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The 22nd Edition of the IBEROSTAR Majorca Cycling Challenge gathers speed

febrero 6th, 2013 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in DESTINATIONS - (0 Comments)

 

The Mallorca Cycling Challenge (also known as the Round Majorca Cycling Race, and starting from the 2012 edition as the Iberostar Majorca Cycling Challenge), is the first event on Spain’s professional cycling racing calendar.

Over the course of its history, the Challenge has been won by leading cyclists such as Alejandro Valverde, Laurent Jalabert or Alex Zulle.  Yet the most successful rider to date in this event is Granada-born cyclist Paco Cabello, who has won no fewer than three editions (in 1996, 2000 and 2002). What’s more, the Challenge has at some time or other attracted all the great names in cycling, including  Induráin, Armstrong, Rominger or Chiapucci during the 1990s, or more recently, champions such as  Paolo Bettini, Óscar Freire, Tom Boonen, Óscar Pereiro, Dennis Menchov, Alberto Contador and many other top name riders from the world cycling scene.

This year’s edition of the 4 day race gets underway on Sunday, 3rd February with the traditional urban circuit along the Passeig Marítim de Palma; on Monday 4th the cyclists will be competing for the Campos-Santanyí-Ses Salines Trophy, whilst on Tuesday 5th it’s the turn of the Serra de Tramuntana Trophy which sets off from Deià and finishes in Lluc; and on Wednesday 6th, the cyclists will be racing for the Alcúdia-Ca’n Picafort-Platja de Muro Trophy.

Participants in this latest edition of the Challenge will include cycling greats such as the latest winner of the Tour de France and Olympic time trial gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, who will be on the island with the rest of Team Sky some time before the event.  Other entrants include Movistar team members Alejandro Valverde, José Joaquín Rojas or Rui Costa; André Greipel and Jurgen van den Broeck from Lotto; Igor Antón from Euskaltel; Cunego or Petacchi from Lampre; Tony Martin from Omega-Pharma; Tyler Farrar from Garmin; and the latest winner of the Mountain classification jersey during La Vuelta de España,  Simon Clarke, with the Orica-GreenEDGE team.

The Challenge has traditionally attracted the interest of all the major international cycling teams due to its format and organisation, as well as the weather conditions on Majorca, ideal for getting cyclists up to top form even though it’s still the middle of winter. Every single edition of the Challenge has given visiting or resident cycling fans the chance to see close up some of the finest cyclists of the day. The Challenge is committed to attracting cycling’s stars and ensuring an outstanding level of competition that guarantees the event’s sporting success and widespread media coverage.

So do you fancy visiting Majorca to see at first hand the world’s finest cyclists and discover the island’s stunning natural landscapes?

“If you’d like to enjoy a front row view of the Challenge, you can stay at any of the many hotels operated by  IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts around the island. IBEROSTAR’s resorts and hotels on Majorca guarantee a delightful stay together with the finest service for a memorable holiday experience”

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Outdoor sports in Mallorca

diciembre 13th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in DESTINATIONS - (0 Comments)

Mallorca is a delightful spot for indulging in all sorts of outdoor activities and sports whatever the season – spring, summer autumn or winter. Here we have already talked about the delights of diving, but there are many, many more activities on offer.

Mallorca is an island that is not just blessed by the sea; it also boasts mountains that are perfect for climbing, trekking or abseiling – there’s something for everyone, regardless of how fit you may (or may not) be.  Excursions that are not overly exerting but which will take you through stunning scenery such as the so-called Volta del General, which starts at Banyalbufar and finishes at Port des Canonge, or the trails around the Galatzó estate, as well as other more challenging routes yet which boast unquestionable beauty, such as the famous Torrent de Pareis, or a daybreak climb up Puig de Massanella – experiences that nobody should miss.

When it comes to sports, sailing is undoubtedly Mallorca’s star sport – and not just in summer. You’ll find countless clubs ready to hire out boats of all types and sizes. A sailing trip around the coastline is the best way of discovering the beauty of this island in all its splendour, taking time to moor at picturesque harbours. And if you’re holidaying with the kids, then don’t miss the chance for them to learn to sail by signing them up for an Optimist or 420 course!

