southwestern beach of Cala en Bosch, it's a stone-built, open-plan bungalow recently modernised with a subtle maritime design that suits the name and setting. There's a pool terrace outside framed by high walls and plants that make the place feel nicely tucked away from a pretty rich and dynamic corner of the island — a lot of good bars and restaurants are clustered inside the medieval walls of Ciutadella, less than seven miles away.Details Seven nights' self-catering for fourfrom £3,640 with flights (cvvillas.com)