As with any of our trips to the Med, our choice of resort is always determined by close scrutiny to the coastline through Google Earth. Being married to a snorkelling obsessive, this means resorts with beautiful long sandy beaches are out for us, places with rocky coves are in. So it was that we shipped up in Portinatx, a pretty village on the North coast of the island for a week in early September.

Firstly, the positives. Portinatx and its surrounding area is really very scenic. Set in amongst a large hill wooded category of the island, there are a number of small picturesque beaches dotted along the coastline. The beaches cater for both those who prefer the organised deckchair and parasol hire for the day kind of beach vacation, and also for those who are content with nothing more than a beach towel and snorkelling mask. There a number of nice walks in the area, for example up to the lighthouse (a bit hair-raising up on the hill overlooking the village, or over to Cala D'En Serra on the other side of the penninsula.

The facilities on most of the beaches are reasonable-tavernas can be found next to most of the beaches in the area. There are a couple of well stocked supermarkets in the area, and you never have to stray far to get a decent cup of coffee.

In terms of accommodation, we found that this is largely confined to hotel complexes, with not a great deal available in the way of self catering apartments (at least, not on my budget). If your idea of an ideal holiday is one with pool side entertainment during the day and evening, all inclusive food and drink, and a beach nearby, then this is the place for you! The area really is quite lovely and has everything you need for a chilled holiday in the sun. For this kind of holiday, the section you are in though, is kind of irrelevant. For me though, the very reason for going to Spain, is that I love Spain. The idea of spending time in a hotel where all its Spanishness has been watered down, just isn't the point. As a vegetarian also, all inclusive resorts are just so boring- salad and chips every night!

I love the rich flavours of Mediterranean food, so would rather eat tapas, tortilla or the occasional pizza from a proper pizzeria. My idea of a good night out is a decent meal, a few glasses of wine and then maybe end the night in a bar overlooking the sea with a cool mojito. It's not being sat round the pool, listening to a second rate pub singer, or having to endure the wailings of an X factor wannabe on the karioke murdering some crap love song. So when we turned up at Hotel Presidente in Portinatx its fair to say it wasn't really my cup of tea. That's not to say it was bad, just not for me. The room was a decent size, clean and well maintained, with no issues in terms of noise from adjoining rooms. The hotel had a good reception and seemed to have good facilities. I can't comment on the food, as we opted for self-catering. It was comfortably the cheapest hotel in the resort, so if you're on a budget, great! Unfortunately our room directly overlooked the pool- they must've heard about my love of karioke!

Due to the prevalence of all inclusive hotels in the area, there wasn't a huge number of restaurants in the town, but just enough to keep a fussy vegetarian happy for a week. in the main part of town I would recommend Zulu Lounge. Located right by the sea, the views were amazing, and the food was delicious. The cuisine wasn't specifically Spanish- a mixture of Mediterranean and Mexican, but really really tasty. If you prefer a full on Spanish food menu, I would recommend El Puerto, a short walk away from the town overlooking

Links to More Places

Los Llanos, Spain, Canary Islands, La Palma
Portinatx, Spain, Balearic Islands, Ibiza
Cala San Vincente, Spain, Balearic Islands, Majorca
Peurto Pollenca, Spain, Balearic Islands, Majorca
Palma, Spain, Balearic Islands, Majorca
Soller, Spain, Balearic Islands, Majorca
Agios Stefanos And Kassiopi, Greece, Ionian Islands, Corfu
Alcudia, Spain, Balearic Islands, Majorca
Barcelona, Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona
Bonifacio, France, Corsica, Southern Corsica
Calella De Palafrugell, Spain, Catalonia, Costa Brava
Corfu Town, Greece, Ionian Islands, Corfu
Santa Cruz De La Palma, Spain, Canary Islands, La Palma
Los Cancajos, Spain, Canary Islands, La Palma
Valle Gran Rey, Spain, Canary Islands, La Gomera
Cala Blanca, Spain, Balearic Islands, Menorca
Cagliari, Italy, Sardinia, Cagliari
Ibiza Town, Spain, Balearic Islands, Ibiza
Paxos And Antipaxos, Greece, Ionian Islands, Paxos And Antipaxos
Kefallonia, Greece, Ionian Islands, Kefallonia
Pula, Italy, Sardinia, Pula
La Maddalena, Italy, Sardinia, La Maddalena
Las Palmas, Spain, Canary Islands, Gran Canaria
Malaga, Spain, Andalusia, Malaga
Skiathos, Greece, Sporades Islands, Skiathos
Puerto De La Cruz, Spain, Canary Islands, Tenerife
Playa Blanca, Spain, Canary Islands, Lanzarote
Kamari And Santorini, Greece, Cyclades Islands, Santorini
Pinarellu, France, Corsica, Southern Corsica
Mainland Orkney, Scotland, Orkney Islands, Mainland
San Sebastian, Spain, Canary Islands, La Gomera
Agate, Spain, Canary Islands, Gran Canaria
Santa Cruz, Spain, Canary Islands, Tenerife
Alicante, Spain, Valencia, Alicante
Granada, Spain, Andalusia, Granada
Seville, Spain, Andalusia, Seville
Cordoba, Spain, Andalusia, Cordoba
Nerja, Spain, Andalusia, Nerja
Calvados, France, Normandy, Calvados
Colonia Sant Jordi, Spain, Balearic Islands, Majorca
Orzola, Spain, Canary Islands, Lanzarote