Rosa Esteva grew up amid Majorca’s rugged hills, dark blue waters, and vineyards. Her father, Antoni Esteva, is an architect, and from an early age, Rosa dreamed of designing, too. But while her brother, Tomeu, followed in his footsteps, she turned to clothes instead.
In 1993, the year she turned 18, Rosa moved to Barcelona to study fine art and fashion design. Years later, in 2001, she started the clothing brand Cortana, named after her grandmother. It soon became known for its classic, well-crafted silhouettes and strong focus on sustainability. “I like to make garments that enhance the person but without eclipsing their personality, that are in fact a continuation of the wearer’s self,” she told The New York Times in 2021. Today, she sells her wares through three boutiques in Majorca, as well as online.
Here, the designer shares her favorite sights, restaurants, and more on the island she calls home.
CA NA TONETA
Every time I eat at Ca Na Toneta, in Caimari, I have a pleasant and unique experience. I recommend that everyone visiting Majorca set aside some time to discover this special place, which builds its menu daily with local, fresh, and flavorful ingredients, reviving the tastes of Majorcan cuisine. (canatoneta.com)
ES RACÓ D’ARTÀ
Designed by my father, Racó is an example of carefully restored Majorcan architecture, now serving as a hotel that offers retreats and experiences centered on connecting with nature. The place has an indescribable magic. A good way to get to know it, at least for a few hours, is to eat at its restaurant, which recently refreshed its menu with new dishes that highlight local ingredients, quality, and tradition. (esracodarta.com)
MOUNA
When I visit the Cortana store in Palma, I take the opportunity to eat here. The dishes, always seasonal, are vegetarian and vegan, with incredible flavor and a well balanced blend of contrasts. (mouna.es)
Son Gener
A 15-minute drive from Canyamel, this hotel built by my father is like a refuge for me. I feel at home there, surrounded by the beauty of the building and the estate. Its silence invites one to retreat and reconnect with the self. (songener.com)
Sonmo
A profound effort is made to preserve the Son Moragues estate in Valldemossa, from its olive groves to its ethnological heritage to its traditional crafts. Across Majorca, many such estates were once centers of life, sustaining a significant number of people who worked them and shaped their landscapes. The walk to the Son Moragues mountain refuge helps us appreciate the richness these spaces once had, and remember how important it is to care for them. (sonmo.es)
The Artà–Cala Mitjana Route
I love going for walks in the countryside. My favorite routes are those that combine mountains, forests, and beaches. In less than 10 miles along this route, the scenery transforms, and if you have the chance to walk it in the spring, after heavy rains have brought the vegetation to life, it becomes the best therapy for stress.
Mediterranean Garden in Ariant
You can visit this garden through the Mediterranean Wildlife Foundation, thanks to which the black vulture has survived in Majorca as the world’s only island population of the species. The Foundation’s work is focused on the Ariant estate in the Serra de Tramuntana, a real treasure that also houses the garden that Heidi Gildemeister planned and designed over a lifetime. It brings together Mediterranean plants from five continents, making it feel like a journey around the world. (fvsm.eu)
