George Epaminondas

Mallorca inspires obsessive devotion. Among the glories of this sun-soaked Spanish island are its honeyed villages, sylvan retreats and crystalline coves recalling a work by Joan Miró, the prolific Catalan artist who lived here for decades. Yet for years I had neglected the largest isle in the balmy Balearics. Instead, I hopped from party-hard Ibiza to low-key Menorca and even to free-spirited Formentera, which has been expropriated by louche Italian tourists with espresso-hued tans. Last northern summer, I finally made it to Mallorca, which blends all the appealing attributes of its siblings in one seductive package.