Golf is another outdoor sport you can enjoy on Mallorca; in fact this is one of its greatest tourist attractions. A round of golf set against a backdrop of unspoilt nature is a sheer delight. There are 25 courses scattered throughout the island, including Son Vida, designed by the legendary F.W. Wawtree and officially opened back in 1961 by Prince Rainier of Monaco. Other outstanding courses include Son Quint, Puntiró and Son Antem, to name but a few.

As Cyclists are already aware, Mallorca is the perfect destination for lovers of this sport. Mallorca has played host to numerous professional cyclists such as Stephen Roche (winner of the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the World Championship), who chose Mallorca on the advice of Miguel Indurain. Roche is quick to sing the praises of the island, “It’s easy to get hooked on Mallorca: the weather is great, the scenery is irresistible and it’s the perfect destination for cycle tourists and professionals”.  During autumn and winter, the island becomes the training ground for Europe’s top teams, as it offers the ideal conditions. And if you’re one of the growing numbers of cycle tourists, then you’ll love the routes along the North Coast, which take you through towns such as Valldemossa, Puigpunyent, Deià, Soller and Pollença.

Fancy a little outdoor sport in Mallorca?

“The IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts hotels in Mallorca offer visitors the chance to experience the thrilling sensations on offer on the largest of the Balearic Islands.  The superb location of the IBEROSTAR hotels on Mallorca, scattered throughout the island, provide an outstanding opportunity to discover all its secrets”.

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Winter diving in Mallorca

noviembre 19th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in DESTINATIONS - (0 Comments)

The waters around Mallorca are home to countless species of marine flora and fauna including a wide variety of fish, colours and a unique ecosystem that is definitely not to be missed, as well as archaeological remains.

Winter is the perfect time to enjoy this sport due to the greater transparency of the waters and the fact that there are fewer tourists. In winter, the water temperature ranges from 12ºC to 14ºC and numerous clubs around the island offer scuba diving courses that will supply you with everything you need to try your hand at this fascinating sport.

The nature parks are undoubtedly the most recommendable spots for diving in Mallorca, especially the Cabrera Land and Sea National Park. This park boasts an immense environmental heritage; thanks to its isolation over the centuries the landscapes have been practically untouched. Indeed, Cabrera’s coastline is considered one of the best-conserved in Spain and one of the finest in the whole of the Mediterranean. It is home to large colonies of sea birds and endemic species. Yet undoubtedly its greatest treasures are those that lie beneath its waters.

Other outstanding nature reserves on Mallorca include El Toro, Malgrats, and Dragonera Island. El Toro’s natural wealth includes countless examples of Mediterranean fauna in all their splendour: the moray eel, grouper, octopus, scorpionfish, amberjack, gilthead bream, barracuda, nudibranchs and hundreds of other species: you’ll be amazed by the variety of underwater life.

Created in 2004, the Malgrats Marine Reserve has experienced an explosion of life in recent years. It has five spots that are popular with divers. There are strict rules regarding fishing, which is forbidden from May to October and is severely restricted during the rest of the year, and consequently the wealth of underwater life makes this an authentic paradise for divers.

Just off the south-west of Mallorca and the Tramuntana Mountains is Dragonera Island, declared a Nature Park in 1995. Its remote location and crystal-clear waters make this a favourite among divers. The huge cliffs with their sheer faces rising up some 50 metres are ideal for spotting large pelagic fish. The caves with interior chambers are just a few of the unique sights that can be admired on this island.

Mallorca is unquestionably a paradise for diving lovers.

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Discover the autumn delights of northern Mallorca

octubre 4th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in DESTINATIONS - (0 Comments)

The island of Mallorca is traditionally associated with sunshine and summer. However, it is also a warm, welcoming and magical place where you can enjoy a break from routine, forget about the pressure of work and get back in tune with nature at any time of year – and what better season to do so than autumn?

One of the best spots in which to enjoy Mallorca in Autumn, when the temperature is still warm and we can enjoy nature to the full, is its North Coast.

