An insider’s guide to Mallorca

I was introduced to Mallorca a few years ago, when I started working for Camper (I’m creative director of both Camper and CamperLab, and just started my own-name label too). The company has its HQ here. At the outset, I only knew the airport, the hotel and the headquarters – that was it. The rest of the time I lived in Paris. But a couple of years ago, I found a place right in the middle of the island, and I’ve been here since. It’s amazing – so quiet. It sounds cheesy, but being here has made me more relaxed and brought some peace. It’s almost the pleasure of missing out. 

If you were to spend the day with me, I have a few favourite scenarios (you can drive across the island quite easily). In the morning, we’d play tennis. At La Residencia hotel in Deià, the court is on a mountain by the sea, so you have an amazing view. It’s one of the most beautiful courts I’ve ever seen. There’s also one at Son Brull, which is in a valley – very different but still fantastic. You have to go early, because later it can get too warm to play. Since both those places are hotels, I’d also opt for a spa treatment, or have a little swim; maybe some de-puffing from the night before. And they have excellent restaurants, so normally I’d have lunch there too.

If it’s a Sunday, there’s the flea market at Consell. It sells so many weird antiques – I’ve found some absolutely stupid things there. I love it. The more stupid, the better! Then there are some amazing ceramics stores in nearby Santa Maria del Camí, where I bought all my flower pots. In the afternoon, I would go see an exhibition at La Bibi, a gallery on the outskirts of Palma, for which I’m in discussions to curate a show this year. I’ll showcase artists from Spain and Finland, where I’m from. I grew up in Lapland, so it was really cold growing up: you’d be lucky to get 15ºC, whereas that’s usually the coldest it gets here. But the people are quite similar: everyone minds their own business. If I try to tell them what I do for a living, they’re like, “So you draw…?”

You can’t miss Palma’s cathedral, La Seu, because it’s gigantic. It’s so austere and opulent at the same time. The Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation is super-nice, and tends to have a good arts programme. I saw a play by [the actress] Rossy de Palma there once. It was really entertaining, although I didn’t understand a thing.

Deià is still my favourite, but off-season, because in summer it gets really packed. There are several lovely towns on the north coast you could visit: Valldemossa or Sóller, or Port de Pollença on the north-east tip. But the must-see for me is Sa Calobra, a serpentine hiking and cycling route that eventually opens onto the sea. The view is amazing – very alien. You think, “Did I land on Mars?”

Caló des Moro on the south coast is the best beach, but if that gets too busy there’s Cala Llombards along the coast. A lot of friends go for a swim and then head for lunch at Casa Manolo, in nearby Ses Salines, on Sunday. If you like seafood, it’s really worth it. I’m vegetarian, which is tricky in Mallorca, but some restaurants, like the excellent Ca na Toneta in Caimari, can adapt their menu.

For evening drinks, I like fancy things, but I also like where the truck drivers go. Sometimes it’s nice to just go to a random small town with a bar on the main square, because then you see the locals. If I want a cocktail, I’ll head to Palma: Clandestino and Door 13 are nice, but the place I like most there is Can Bordoy. It’s the best hotel in the city: small and boutique, quite sexy, dimly lit with tables far apart. It also has a great garden, with a pool. 

I never used to have many sunglasses, but now I live in Mallorca I buy a few pairs a month: I don’t leave the house without some. And you’ll also need good swimwear – you could spend the whole week in it. April and May are great times to visit, but September and early October are the very best. Otherwise it’s just so damned hot you don’t want to do much, except drink by the water. Not drink water – drink by the water.