Section I · The Ranked Twelve
From best to twelfth.
Sorted by what each villa does well at its price point. The number-one villa is the one we would book first given a free pick from all twelve.
No. I
As Clear As Deia, six-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Area: Deia, Tramuntana coast. Peak rate: $32,000 to $42,000 / week. Included: daily housekeeping, pool attendant, gardener, security. Not included: chef, car and driver, in-villa spa.
Why it ranks here: Deia is the right Mallorca answer for the buyer who wants the Tramuntana without the Pollensa beach traffic. The village sits 11 km north of Valldemossa, 9 km south of Soller, and 22 km from the coast at Cala Deia where Ca’s Patro March is the lunch booking that justifies the drive. Six bedrooms across a single restored finca, a 12-meter pool with a south view down to the sea, and a kitchen that handles 12 at dinner when the chef works it. The Plum Guide vetting is real here. Manager responds within four hours weekday or weekend, tested across three separate inquiries in March 2026.
What we would change: the road into Deia village is single-lane in places. After 5 p.m. on a peak Friday, allow 25 minutes for what should be 10. Plan the chef for the worst-traffic nights.
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No. II
Sóller Soleil, five-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Area: Port de Sóller, Tramuntana. Peak rate: $26,000 to $35,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, pool, gardener, daily breakfast service, one car. Not included: chef, second car, boat days.
Why it ranks here: the Port de Soller answer for a group who wants harbour walks, fishing-village food (Es Faro, Randemar), and a 6-minute drive into the town of Soller via the tunnel. Five king bedrooms, a 13-meter pool, and a sea-facing main terrace that catches the sunset from late June to August. The wooden tram between Port de Soller and Soller town is functional, not theatrical, and runs every 30 minutes.
What we would change: the included car is one vehicle. For ten people two cars are non-negotiable. Negotiate on inquiry.
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No. III
The Pollensa six-bedroom finca, Port de Pollensa.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Area: Port de Pollensa, north coast. Peak rate: $24,000 to $33,000 / week (Pollentia Rentals quotes the upper Pollensa six-bedroom band at around €3,200 to €4,800 per night peak). Included: housekeeping, pool, gardener, security, daily breakfast service. Not included: chef, car, additional staff.
Why it ranks here: the Pollensa answer for groups who want the calmer side of the island, a 12-minute drive to Formentor beach, and the Pollensa Saturday market that does not pretend to be a market for tourists. Six bedrooms across two floors of a working finca, a 14-meter pool, an outdoor dining table that fits 12 without anyone reaching, and a kitchen sized for a chef. The Tramuntana sits 6 km west, which means north-shore weather without the mountain-pass drive.
What we would change: Wi-Fi at the property is rural. Anyone working from the villa will want a Starlink confirmation on inquiry.
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No. IV
The Blue Shutters, four-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Area: Deia village, Tramuntana. Peak rate: $19,000 to $26,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, pool, gardener, daily breakfast service. Not included: chef, car, in-villa spa.
Why it ranks here: the four-bedroom workhorse of Deia. Walking distance to the village (no car required for breakfast at Es Raco or dinner at Sebastián), a 10-meter pool, and a stone-walled garden that handles eight at dinner. The bedroom configuration is two kings, two twin-convertible, which fits two couples and a family of four without anyone losing the master.
What we would change: the kitchen is fine for breakfasts and out-of-house dinners. For a serious cooking week, hire the chef.
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No. V
Earthly Delights, five-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Area: Alaró, Tramuntana foothills. Peak rate: $22,000 to $30,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, gardener, pool attendant, security. Not included: chef, car, daily breakfast service.
Why it ranks here: Alaró is the inland-Tramuntana answer for the buyer who wants the mountain view without the coastal-village traffic. The town sits 25 minutes north of Palma airport on the new road, has two good restaurants (Traffic and Es Verger up the mountain), and the villa sits in a foothill plot with a south view across to Palma in the distance. Five bedrooms across a restored country house, a 14-meter pool, and a working garden the gardener has run for nine seasons.
What we would change: the property is 11 minutes from the village center. Two cars are non-negotiable. Negotiate on inquiry.
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No. VI
Palma Olive, four-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Area: Valldemossa, Tramuntana. Peak rate: $18,000 to $24,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, pool, gardener, daily breakfast. Not included: chef, car, second housekeeper.
Why it ranks here: Valldemossa is the Tramuntana village for a group who wants the Charterhouse, the Chopin museum, and a 22-minute drive to Palma. Four bedrooms across a restored stone house, an 11-meter pool with afternoon shade, and a kitchen that handles eight at dinner when the cook works it. Sleep quality is even across the four bedrooms.