This area is no secret to cyclists, who have long known that Mallorca is the perfect setting for this sport. This includes professional cyclists that have visited the island such as Stephen Roche (winner of the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and the World Championship), who came to Mallorca on the advice of Miguel Indurain, and admits that “Mallorca is fascinating: it has a great climate, attractive landscapes and unbeatable possibilities for cycling tourists and professionals”. During autumn and winter, Europe’s top cycling teams choose the island to get ready for the coming season due to its optimum training conditions. In addition, cycling tourists will enjoy the routes that crisscross the North Coast, taking them through delightful towns and villages such as Valldemossa, Puigpunyent, Deià, Sóller and Pollença.

Yet if you prefer sports that are a little less exerting, such as hiking, Mallorca’s North Coast is ideal for taking things in your stride. You’ll discover landscapes that will take your breath away, stunning views, and be surprised to discover that Mallorca does indeed have green areas!

If you’re the kind of person that prefers a quieter and more relaxing break, then autumn is the perfect time to savour Mallorca’s mouth-watering gastronomy.  This is the season of hunting,  grape harvesting and the slaughter of the family pig, and traditional dishes feature ingredients such as pork, hare, thrush, rabbit or the local speciality fideus de vermar –  literally ‘harvest noodles’. Autumn is also the time for enjoying fish such as mahi-mahi, known locally as llampuga (delicious when served with fried peppers as traditional autumn fare) and amber fish or verderol, which appear with the first rains of the season. Don’t miss the Fira de la Llampuga, a gastronomic festival that takes place in October in Cala Ratjada.

During this season we can also find the delicious  esclatasangs, wild mushrooms that are considered a delicacy by the islanders and which are delicious when casseroled  or prepared in a terrine, known locally as greixonera. These wild mushrooms have their own culinary events, such as the Fira de Esclatasangs in Mancor de la Vall.

If you love rummaging through the stalls at outdoor markets, then we guarantee you’ll find some real treasures hidden among the dozens of market stalls that stretch out along the narrow streets and squares of towns such as Valldemossa, Alcúdia, Can Picafort, Cala Ratjada, Artà or Pollença. They’re famous for their local crafts and homemade produce, so make the most of the opportunity to taste the delicious products we’re sure you’ll be offered!

In short, if you’re looking for the perfect place to charge your batteries and face the coming winter in good cheer, then visit Mallorca’s North Coast for some well-deserved rest and relaxation and the chance to pamper mind and body to the full.

 

“IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts has 6 holiday complexes in  Alcúdia, situated in the north of the island, all of which are the perfect accommodation option for those of you eager to enjoy the delights of northern Mallorca in Autumn”.

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Boffo Balearic Birding on Spain’s Island of Majorca

marzo 14th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

Traditionally, our fine feathered friends have always played a big role on Majorca and all the Balearic Islands. First of all, there are no large carnivorous predators for them to worry about. And secondly, while most Mediterranean isles are on the dry side, with little of the kind of vegetation and the wetlands that birds like, Majorca is an exception, thanks especially to the Albufera marshland up in the northeast near Puerto Pollença. That’s how the island is able to boast more than 300 species, including one that’s endemic, the Balearic shearwater (puffinus mauretanicus), a medium-size endangered sea bird with brown and white plumage.

Other species include ospreys, turtledoves, night herons, scops owls, hoopoes, black-winged stilts, Kentish plovers, glossy ibis, spoonbills, bee-eaters, purple gallunule, great reed warblers, flamingos, and the purple swamp hen (pictured above). Not to mention species that are fairly rare elsewhere in Europe, such as the black vulture, Eleonora’s falcon, Audouin’s gull, the moustached warbler, and Marmora’s warbler.

If you’re really avid for avians, you might want to consider heading down here during the spring and autumn, when many species are livening things up by making stopovers during their annual migrations between Africa and Europe. Your top destination is going to be the Parc Natural de S’Albufera de Mallorca. This 10-square-mile marsh is riddled with canals and has beachfront as well as good viewing platforms set up. Secondarily, down south you’ll find the Salinas de Migjorn, salt marshes with an especially large concentration of raptors (osprey fans, take note).

