How do you impress a family staying in a villa? “I’d send round a nanny and face painter to take care of the kids, a chef to cook up a storm, and a masseuse to work on the parents,” says Victoria Cooper-Evans of Balearic-based concierge service Deliciously Sorted. The Majorca branch can organise nights under the stars in a national park and private scuba diving lessons. “For families in Puerto Pollensa, I’d also recommend a trip to Formentor. The water is so calm and shallow — perfect for babies. We’d also arrange for an organic picnic lunch to be delivered, as well as a bunch of water sports.” Some requests, however, are just a little too bizarre. “We once had a client who requested a bearded pool boy to move furniture around in front of her with his shirt off while she sat by the pool.”
THE FOOD – Turn a blind eye to the usual resort rubbish and you’ll discover fantastically fresh seafood, quality tapas and cracking local wine. And the best news? The Spanish love kids and will not only welcome them, but attend to them as if they were the bill payer. Start with a coffee at Cappuccino, the town’s prime people-watching spot — even at 7am. For breakfast, head to El Pozo for tostadas — tomatoes, olive oil and salt rubbed on toast. For lunch, escape the heat and wolf down artfully constructed pintxos at Norai Pintxos &Wine Bar (Paseo Saralegui, 6). Cocktails by the beach is the order of choice at Hotel Miramar, while the seafood paired with modern Mediterranean flair at Na Ruixa (Mendez Nunez, 3) is hard to beat.
THE EVENINGS – From five-ish each evening, there’s a whirlwind of baby dinner, bath and bedtime. That’s the thing about avilia — the kids can be tucked up, while the parents can while away an evening on the terrace. My tip? Rather than cooking every night, order in from Al Fresco Deli (Calle Mendez Nunez, 10) with its Spanish-style dishes such as suckling pig and salt cod. Alternatively, make the most of having grandpa rents on tap and head out without the babies.
