Sun, Sea, and Reverie: The Magic of €uro Summer
including my breakdown of the four Balearic Islands
Hi, friends!
Once again, I’m writing to you from 35,000 feet. Today’s travels (which involved having to journey via taxi-ferry-taxi-plane-layover-plane-taxi) home from Formentera have felt like a real feat following our beach club finale as ’s birthday celebration yesterday. But having The Sunday Series to help distract me from this long trip home is such a treat! I’m checking in with you today about all things Euro Summer. Let’s get into it…
The Magic of €uro Summer
The Vault (Paid Subscriber Exclusive): breaking down the differences between Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera
The Vault (Paid Subscriber Exclusive): mini Formentera guide including where we stayed and the beach clubs we loved!
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Call me basic, but there’s just something about summer in Europe—specifically on the Mediterranean—that hits different. The moment you arrive, it washes over you: this might be the whole point. The days stretch wide and unhurried with beach clubs chock full of every age group imaginable, toddlers napping under striped umbrellas, kids running barefoot through 10 p.m. dinners like it’s the most natural thing in the world. No one’s rushing. No one’s apologizing for wanting beauty, rest, or pleasure. It’s not just a vacation—embodying Euro summer serves as a reminder that life can be arranged differently.
So many of my own Euro summer moments have been shaped by word-of-mouth magic—the kind of recs you get from someone who’s really been, who’s figured out how to avoid the tourist traps and snag the last table at that tucked-away cove-side restaurant. Over the years, I’ve become a collector of those kinds of details—testing, tweaking, and passing my favorites on to you here. And yesterday, during a conversation about how crucial it is to “have a guy on WhatsApp” for every destination, I realized: that’s who I want to be for you. The one with the shortcut, the plug, the low-key gem.
What I mean by “a guy on WhatsApp” is this: it’s often someone I’ve never actually met—a friend of a friend who lives there, works in hospitality, or just knows what’s good—who sends a voice note with three perfect dinner spots, or hooks us up with a last-minute table at a beach club. (Which, fun fact, is how a random club promoter’s recommendation to go to Beso ended up sparking an entire trip to Formentera three summers later.) And the key to unlocking the ultimate summer mood? Trusting the rec and running with it, while still leaving plenty of room for spontaneity.
How to Get There: Fly into Palma (PMI) with direct flights from most major European cities, especially in summer. Excitingly, there is also a direct flight from Newark on United, which is a complete game-changer for New Yorkers! While I wouldn’t go this route, there is also a six-hour ferry from Barcelona.
What Makes It Special: Mallorca has range. You can be sipping cocktails at a five-star hotel in Deià, then hiking in the Tramuntana mountains or swimming in quiet calas the next day. It’s big enough to have contrast: sleepy villages, stylish beach clubs, and a surprisingly solid arts scene.
Do You Need a Car? Yes! Unless you’re staying put in Palma or Sóller, you’ll really need a car to explore the island properly and beach hop.
How Long to Stay: I always recommend staying for at least six nights, with a split stay between the Western side of the island (Deià or Valdemossa) and the second half in the southwest of the island (Santanyí). Unless you’re literally just coming for a resort stay, you’ll want time to slow down—this isn’t a hop-in, hop-out kind of place.
How to Get There: There are short flights from mainland Spain or connections through Barcelona or Palma. Ferries also run from Mallorca and Barcelona.
What Makes It Special: Quiet, unpolished, and perfect for long swims and simple pleasures. Menorca is more local-feeling, less glam. It’s known for its turquoise coves (Cala Macarella, Cala Mitjana), rustic seafood restaurants, and a pace that never feels rushed.
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