One last note: for a Mediterranean island, Majorca seems unusually well documented as a place to birdwatch, which I have a feeling is due to the hefty number of visitors from Britain, a country where many are downright bonkers for birding. In fact, there are even several dedicated guidebooks, such as A Birding Tourist’s Guide to Majorca.

So tweet that.

Photo | Ferrán Pestaña

If you’re really avid for avians, you might want to consider heading to Mediterranean island, Majorca and stay at one of the Iberostar Hotels during the spring and autumn. Many species are livening things up by making stopovers during their annual migrations between Africa and Europe.

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The Unexpected Wines of Majorca, Spain

diciembre 7th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

As the Spanish wine industry has grown and deepened in complexity in the past couple of decades well beyond Andalusia’s traditional sherries, oenophiles the world over have become increasingly familiar with names like Rioja, Penedés, and Rias Baixas. But to many, Plà i Llevant and Binissalem-Mallorca might still require a wee bit of explaining.

Winemaking an Ancient Local Tradition

Actually, winemaking in the Balearic Islands goes back to Roman Hispania, a century before Christ (these were, after all, the folks who invented the phrase “in vino veritas”), but the industry was wiped out around at the end of the 19th  century by that dread bug phylloxera, as it was in France and elsewhere in Europe. Unlike in France, here it didn’t really recover either its quality or quantity for a century. Since the 1990s, a campaign to upgrade equipment and techniques has led to a growing variety of good and even award-winning red wines, white wines, and rosés from light and snappy to full-bodied and chewy; some of them blend in local varietals like Manto Negro, Callet, Fogonell, and Monastrell.   I’ve tasted a couple of bottles without much in the way of grape expectations (sorry), yet come away fairly impressed.

Dozens of Wineries

Home these days to dozens of bodegas (wineries), the island has three main wine regions: Plà i Llevant in the east, Serra Tramuntana out west, and the best known, Binissalem, in the middle; visiting one or several vineyards makes for an uncomplicated and memorable day trip from any of Majorca’s Iberostar resorts. Some are centuries old with a very traditional feel, while others date from the 1980s onward; top names to look for are Macià Batle, José Luis Ferrer, and Ànima Negra.  And many are now set up to receive visitors, either with regular opening hours or by appointment.

For more info, check out BinissalemDO.com, a Web site run by the regulating council of that region’s Denomination of Origin. On your next visit, make a little time for the old vino, and you, too, will be impressed – not to mention thoroughly charmed.

Photo | Miquel Frontera/Binissalemdo.com

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Jews in Spain: Rediscovering Majorca’s Secret Jewish Heritage

octubre 11th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

What to do in Spain, Majorca cathedral

Jews in Spain? Oy vay, olé! Everyone knows they were given the royal boot back in 1492, the same year Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue, right? Well, yes and no. Some managed to hang on, and the story of how they did so in secret constitutes a fascinating slice of Jewish history.

But first, a little background: During the Balearic Islands’ medieval flowering before they became part of Spain, Sephardic Jews played an important and mostly welcome role in these islands’ cultural, social, and economic life. Conditions gradually started deteriorating for the sons and daughters of Abraham in the 14th century, finally culminating in their expulsion from all of Spain in 1492 by order of the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. Unless, of course, if they converted.

Crypto-Jews, Defined

Unwilling to leave their beautiful homeland, a good number of Balearic Jews converted to Catholicism outwardly, all the while secretly and at sometimes great risk preserving their faith and traditions. They married mostly among themselves, becoming known eventually as xuetes (“SHWAY-tuhss” in Catalan, the local language; singular, xueta). As anti-Jewish sentiment grew less virulent over the centuries, eventually so did xueta clannishness, and at least some of their self-consciously Jewish practices dissipated. In the early 20th century, several members of the community even became mayors of Palma, and though the dictatorship of Francisco Franco was another touchy time for the xuetes, the opening of the islands to tourism and the dawning of democracy in Spain after Franco’s death further diminished (if not totally eliminated) local prejudice against the community, now numbering about 18,000 to 20,000 – so much so that in recent years xuetas have been increasingly asserting their pride in their identity.

