Smart Travel: Less-traveled venues provide unique experiences

Linda and Dr. Don Overend are principals in The Travel Group, a full-service travel agency.

Frequent travelers usually encounter surprises along the way that add spice to the travel experience. These can be a previously undiscovered corner of a familiar city or an unpublicized feature on a tour or a cruise shore excursion.

We encountered such a surprise recently on a cruise from Venice to Barcelona that included a port call at Mallorca, a island province of Spain. Most visitors will concentrate on the main city, Palma de Mallorca, and its 13th to 15th century landmarks, the Almadina Palace and the Seo Cathedral, or shop for famous Mallorca pearls.

Our small group, all of whom had visited Mallorca before, chose to venture further in-island and discovered a beautiful small town and a superb hotel and restaurant in the Costa Nord (North Coast) region of the island.

Our car and driver first took us to Valldemossa, a charming, small Mediterranean village perched in the hills. It was raining on our arrival, but that did not dampen the obvious cozy beauty of the town as we first made a visit to the Real Cartuja Cathedral and, especially, to the Cloister area with interesting museums, including several rooms occupied by Mozart and grand views over the valleys below.

A particularly interesting experience was a museum created by American actor Michael Douglas, an exciting audiovisual tour of the history and beauty of Costa Nord. The actor also owns an expansive home on a mountainside overlooking the sea.

We then motored a few minutes to the town of Dela, another small village, and to La Residencia hotel, a property owned by Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Set in beautiful gardens, this 36-room hotel was beautifully appointed in Mediterranean style, each room individually decorated with extensive artwork everywhere. Attached to the hotel was El Olivo Restaurant, housed in a building that was originally an old olive press. We enjoyed a fine lunch, beautifully served, in a setting of warm ambience with exceptional food and excellent local wines.

Pleasantly relaxed and indulged, we drove back to Palma de Mallorca for some brief shopping and then returned to the Radisson Mariner, due to sail for our next destination. Our day had been one of discovery and new experiences.

When traveling, remember to look for off-the-beaten-path sites. These surprises can create unique memories and many stories to tell traveling friends.