The Other Mallorca: A Finca That Farms Again
Near Artà in Mallorca's north-east, the owners of Es Racó d'Artà brought an old estate's fields back into use before they opened it as a hotel.
In the hills above Artà
Es Racó d'Artà lies about five kilometres from Artà, on the road to Cala Mitjana in Mallorca's north-east. The Llevant Natural Park begins at the edge of the estate, with hills, Mediterranean scrub and a largely undeveloped coastline; the cove of Cala Torta is about seven kilometres away.
Guests stay in one of eight rooms and suites in Sa Possessió, the old main house, or in one of 21 casitas scattered through the woods; five of the casitas have their own pool. Cars stay in the car park at the entrance, and an electric buggy covers the last stretch.
The fields came first
Es Racó belongs to architect Toni Esteva and builder Jaume Danús. The hotel tells the estate's story through an old Mallorcan custom: the eldest son inherited the main house and the good land, his younger brothers the poor ground by the sea. When tourism came, that ground turned out to be beaches, and inland farms like this one were left empty. Esteva and Danús started by farming the land again. Only then did they turn the old buildings into a hotel, which opened in 2020.
They converted the buildings with local stone, reclaimed wood and craftspeople from the island. The restaurant, Beni Axir, takes its name from the Berber settlement that the hotel says once stood in this valley.
Farming is still part of daily life here. The estate has a 2,000-square-metre organic kitchen garden, olive and fruit trees, beehives and hens, and fields of xeixa, an old Mallorcan wheat that had almost disappeared. Forn Can Leu, Artà's oldest bakery, run by the same family since 1932, bakes the hotel's bread from it.
Yoga, trails and longer stays
Every morning at eight there is half an hour of guided meditation and an hour of yoga, included in the stay. Three marked trails cross the estate, one of them up the Puig d'Es Racó, with sheep and donkeys grazing along the way; a longer, more demanding route runs through the natural park to Cala Torta. For longer stays the hotel offers programmes it calls paths, combining yoga, walks and crafts such as weaving baskets from palm leaves, with minimum stays of three to 21 days.
The Sanum per Aquam spa is heated geothermally and has a green roof, so from higher up you can barely see it. Inside there is a 10-by-5-metre saltwater pool; outside, a 25-metre saltwater infinity pool, plus a sauna, a steam room and contrast pools, all included for guests aged 16 and over. The signature treatment is Watsu, in a pool of its own: you float while a therapist supports you and moves and stretches your body.
From the soil to the table
The kitchen at Beni Axir is run by María Solivellas, known for her restaurant Ca Na Toneta. Many of her recipes come from years of conversations with older women across the island, and the menu changes daily with what the garden, the woods and local producers have to offer.
Breakfast comes with honey from the estate's hives and eggs from its hens. For something Mallorcan, the team suggests coca, the crisp flatbread topped with vegetables, sobrassada from the island's black pig, or tumbet made with seasonal vegetables. The restaurant is also open to non-residents with a reservation.
Who it's for
Es Racó d'Artà takes guests from the age of 14 and is open from February to November. It suits couples and solo travellers who want to spend their days on the estate and in the natural park. Groups, or families with older children, can take one of the two houses: Sa Meva Casa with two bedrooms and a pool in the woods, or Sa Finqueta with three bedrooms, its own kitchen and an infinity pool.
Getting there: Palma airport is about 71 kilometres away, roughly an hour by car; the hotel is at km 1.5 on the road from Artà to Cala Mitjana. Where to stay: Sa Possessió to be in the main house, a casita for more privacy; if a private pool matters, book one of the five casitas that have one. Don't miss: a Watsu session, the trail up the Puig d'Es Racó and the coves of the Llevant coast, which are quieter early and late in the day in high summer.
