If a stay in a medieval farmhouse-turned-rustic-chic boutique hotel, surrounded by olive groves, sheep and pine forests, in the midst of Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountains, doesn’t leave you feeling rejuvenated, nothing will.

There is something about the air in Binibona. Maybe it is the total stillness, or the silence broken only by the occasional tinkle of a sheep’s bell, or the sheer vastness of the universe as you gaze at the stars at night, but, despite being only 40 minutes from central Palma, this part of rural Mallorca feels a world away from everything.

The village of Binibona, set deep in the Mallorcan heartland, is home to some 30 inhabitants and no fewer than four hotels and guest houses. Finca Ca’n Beneït, a five-star farm stay, or "agroturismo", with ten rooms, is the smallest in terms of capacity, but, spread over 170 acres, occupies the largest area.

Where the Tramuntana mountains meet the sea.

This is the Mallorca of old, a glimpse of what life was like on the island long before the high-rise hotel chains, neon signs and raucous all-night parties gave it a bad rap. Locals will tell you this is the real Mallorca, the reason so many people return here year in, year out. That the bright lights and mass tourism in the south of the island are, in fact, the anomaly.

"When the first luxury hotels opened in Mallorca at the beginning of the 20th century, people from all over the world started coming here, especially during the winter, to enjoy the climate and the nature," explains Mallorcan hotelier Toni Durán, adding that it was not until after World War II that the package tourism boom began in earnest.

Aerial view of Finca Ca’n Beneït.

"What we’re seeing now is a return of the first trend, led by a new generation of visitors looking for a type of luxury based on authentic experiences, real people and honest food, all at a slower pace, which is the true Mediterranean way of life. I believe this philosophy has remained mostly unchanged over the centuries in the interior of the island," he continues.

For anyone wishing to experience this more untroubled, lesser known side of the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, Durán’s Finca Ca’n Beneït is the perfect hideaway.

Mallorca's rural heartland is full of olive groves, medieval villages and ancient farmhouses.

"Finca" translates as country estate and this particular finca is set on a hillside above the Binibona valley, just minutes from three of Mallorca’s prettiest medieval villages—Selva, Caimari and Moscari. The estate features a fortified medieval farmhouse, and, at its heart, a centuries-old olive mill that still produces some rather excellent extra-virgin olive oil. Binibona’s first and only church is more than 200 years old and can be found in Ca’n Beneït’s main courtyard, protected by the remains of the medieval walls of the farmhouse.

The grounds are also home to some 3,000 olive trees, in addition to peach trees, fig trees and countless other fruit trees, as well as sheep and donkeys.

Finca Ca’n Beneït.

In the late 1990s, the farmhouse was restored and converted into a farm stay and, in 2021, Toni Durán and his partner purchased it. Finca Ca’n Beneït opened in its current iteration, a five-star agroturismo, in March last year.

While each of the ten rooms has its own style and character, they share a similar esthetic. Natural materials such as wood, linen and local ceramics are used extensively, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment and respecting the traditions of classic Mallorcan farmhouses.

Mirabona restaurant embraces the farm-to-table philosophy.

The onsite Mirabona restaurant embraces the farm-to-table philosophy in its truest sense, using only the freshest organic produce and local delicacies. Depending on the season, you may get to feast on anything from Mallorcan black eggplants, to melons, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, pumpkins, pomegranates, apples, pears, oranges, apricots, plums, strawberries and plenty more—all newly plucked from the finca’s organic orchard and herb garden.

If you’re really lucky, you might just spot a wild falcon or two soaring overhead as you slowly savor every bite, while listening to the silence on Mirabona’s leafy terrace.

Listen to the silence from Mirabona’s leafy terrace

Next year, Ca’n Beneït is set to get even dreamier as it prepares to launch a new service dedicated entirely to health and wellness. The Garden Spa will occupy a space previously used for agricultural and livestock storage and will feature a natural grass platform for outdoor sports such as morning yoga classes, a dry sauna, a heated outdoor pool, a relaxation room and a treatment room. A range of different walking or biking routes are also available for guests wishing to explore the surrounding environment.

Ca’n Beneït may be hidden deep in the island’s mountainous rural heartland, but, looking into the distance, you can spot a splash of Mediterranean azure in the Bay of Alcúdia. This is Mallorca at its purest: silent, peaceful, deep green and bright blue.

Finca Ca’n Beneït stays open all year round. United Airlines flies direct from Newark to Palma de Mallorca three times weekly from June to September.