Every travel destination, no matter how exotic and photogenic, full of landmarks and top spots, has its everyday, ordinary face.
The kind where locals rush (or don’t) to work in the morning, where cats wander along the streets, and kids play after school. And these are the kinds of places and moments I usually seek out during my travels.

That’s also one of the reasons why the eastern part of Mallorca stole my heart forever, from my very first visit years ago.
Serra de Tramuntana mountains are stunning, local beaches are like a dream, but the small towns in the island’s interior and their atmosphere are my favorite places - to stay, explore, and, of course, photograph.

Especially the small ones, where life feels a bit sleepy, where everything follows a pre-season rhythm, where not much happens, which makes it all the more authentic.

The gems of east Mallorca

During my first trip to Mallorca, I stayed in Cala Figuera, a fishing village on the island’s east coast. This village is a perfect blend of a tourist gem and a genuine local spot. The nearby town of Santanyi is similar.
I can’t say what it’s like in the high season, but before it starts - it’s exactly where you want to be.
And it’s the place I really wanted to return to this time.

But before I got there, leaving my hotel in the monastery on Sant Salvador hill, I made one more stop along the way.

The poetry of in-between moments

And that’s where I took my favorite photos of the entire trip. Pictures that prove that the best things happen in-between. That the best moments in photography (and in life in general) happen long before - or after - executing the shots you had imagined, and most of all, beyond what you ever expected. When you let your guard down and follow your gut. Simplicity of being here and now, doesn’t matter how cliche it sounds.

The road from Sant Salvador to Cala Figuera passes through S’Horta.

The sun was rising when I entered the village, and I was already hurrying to reach my destination before the sun got too high.
But I slowed down to 40 km/h, passed the first few buildings, drove through what turned out to be the town center - and made a U-turn at the last intersection.

The palm trees at the entrance and that old Renault parked beside them… I had to go back.

I parked nearby. The light was delightful, the place was quiet, and that little old car posed for me like a charm.

I got back in the car and drove on. Passed through the center again - and turned around once more.
That small square where someone was sweeping leaves. Someone walking the dog. The sun spilling into the narrow streets. I couldn’t leave it behind.

As I was leaving the village, I stopped once more, took a few more pictures, and only then continued on to Cala Figuera.

Those few shots are now my favorite photos of the past few months. A little reminder to myself, not to fixate on chasing the goal, but to be able to pause and appreciate the beauty of the mundane moment.