Mallorca

Even local drivers mutter three Hail Marys before braving the scenic helter-skelter of a road to Sa Calobra. It translates as 'The Snake' and slither it does, for all 12 brake-screeching, hair-raising, white-knuckle kilometres. Drivers teeter perilously close to the edge to glimpse a ravine that scythes through the wild, bare peaks of the Tramuntana to arrive at a sea of deepest blue. But if you think the looping hairpin bends are tough behind the wheel, spare a thought for the mountain bikers that grind it up here!

Resembling a vast ship moored at the city’s edge, Palma Catedral dominates the skyline and is the island’s architectural tour de force. On the seaward side, the flying buttresses are extraordinary. A kaleidoscope of stained-glass windows and an intriguing flight of fancy by Gaudí inhabit the interior, alongside an inventive rendering of a biblical parable by contemporary artist Miquel Barceló. You’ll find yourself returning here, either to get your bearings, or simply to admire it from every angle.

Isolated coves are the most alluring of Mallorca's many charms, but few can rival the Platja des Coll Baix. Accessible only by sea or on foot through fragrant woods, this hidden beach on the pine-draped headland of Cap des Pinar is a stunning white crescent, backed by cliffs and pummelled by sea that shimmers unfathomable shades of cobalt blue and turquoise. Here the soundtrack is an increasingly rare one – water lapping against the shore, the trill of birdsong and (if you time it right) complete silence.

The mountains of Serra de Tramuntana rise like a natural amphitheatre above Deià, a bird's nest of a village perched high above the iridescent Mediterranean. Mallorca has countless pretty towns, but none surpass this peach: its gold-stone buildings climb a pyramid-shaped hill and glow like warm honey as day fades to dusk. It has long been the muse of artists and writers, not least the poet Robert Graves. Head to nearby Son Marroig, once the romantic abode of an Austrian archduke, to see the Mediterranean aflame at sunset.

The narrow, precipitous peninsula of Cap de Formentor is one of the most dramatic mountain ranges in southern Europe. Here, peaks thrust upwards like the jagged ramparts of some epic Mediterranean fortress, while forests of Aleppo pines add light and shadow to austere rocky outcrops that drop abruptly to some of the most beautiful and isolated beaches and coves on the island. However you travel the road running its length, prepare for drama and photo ops on every sweeping bend.

Palma and Sóller rank highly as attractions in their own right, but the antique wooden train that rattles between them is like rewinding 100 years. Scenes of rural Mallorca flash past like film stills, as the train zips through fertile valleys and climbs languidly into the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana. Traversing tunnels and narrow valleys before emerging high above pretty Sóller, this memorable ride is a poignant reminder that it is the journey itself that matters.

A suckling pig turns slowly on a spit, the burble of animated conversation rises above the clamour of pans and the chink of glasses, waiters bustle between tables, bringing generous helpings of conill amb ceba (rabbit with onions), frit mallorquí (a lamb offal fry-up) and llom amb col (tender pork loin in cabbage parcels). You eat heartily and drink deep of local wine below the beams and next to giant barrels in Inca's celler restaurants – this is Mallorcan dining at its most authentic.

The only national park in the Balearics, Parc Nacional Marítim-Terrestre de l'Arxipèlag de Cabrera is a special place and Illa de Cabrera is the jewel in its crown. The largest of 19 uninhabited islands that make up the marine park, Cabrera is blissfully peaceful – its wild headlands and secluded beaches are protected by laws that limit the number of daily visitors to sustainable levels. Boat excursions to the island from Colònia de Sant Jordi stop off at Sa Cova Blava, an exquisitely blue marine cave of rare beauty.

Twitchers flock to Parc Natural de S'Albufera, a tranquil nature park and one of the Mediterranean’s premier sites for birdwatching, as the home of 300 bird species, including 64 who breed here. The trails that wind amid the wetlands of this protected area are best explored on foot or by bike. Look out for herons, osprey and egrets from the observation decks discreetly tucked between the reeds, and bring binoculars for the best chances of spotting waterbirds in the marshes.

One look at Mallorca's unfathomably blue sea has water-sports enthusiasts itching to slip into a wetsuit or leap on a board. Scuba divers are in their underwater element in Formentor's caverns and around the southern islands – Illa de Sa Dragonera and Illa de Cabrera (for divers with requisite permission) – where wrecks, cave drops and waters swirl with rays, octopuses and barracuda. Coasteering, kayaking and – deep breath now – cliff jumping lure adventure seekers north. Kite surfers go with the winds off the Badia de Pollença.

Light years away from the busy coastal resorts, Mallorca's hinterland is sprinkled with fincas (estates) where it can be peaceful enough to hear an olive hit the ground. Whether endearingly rustic or revamped in boutique-chic style, properties such as Ca N'Aí take you that bit closer to the spirit of rural Mallorca. Days unfold unhurriedly here, with lazy mornings by the pool, strolls through olive groves and citrus orchards, and dinners under the stars to the tinkling of goat bells.

Of all the towns of the Mallorcan interior, it is Pollença that rises above the rest. Its two hilltop sanctuaries and pilgrimage points look down on a medieval roofscape of stone and terracotta. Climb the 365 steps of the Calvari or walk through woods of holm oak and pine to Santuari de la Mare de Déu des Puig for spirit-lifting views. At ground level, wander the town's tangle of lanes, mooch around its Sunday market and watch the world go leisurely by from a front-row cafe on the Plaça Major.

The crisp Mediterranean light drew some of Europe’s most respected painters throughout the 20th century, but two in particular – Joan Miró and Mallorcan Miquel Barceló – will be forever associated with the island. Miró’s former home, the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró, contains a fine range of his works, while Barceló adorned Palma’s cathedral with flair and distinction. Elsewhere, works by Picasso and Dalí can be found in Palma’s galleries, Es Baluard, Palau March or the Museu Fundació Juan March.

Amid the overdevelopment that blights so much of eastern Mallorca, beautiful bays and half-moon coves peek out to remind us why people eternally come here in search of the perfect stretch of sand. The beaches within striking distance of Cala Ratjada – particularly Cala Agulla, Cala Mesquida, Cala Mitjana and Cala Matzoc – are some of the best on the island, with pearly white sand and turquoise waters set against a backdrop of pine trees and sand dunes.

The winding, climbing, plunging and largely smooth roads of the Serra de Tramuntana, where road and track racing professionals like to limber up for the Tour de France, are a cyclist's wonderland. This wild mountainscape of pockmarked limestone peaks, serpentine bends and cliffs that sheer down to the Mediterranean offers the most challenging terrain on this bikeable island. Among the top rides are the 55km loop from Pollença to Monestir de Lluc and, for the fast and fit, the awesome 12km ascent from Sa Calobra.

In any poll of the prettiest villages in the Balearics, Valldemossa is always a contender, if not outright winner. Draped like a skirt around the eastern foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana, the village has the usual Mallorcan cobblestone lanes, flowerpots, pretty church and stone architecture. But Valldemossa gains extra cachet with its former royal monastery, which once housed Frédéric Chopin and George Sand; aside from giving Valldemossa’s residents something to gossip about in perpetuity, their stay bequeathed to the town one of Mallorca’s most uplifting music festivals, Festival Chopin.

Set back from eastern Mallorca’s busy summer coast, Artà has enduring year-round charms. Its stone buildings line narrow medieval streets that gently climb up a hillside before ascending steeply to one of the island’s most unusual church-castle complexes. The far-reaching views here are compelling, while back in town fine restaurants, hotels and an agreeably sleepy air make it an ideal base for your exploration of the island, including nearby Parc Natural de la Península de Llevant.