Enjoy a Mallorca Valentine’s Day with a differenceFebruary 10, 2021

Whether you’re in a couple or happily single, your Mallorca Valentine’s Day has the potential to be rather different this year if you use your imagination and are open to an adventure, in the real world, online or both.

Now’s the time to go looking for fields of blooming almond trees with their white and light pink coloured flowers. Against a clear blue sky, they’re gorgeous.

Together with my partner, Vicente, I’ll be hitting the road in our beloved campervan Rita for an adventure in the Mallorca countryside.

The weather is gorgeous a the moment: the perfect mixture of bright and sunny and cool enough to make walking a pleasure. But, if it rains, we’ll retreat inside dear old Rita.

There are so many unspoilt calas to head for and mountain walks from easy rambles to a little more challenging that we’re spoilt for choice in Mallorca. Walking up to the Castell d’Alaro is always special but, as Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday, the walk might be a little busy.

We also like to head into the rolling green heart of the middle of the island and explore the walks around villages like Montuirri, Lloret de Vistalegre – a charming village – or San Juan.

Wherever we go, we take a picnic. Mallorcans are devotees of the picnic and Vicente is no different. Before we go on a walk, I like to pop into Santa Catalina market in the centre of Palma to pick up fresh vegetables and fruit and pastries like cocarrois, a mouthwatering
salty-sweet pasty made with spinach and currants. I love coca, the traditional Mallorcan vegetable pie that I’ve been told is actually based on a Roman recipe, making it the oldest pizza in the world.

Coca is traditionally made with lard. Again, as I understand it, the reason for this is because the Jews of Mallorca cooked with pork fat to convince the Spanish Inquisition that they weren’t Jewish. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, it’s easy to make your own coca with olive oil and a little beer.

After a day in the great outdoors, it’ll be time to cosy up at home with something delicious. The wonderful Xoltl has always been our favourite restaurant to visit. They recently started offering a takeaway service in Palma which delivers you mouthwatering authentic Mexican food. Countless tacos and a Margarita or five – I can’t think of a better way to spend Valentines day.

Driving around in our campervan looking for flowering almond trees is truly romantic. (At least for Rita and me.)

Are you a girl gone international looking for friendship on Galentine’s Day?

I think Girl Gone International (GGI) is a seriously cool idea. It was started by Anne Scott, who now lives in Mallorca I believe, back in 2010 as a way to make friends.

There are now more than 500,000 girls gone international making new friends through GGI, which is fantastic. At a time when many of us are having to live in a more isolated way than ever before, it’s never been more important to have the opportunity to make new friends. Especially at a time like Valentine’s Day, when we might feel somewhat alone.

This year, GGI is offering an online Galentine’s Day event that, for us in Mallorca, is at 7pm on the 14th. The organisers describe it as a ‘super fun, fast paced online Zoom with multiple breakout rooms so you can get to know as many amazing new womxn, find out about life in other cities and swap international life stories!’

All you need to do is sign up for Galentine’s Day and, as they say, ‘basically, just be you!’ Find out more here.

Whether you’re in a couple or a happy singleton, happy Mallorca Valentine’s Day from me and everyone at Charles Marlow.