Rugged landscapes, a laid-back lifestyle and Ibiza’s infamous party scene have long lured travelers to the sun-bleached shores of the Balearic Islands. Over the past year, however, the archipelago off the east coast of mainland Spain has refocused its ambitions on art. Last summer, the opening of Hauser & Wirth Menorca (hauserwirth.com)—a new arts center and the gallery’s last international outpost—was just the starting point. Located on the historic Illa del Rei in the Mahón port of Manorca, the site has taken over an 18th century naval hospital and outlying buildings. With eight galleries, a restaurant, a shop, a garden and an outdoor sculpture trail featuring works by Frank West, Louise Bourgeois and Eduardo Chillida, it puts the sleepy Balearic island on the international art map with big name exhibitions, educational activities and sustainable initiative. Art and design also stand out in the new hospitality offers of the archipelago. In Majorca, Can Ferrereta (hotelcanferrereta.com), a boutique hotel housed in a restored 17th-century building, features a library curated by Maison Assouline and works by local and Spanish artists – Joan Miró, Riera i Aragó, Bárbara Vidal – throughout of its 32 rooms and common areas. On laid-back Formentera, the recently opened Casa Pacha (casapacha.com) has stylish retro interiors by Patricia Galden Studio and striking decorative items from local artisans. Meanwhile, on the party island, the Six Senses Ibiza (sixsenses.com) will offer farm-to-table dining, music, art, wellness and sustainable fashion, as the first BREEAM-certified resort in the Balearic Islands. The beginnings of 2022—El Vicenç de la Mar (elvicenc.com) and the Kimpton Hotel Santa Ponsa (ihg.com), both in Mallorca, are bound to have their own unique draws. MARIANNE CERINI

Rapa Nui, Chile

Some 3,700 km off the coast of Chile in the South Pacific Ocean, Rapa Nui, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its approximately 900 monolithic moai stone statues scattered across the island. Now, just in time for a major anniversary, the world’s most remote inhabited island is preparing to open its borders after nearly two years of isolation. 2022 marks 300 years since Dutch explorers arrived on the shores of Rapa Nui on Easter Day, which is how the 64-square-mile volcanic mass acquired the appellation Easter Island. The locals, however, trace their lineage to a thriving Polynesian civilization dating back to the 4th century and are very proud of their Rapa Nui language and culture, which has seen a renaissance during the pandemic. And with less food brought to the island, there has been a boom in ancestral agriculture, producing an abundance of guava and taro root. Some sustainability-focused initiatives are also in place, including proposals to limit the number of visitor arrivals to protect its cultural assets from erosion. When the island reopens to fully vaccinated tourists in February, be the first to stay at the new Nayara Hangaroa (www.nayarahangaroa.com), where self-drive ATV tours take guests to iconic attractions such as Ranu Kau Crater, Rano Raraku and Ahu Tongariki Quarry Moai Sites, Orongo Ceremonial Village and Anakena Beach As they wish ; don’t miss the Tapati festival which lasts two weeks and takes place every February (chili.travel). NO

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