Autumn at Son Bieló

Autumn brings wind and lower temperatures to Mallorca. It is time to pause after the heat, summer and thousands of cars. A little warm sun on the beach—and perhaps a short swim if the sea allows it—can restore the body after the intensity of the season.

It is also the time for firewood in houses and for those winter moments that help us think about what is coming and value where we live. Mallorca remains an oasis of peace in a convulsed world.

Son Bieló, on the Llucmajor coast beside Sa Ràpita, has many rocky access points for swimming. Parking is usually easier than at the famous beaches. I recommend breakfast or lunch at Club Nàutic S’Estanyol, including its Sunday paella, or simply stopping for coffee in the afternoon.

Christmas far from home

At Christmas the island enters one of its most beautiful phases. Many of us who chose to live here left old friends and family in our countries of origin. Some loneliness remains. It is partly balanced by the enormous pleasure of living in this paradise and by the tranquillity we have found here, but it should not be disguised.

Approaching Palma from the Santanyí road at sunset gives a view of the bay with sea and mountains behind it. Passeig del Born offers another winter image: lights over the promenade, seasonal stalls and the smell of churros and waffles during an after-work walk.

January and February are also wonderful months. Places that are inaccessible in high season because of heat or crowds become available again. Put on warm clothes and explore. Winter does not reduce Mallorca; it reveals another version of it.

The end of the year is a time to examine what happened, what changed and what we want to carry forward. The island does not remove distance from home, but it allows us to create new rituals without forgetting the old ones.