Mallorca (also spelled “Majorca”) used to be a quiet Spanish island, with beautiful coves and wild paths. It’s the largest Spanish island and for decades that’s what it was most famous for. Now it’s more famous for its clubbing scene and celebrity home-owners: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Claudia Schiffer, and Boris Becker to name but a few.

However, you can still find the beautiful Mallorca, untainted by the tourists, night clubs and the money that’s poured in from the real estate market.

Here are some tips on what to see and do to find the real Mallorca:

• Go in-land. Mallorca has very interesting geography. While that may not spark your interest, imagine olive groves, strange hilltop villages and cavernous mountains.

• Walk. It’s that simple. The dry-stone paths are worn and old and will take you all over the island. The Consell de Mallorca website has information about sign posts and treks. You don’t have to pay someone to guide you on the walks and it’s a great way to explore the island.

• Visit the village of Campanet. While the island is covered in beautiful villages with ancient churches and stunning architecture, Campanet offers all of the above with a few extras. The Caves of Campanet, discovered in 1945, are a must-see. They contain several small lakes, whose existence should give you a good idea of how big the caves are.

• Valldemossa s the village where Chopin and George Sand - the latter a travel-inspiring writer - famously hid away in order to live out their relationship. Sand wrote A Winter in Majorca, which recounts the not-so-idyllic time she spent with her lover.
• Eat something besides fish and chips. Mallorcan food is quite unique but the flow of tourism has caused a number of low-end, boring restaurants to pop up in the most popular places. Just because you’re eating fish on the beach, doesn’t mean you are eating local food. Look for restaurants that are further off the beaten track.

Of course some of these sites and activities will none the less have been discovered by the throngs of tourists, but they are still worth a visit. On an island, it’s difficult to escape completely from the masses so don’t be put off. You are bound to uncover parts of Mallorca that will seem unique.