HOLDING my chilled glass of cava aloft I sank deeper into the bubbles of my private, rooftop hot tub.

A view  of pretty Portixol stretched in front of me with gothic Palma ­Cathedral in the distance and, further back, the Mallorcan mountains.

The only sounds were of swishing palm trees and mastheads clinking on the yachts and fishing boats below.

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It was pure holiday perfection.

In the tiny port of Portixol, ten minutes from the centre of Palma, Hotel Portixol has many lovely little touches.

There’s a cosy communal lounge with big, comfy sofas and bright cushions where guests can chill out listening to a vinyl collection from Frank Sinatra to New Kids On The Block.

And there are even binoculars in the rooms to help you “enjoy the spectacular views”.

I was on a girly holiday, staying in one of the hotel’s two Port Houses – cute duplexes next to the main hotel.

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Out front, behind a little white gate, terracotta pots overflowed with bright pink flowers.

Inside was a living room with sofa bed and shower on the ground floor, while up a wooden spiral staircase was the master bedroom with en-suite bathroom.

Up another spiral staircase was the trump card – the private roof terrace with sun loungers and hot tub. Just minutes from the hotel, golden sandy beaches stretch out in front of the wide promenade.

We grabbed a bicycle each – which are free to hire from the hotel – and pedalled the cycle paths that run into town in one direction and to the airport in the other.

Heading away from town we found Es Molinar, a strip of bars and restaurants where, at S’Eixerit, paella is cooked fresh for your table.


We chose paella with shells on, working hard for each delicious morsel of crab, langoustine and prawn. Forkfuls of richly-flavoured rice, scallops and the well-won shellfish, washed down with crisp, white wine made it worthwhile.

Charming
Buses from Portixol to Placa de la Reina, in the heart of Palma, take about 15 minutes.
Around the cathedral are cobbled streets dotted with bars ranging from cute and charming to packed and pumping.

In nearby Calle Apuntadores you could randomly dive to either side of the street and land in a cosy bar or eaterie.
At La Cueva we drank Rioja and selected pinchitos (or tapas) from the fresh fish, meat and vegetables behind the counter. Prawns in garlicky oil and devils on horseback (dates wrapped in salty bacon) were cooked in front of us and served with bread. Around the corner is Abaco, where white-jacketed waiters pour massive cocktails at tables tucked between ­mountains of fresh fruit.

It feels like the last days of the Roman Empire, although the prices are very modern at about £11 a cocktail.
For a truly Mallorcan stomach-liner, try pa amb oli (literally bread and oil), a kind of self-assembly bruschetta.

You get a basket of toasted bread with a side plate of garlic, tomato and salad. Cut the garlic and rub it over the bread, add olive oil and tomato, then top up with salad and your choice of cheese, Iberico ham, flaked white fish or tuna.

Sa Llimona on Calle de San Magi is a cavernous café packed with locals who take their time over their pa amb oli and bottles of cheap red wine.

Then there’s the slightly more formal S’Esponja, on Metge Matas where local women and tourists in the know flock for the fit waiters – think Smith in Sex And The City.

Afterwards you might want to cool down at El Divino in Paseo Maritimo,  where a bridge crosses from the main club to an open-air swimming pool overlooking the port. There’s an open-air club of the same name in Ibiza Town.

Most clubs are on the same stretch and it’s possible to grab a few free drinks if you’re cheeky enough to leave without ordering anything else. We had free champers in Bahia Lounge and a free frozen lemon shot in the Blue Juice Bar before heading to where the coolest of Mallorcans hang out – Santa Catalina.

Soho Bar on Avinguda d’Argentinas describes itself as an “urban vintage bar”.

This place is so trendy it can pull off ripped red leather stools. Its logo is a vinyl record and there’s an old-fashioned hairdryer hood in the ­corner.

Idern Café, on Carrer de Sant Magi, is all wooden-floored, red baroque, candlelit romance – until you head to the covered terrace and see the, erm, rather graphic painting of “lady bits” on the wall. Not the place for a first date but a very chilled-out end to a night.

GETTING HERE:

THE Port House at Hotel Portixol Hotel y Restaurant, Calle Sirena 27, Palma de Mallorca, costs from €230 (£201) a night in low season.

Double rooms with sea or port views cost from €170 (£149) a night.

See portixol.com for more information or call +34 971 27 18 00 to book.

easyJet flies to Palma direct from Belfast, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Glasgow, Liverpool, East Midlands, Luton, Bristol, Stansted and Gatwick airports from as little as £22.99 one way (including taxes). See easyjet.com for more details.