No road access. No sun loungers for hire. No beach bar. Just a crescent of white sand, a pine forest walk to reach it, and water that genuinely looks like a screensaver. Cala Varques is the one beach in Mallorca that manages to feel untouched even in summer, simply because getting there requires a little effort.

The walk from the nearest car park (off the Ma-4014) takes around 20 minutes through pine trees. Take water, bring a picnic, and aim to arrive early if you're going in July or August. You can also arrive by kayak from Porto Cristo — which is a wonderful morning out in itself.

The south coast of Mallorca is mostly resort territory — but Es Trenc is the glorious exception. Protected as a natural area, it's a 3km stretch of powder-white sand backed by dunes and pine trees with no hotels, no development, and shockingly clear water for the south coast.

The comparison most people reach for is Caribbean, and it's not entirely hyperbolic. The sea is shallow, the sand is fine, and on a calm day the colours are extraordinary. There are a couple of beach bars serving drinks and food, so you don't need to bring everything. Parking costs a few euros in season.

Formentor sits at the end of a dramatic 20km peninsula drive, where the mountains meet the sea in a long curve of white sand backed by pines. The water is deep blue, the backdrop is jaw-dropping, and the drive alone — narrow cliff road, views across to Menorca on a clear day — is worth the trip.

In peak season (July–August), private cars are restricted and you'll need to take a shuttle bus from Port de Pollença. In shoulder season you can drive directly. Either way, go early.

If Cala Varques feels like too much effort, Cala Llombards delivers a similar reward with considerably less work. The cove is sheltered by limestone cliffs on three sides, the water is calm and clear, and there's a small beach bar at the top of the steps serving cold drinks and basic food. Not tiny enough to feel claustrophobic, not big enough to feel like a resort beach.

The nearby village of Santanyí has an excellent Saturday market and some good restaurants — combining the two makes for a very good day.

Technically not a beach at all — there's barely any sand. But what Cala Deià lacks in soft landing it makes up for in setting. The cove sits at the foot of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, reachable by a steep path from Deià village. Swimming is off rocks and wooden platforms into water that's deep, clear and improbably blue.

There's a small restaurant at the top of the steps serving very good fish, cold wine, and the kind of views that make you wish you'd booked a longer holiday. The walk down and back up is 10 minutes each way — entirely manageable.

Cala Mondragó is actually two connected coves within a protected natural park — S'Amarador and Cala Mondragó proper. The water is calm and shallow, the sand is fine, and there are proper facilities (showers, toilets, a beach bar) without any resort development. It's the most family-friendly beach on this list, which also makes it one of the more convenient.

The surrounding natural park has easy walking trails through pine forests and scrubland. A morning on the trails followed by lunch at the beach bar and an afternoon swim is a near-perfect Mallorcan day.

Mallorca's northeast corner is one of the least visited parts of the island, and Cala Mesquida is one of its best-kept secrets. A wide bay of golden sand backed by dunes, with consistent waves that make it popular with bodyboarders — but also perfectly swimmable for everyone else. The dunes are protected and lend the whole place a wilder, less manicured feel than most Mallorcan beaches.

Four small coves clustered together just south of Cap de Formentor, each with crystal-clear water, fine white sand and a relaxed, local feel. The area around Pollença — one of Mallorca's most pleasant market towns — makes this a good base for a couple of days if you want to explore the north without committing to the Formentor peninsula daily.

If you want a classic long sandy beach — sunbeds available, facilities good, sea shallow and calm — Playa de Muro delivers without the resort-strip development of the south. It sits in Alcúdia Bay, backed by dunes and pine trees rather than hotels, and the water stays shallow for a long way out making it very comfortable for a long afternoon swim.

A narrow, dramatic cove cut into the southern limestone cliffs, with a small beach at the bottom reached via a long flight of steps. The inlet is so narrow that the cliffs shade it in the afternoon — but the upside is water that's completely sheltered, glassy calm, and extraordinarily clear. A medieval watchtower on the clifftop adds to the atmosphere.