Inland from Palma bay, you could certainly find worse ways to spend an afternoon than hopping on a bus to ANDRATX , a small, undeveloped town huddled among the hills to the west. From here, it's another short bus ride through a pretty, orchard-covered landscape to the dishevelled, low-key resort of SANT ELM .

There are plans to expand the resort, but at present it's a relatively quiet spot where there's a reasonable chance of a room in high season, either at the conspicuous Hotel Aquamarín or, preferably, at the Hostal Dragonera, a simple, modern building with clean and neat rooms, most of which offer sea views. For such a small place, there's also a surprisingly wide choice of cafés and restaurants , the best being Na Caragola, which specializes in seafood and has a charming terrace and ocean views.

From May to October, buses ply between Sant Elm and Andratx seven times a day Monday to Saturday, and once on Sundays (in winter, once daily). With more time to spare, boats shuttle across from Sant Elm's minuscule harbour to the austere offshore islet of Illa Dragonera , an uninhabited chunk of rock, some 4km long and 700m wide, with an imposing ridge of sea cliffs dominating its northwestern shore.