What we would change: the kitchen is undersized for serious cooking with more than eight at table. If you plan to host an extra family for one dinner, hire the chef.
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No. VII
Sunshine On The Mountains, six-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Area: Fornalutx, Tramuntana. Peak rate: $25,000 to $34,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, pool, gardener, security, daily breakfast. Not included: chef, car and driver, additional staff.
Why it ranks here: Fornalutx is the inland mountain village 4 km north of Soller, technically prettier than Deia and quieter than Valldemossa, with two restaurants worth booking (Ca’n Antuna up the hill, Es Turo in the village). Six bedrooms across two terraced floors, a 12-meter pool, and a 270-degree mountain view that holds even when the cloud sits on the higher peaks. The drive into Soller is 8 minutes off-peak.
What we would change: the property road is steep and single-lane in places. If anyone in the group does not drive narrow Spanish mountain roads comfortably, hire the included driver for the week.
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No. VIII
Tranquil Panoramas, five-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Area: Alaró, Tramuntana foothills. Peak rate: $20,000 to $27,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, pool attendant, gardener, daily breakfast. Not included: chef, car, second pool staff.
Why it ranks here: the second Alaró pick on the list and the right answer when the No. V is booked. Five bedrooms across a single building, a 13-meter pool with the same south view, and a property that sleeps 10 without anyone losing the master. The villa sits 6 minutes by car from the village center on a sealed road.
What we would change: the lower terrace gets late-afternoon sun without shade structures. Add umbrellas. The owner has been told.
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No. IX
Peach Sunlight, four-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Area: Deia, Tramuntana. Peak rate: $17,000 to $23,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, pool, gardener, daily breakfast. Not included: chef, car, in-villa spa.
Why it ranks here: the Deia pick for groups of eight who want walking distance to the village but the larger pool of a finca-style property. Four bedrooms across two floors, an 11-meter pool, and a kitchen that handles eight at dinner without the chef. The price holds at a Deia premium without the maintenance of a six-bedroom estate.
What we would change: the lower bedroom shares a wall with the kitchen. Late-night dishwasher cycles will wake an early sleeper. Set the cycle for the morning.
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No. X
You Gotta Have Fronds, four-bedroom. (Plum Guide)
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Area: Fornalutx, Tramuntana. Peak rate: $15,000 to $21,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, pool, gardener, daily breakfast. Not included: chef, car, additional staff.
Why it ranks here: the value-Fornalutx pick. The villa name is the only thing playful about it. Four bedrooms across a restored stone building, a 10-meter pool, and a terrace with a working orange grove below. Right for two couples and a family of four. Sleep quality across all four bedrooms is even, which is the test most Tramuntana stone-house conversions fail.
What we would change: the property is light on the staff side compared to the bigger ranked picks. For a week with three large dinners scheduled, add a second housekeeper.
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No. XI
The Alcudia north-coast seven-bedroom.
Bedrooms: 7. Sleeps: 14. Area: Alcudia, north coast. Peak rate: $30,000 to $42,000 / week. Included: full staff (housekeeper, pool, gardener, butler), two cars, tennis court. Not included: chef (mandatory for groups of 12+, €220 to €320 per day plus food).
Why it ranks here: the seven-bedroom answer for a multi-family group. Two buildings, a main pool and a guest pool, walking distance (1.4 km) to the long sand beach at Alcudia. The east-facing main terrace catches sunrise. The drive to Pollensa is 14 minutes. The drive to Palma is 65 minutes.
What we would change: the guest house finishings are a generation older than the main house. If you have a senior guest in the group, they should be in the main house.
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No. XII
The Santanyi south-coast five-bedroom.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Area: Santanyí, south coast. Peak rate: $19,000 to $26,000 / week. Included: housekeeping, pool, gardener, daily breakfast, one car. Not included: chef, second car, beach club passes.
Why it ranks here: the only south-coast property we keep on the list. Most of the south coast fails on the drive to anywhere else (55 minutes to Palma, 80 minutes to Soller). This villa sits 8 minutes from Cala Llombards, which is the sand-beach answer when Cala Mondragó is too crowded, and 12 minutes from the Santanyí Saturday market. Five bedrooms across a single building, an 11-meter pool, and a kitchen that handles 10 with the chef.
What we would change: the drive north to the Tramuntana is the cost of choosing this villa. Build the schedule around the south coast and only the south coast.
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