|Places| “Restoring |Places| “Restoring old buildings is one way we cherish our traditions, craftsmanship and overall culture; plus, it’s an incredibly sustainable approach” – Miguel Conde The largest and lushest of the four islands in Spain’s Balearic archipelago, Mallorca has undergone its share of makeovers. In ancient times, it was subjected to incessant occupation: Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans were drawn in turn to its fertile shores, followed by Arabs, who promoted local crafts, developed a sophisticated agricultural industry that endures to this day, and established the capital Palma as one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities – a thriving cultural centre of the Spanish empire. Centuries of Christian rule came next, all but erasing the diverse traces of those earlier identities, before renowned Catalan architects like Antoni Gaudí ushered the island into the 20th century as a masterpiece of Modernist urbanism. But the majority of visitors to Mallorca know nothing of this textured history, flocking to its crystalline coasts to experience a different kind of attraction: the parties. Since joining the roster of global destinations in 1950 as the site of the world’s very first all-inclusive resort – a concept pioneered there by French hospitality group Club Med – the idyllic island’s geography and heritage have been buried under deliberate policies to promote cheap tourism. The 1960s and 1970s saw a frenzy of faceless development: sprawling beachfront resorts flattened the dune-dappled coastline and hectares of wetland disappeared under homogenous residential builds. And then, in 2011, the majestic Serra de Tramuntana mountain range was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site, and things started to change, yet again. Today’s Mallorca is witnessing the birth of a new era, in which its native beauty – natural, cultural and archaeological – is embraced, rather than suppressed. Parliamentary regulations like the 2022 Law for Tourism Circularity and Sustainability have contributed to an evolving hospitality landscape that limits new builds and requires hotels to feature local products on their menus. Into this space has flooded a burgeoning demographic of considerate, culturally aware visitors seeking a slower, more authentic Mallorcan experience – and a new generation of architects, designers, and hoteliers working to provide it. “The idea of adding new bricks to Mallorca, an island which abounds in gorgeous, obsolete buildings begging to be resurrected to their former glory, seems totally absurd to me,” says Spanish entrepreneur Miguel Conde, who in 2011 co-founded the hotel family IT Mallorca Unique Spaces with his wife, architect Cristina PHOTOS FROM LEFT: © IT MALLORCA, THILO WEIMAR From left: vast bay views from a room at Calatrava; the palm-fringed pool area at the hillhop Finca Can Coll hotel 18 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
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