Nick Horton samples the golfing and dining high-life at the Carrossa Hotel and Spa Complex on Mallorca

Isn't it funny how the further you get away from contemporary civilisation, the more civilised things become?

The greater distance between the howling hoi polloi of rush-hour traffic, mobile phones and the internet, the constant demands and pressures of the 21st century, the more you can enjoy the peace and quiet and luxury of true civilisation.

That’s certainly my experience when I spent some time at the five-star Carrossa Hotel Spa and Villa complex well off the beaten track and up in the hills of north-eastern Mallorca, overlooking the bay of Alcudia.

It’s an experience as unique and individual as one of the hundreds of gnarled and misshapen almond trees which line the long drive up to the Balearic island’s newest five-star hotel.

It’s a new venture from the German-run Hamacher Resorts group which has two similar operations in Austria and, as one would expect from a German organisation, it’s superbly run, brilliantly efficient and very stylish indeed.

My superior suite, one of four types of suites, was certainly tres chic, or sehr schick, as the Germans would have it, and split over two levels, with a lounge area and king-size bed and a natural stone bathroom featuring a walk-in shower large enough to host most of your close personal friends should you so wish, and an enormous bath, which was approximately the size of Bath.

I also had my private terrace looking out over fields and woodland and the early morning sunrise.

The resort also has three fincas, essentially detached Mallorca-style houses, which can accommodate up to six, and two villas, which can host up to eight, and each with their own infinity pools.

The high standard of design, build and furnishing clearly show Carrossa is going for the very top end of the market, and their ambition is helped by the presence of four of the island’s leading 18-hole golf courses, just a short drive away.

There’s Pula, Canyamel, Capdepera and Son Servera, which I played and enjoyed and features the notorious Pine Trap holes three to seven which has seen off some of the more proficient players, let alone enthusiastic weekend swingers like me.

Incidentally, Son Servera is owned by Rafael Nadal’s family and the tennis legend is often to be spotted either out on the course or in the Sa Punta restaurant where his grandad plays the piano.

As a dining experience, Carrossa is certainly up there with the best.

We enjoyed a lengthy meal at the Bistro Badia, with course after course of lovingly prepared and presented tapas coming at us a regular intervals. Highlights for me included blistered pimientos de padron - mild/bitter peppers with added sea salt - the chilli meat balls and popcorn-fried baby calamari.

If that meal wasn’t impressive enough, the following evening in the Carrosssa’s main restaurant was a chance for the chef to really showboat.

We enjoyed oysters with a vodka foam dressing, smoked salmon marinated in beetroot, turbot glazed with coriander and pork in their green curry sauce and they were just some of the highlights of the banquet, with a variety of local wines in between and finished off with a rather nice gin and tonic at the Bar Oro.

All of the servings are made with local produce, and there’s an awful lot of that from the verdant land of Mallorca, plus the surrounding Mediterranean of course.

If you’re looking to dine out occasionally, I can recommend the enormous paella and lemon sorbet with vodka to follow at the Lago eaterie, which is right by the crashing waves on the beach at nearby San Serra de Marina, and the Spanish omelette at the Capdepera Golf Course restaurant.

Of course, all this golf and fine dining can be a little stressful so if you feel the need to unwind, Carrossa has a rather exceptional spa centre with a selection of treatments to enjoy.

You can relax around the infinity pool which looks out over the ancient fortress of Arta and the bay of Alcudia. There’s also an indoor pool and a fully-equipped gym, should you feel the need to exercise.

I’d recommend the hot stone massage which certainly sorted out by aching back and legs from that morning’s golf round.

Essentially, warmed-up flat pebbles about six inches or so across are placed at strategic points, and are pushed and rubbed into your skin.

It felt like my masseuse Joanna was pouring some sort of hot oil over my back but that’s the feeling of all that stress leaving me, she assured me.

In fact I was so stress-free and relaxed after my 40-minute session, I felt ready to take on that impossible, infuriating seventh hole at Son Servera again. Pass me my driver…

  • Carrossa offers a variety of packages, from short stays one of the villas or suites, through to four-night or seven-night premium golf stays and four-night or seven-night wellness breaks. Prices vary depending on type of accommodation, length of stay and personal choices and full details are available on the website at www.carrossa.com