Jewish Roots, Rediscovered

That pride’s gotten a huge boost this spring and summer, first in May when the Balearics’ regional government apologized for past persecution of the xuetes and memorialized a number of those executed by the Spanish Inquisition. Then in July, an important orthodox rabbinical court in Israel issued a “headline ruling” that because the community, unlike others in Spain, had largely honored its traditions and history, they are officially recognized as Jewish. If you want to explore this history today, Palma de Mallorca’s Jewish quarter, called El Call (“al KAH-eel”) is a fascinating warren of narrow streets, but one with little overtly Jewish about it. Maybe you’ll notice a number of jewelry shops – a still existing example of the Jewish community’s traditional strength in the precious gems trade (as elsewhere in the world, such as Antwerp and New York City).

Look closely, as here and there lurk tantalizing bits and pieces: There’s now a new synagogue, but you can still make out where the ancient synagogue’s entrance used to be, on the side of Monti-Sion church. In the Can Fontirroig gardens you can visit a Jewish bathhouse that until recently was thought to be Muslim. And curiously enough, not only does the museum of the city’s landmark cathedral contain some Jewish relics, but its very façade includes motifs based on the Star of David, snuck in by xueta craftsmen during its construction (can you spot it in the picture above?). Finally, in the past several years a center was opened by the international Jewish heritage group Shavei Israel, to help local xuetes more fully reconnect with Judaism. Whether or not you’re Jewish, or interested in Jewish travel, a stroll through Majorca’s Jewish past is a great way to get acquainted with this fascinating cultural and religious rebirth.

Photo | Andreas Fucke

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Chopin’s Unusual Hotel in Majorca: La Cartuja de Valldemossa

agosto 25th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Local Characters - (0 Comments)

La Cartuja Monastery in Majorca Spain

According to a local myth in Majorca, that sun-drenched Mediterranean island off the northeast coast of Spain, when God decided to create the world, He first made a scale model. He liked it so much, that He used the model (which lacked only one detail: rivers) in His final work, and today this model is none other than the island of Majorca.

And this, the largest of the Balearic islands, is indeed divine in many ways: Its Mediterranean climate, for one, so healthful and invigorating that composer Frédéric Chopin was drawn to Majorca in the winter of 1838 to rest and convalesce from a respiratory illness.

There were, of course, no Iberostars back then, and not much in the way of hotels in Majorca, so Chopin chose to stay at La Cartuja de Valldemossa, the ancient palace of King Sancho which for centuries had served as a Carthusian monastery before opening its doors in the nineteenth century to such distinguished guests as Miguel de Unamuno and Rubén Darío.

Apart from admiring the palace interiors and strolling through its beautiful gardens, by visiting the monastery we can also see how the cell occupied by Chopin and his lover, the French writer George Sand, is practically intact.

In this cell you will find a bust of the pianist, just a few feet away from the piano where he finished his Preludes (Opus 28), and started other magnificent works such as Scherzo No. 3 (Opus 39) and the Polonaises (Opus 40). During this time, Sand wrote A Winter in Majorca, whose manuscript you’ll also find in this cell, which today houses the Chopin Museum.

Sadly, the composer’s health deteriorated and his worst fears were confirmed: He had tuberculosis, which forced the couple and Sand’s children to abandon the island quickly in search of medical assistance on the mainland.

Standing on the terrace of cell 4, the views of the town and the green mountains beyond inspire us to think that, despite all the difficulties, Chopin and George Sand found what they were looking for in Majorca: a landscape and a serenity capable of inspiring compositions and novels worthy of the Romantic era of which they were true representatives.

Any time of year is good to travel to Majorca and visit La Cartuja de Valldemossa; still, if you go in the summer, you may be fortunate enough to attend the Chopin Festival, which every August fills the monastery cloister with the composer’s unmistakable melodies.

 

Photo | Romy Schneider

 

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