As I leant against the side of the yacht bobbing about in the Mediterranean Sea, a man came flying towards me looking like a 2024 reincarnation of Marty Mcfly from the hit 80s film Back To The Future.

Dangling from a windsurfing-type contraption, his feet balanced on a tiny hover board, it looked as if he was flying five feet above the water, moving at speed – and heading right towards us.

For a moment I was terrified he would smack into the side of the yacht but at the last second he expertly turned and soared away, hovering over the Mediterranean sea.

‘Phew,’ I thought, taking a gulp of water, and looking around for something stronger. I hadn’t come face to face – literally – with a hydrofoiling kite surfer before.

In fact, while I love cruising and all things related to the sea, I don’t know much about sailing – of which the Formula Kite class, or kite boarding, is officially one – which was why I was here in Palma, Mallorca at the 53rd Olympic class HRH Princess Sofia Trophy regatta where 1,100 sailors from 75 countries were getting in as much competitive practice on the water as possible before heading to the Paris Games.

So far, after heading out from the Club Nautico Al Arenal, we’d been taught about the different men’s and women’s classes taking part – which included the tongue-twisting Nacra 17, IQ Foil, Ilca 6 and 49ER as well as the futuristic Formula Kite among others – while soaking up some much-needed sun as guests of Iberostar hotels, who have sponsored the regatta since 2015.

The Spanish family-run hotel group had just signed another two-year sponsorship deal because of their mutual respect and shared values for the sea and commitment to sustainability.

In fact, Iberostar care so much about protecting the coast that they’ve pledged that by 2030 the health of all ecosystems surrounding their worldwide collection of 100 four and five-star hotels will be improving. That will happen through the discovery, protection and restoration of local coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves and other ecosystems.

And right now, gazing into the clear waters of the Mediterranean, and the golden beach it lapped, all of their hard work and dedication was paying off.

But it’s no surprise as Iberostar has a reputation for understated elegant, luxurious – and sustainable – hotels.

Iberostar Selection Llaut Palma is no exception. A chic contemporary haven of coastal colours, this adult-only five-star property is on one of the most popular areas of the Majorcan coast in Playa de Palma, but hidden away from the main drag by a grove of trees.

Named after the llaüt, a traditional Majorcan fishing boat, all of the 186 rooms have a large balcony facing the Med for the most gorgeous panoramic views and cooling sea breeze. Living up to its eco-credentials, I found a refillable water bottle with my name on – Love Island style! – for me to use and keep as the hotel has banned all single-use plastics from its operations.

Going green to save the blue planet also means the entire hotel group will be waste-free and 100 per cent responsible in its seafood supply chain by 2025 as well as carbon-neutral by 2030.

But being eco doesn’t mean forgoing any pampering and so I headed to the SPA Sensations for a massage. My masseuse was tiny, but she was soon de-knotting my shoulders and even jumped on my back to realign it. I was so relaxed I decided to have a siesta before dinner – bliss! – floating off instantly while dreaming of using the Turkish bath, ice fountain, underwater bubble bed and thermal sun loungers in the 1,300 m² spa.

The hotel is all inclusive with guests helping themselves at a buffet-style restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in Orza. There are plenty of choices from global cuisines, but the Spanish dishes are, naturally, particularly tasty.

Drinks are included but are limited to three per person – and strictly monitored – in line with new alcohol laws affecting tourists in Mallorca. As well as limiting the amount tourists can drink, party boats are banned from coming closer than a nautical mile off the coast and tourists can’t drink in the street. The ban, Palma mayor Jaime Martínez has said, is one of his main objectives to ‘correct uncivil attitudes’.

People could be fined between €750 and €1,500 (£645 and £1,290) if their public drinking ‘disrupts coexistence, involves crowds or deteriorates the tranquillity of the environment’.

It’s the only hint of stricter controls on tourists on the Balearic island and staff at the hotel are friendly, welcoming and can’t do enough for guests. While disgruntled locals protest over mass tourism elsewhere on Mallorca, here we’re given VIP treatment and encouraged, via Iberostar’s Island Summer Pass, to enjoy lunch and dinner at any of the 14 hotels that the group has on the island.

Iberostar Selection Llaut Palma boasts the award-winning Katagi BLAU restaurant on the rooftop. Named ‘Best Asian Fusion Cuisine Restaurant in Europe in 2019 and 2020 in the World Luxury Restaurant Awards, and a coveted golden egg in the TaPalma 2021 cocktail category, chef José Miguel García Pellegrino brings together tradition and ancient recipes to make for an exciting and unique experience that includes teppanyaki and ocean views of the Bahia de Palma.

We dined at Guethary restaurant at Iberostar Selection Playa de Palma, just down the road, where we feasted on 12 courses. From Avocado cream to leeks au gratin and marinated strawberries with cream ice cream – and everything in between – each morsel of my vegetarian menu was delicious and just the right size so that I could enjoy it all without worrying about feeling too full.

Incredibly I found room for breakfast the next morning – with a glass of cava, a real treat – before discovering we were off to another Iberostar hotel for lunch. ‘No,’ I groaned, vowing to never eat again.

But walking the half a mile or so to the hotel and being seated at a table overlooking the sea, I couldn’t resist. A tapas menu gave us delicacies including melt-in-the-mouth artisan croquettes, moreish Mallorcan potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and spearmint aioli, along with creamy hummus with lime and baby vegetables. Highlight of the meal was a baked cheesecake with 70% chocolate brownie and raspberries.

‘Enough,’ I laughed, staring at my empty plate. I was glad of the stroll back to our hotel where I contemplated how long I’d need to work out in the hotel’s fitness centre to burn off the calories. Then I glanced to my right and knew instantly what to do for the rest of the afternoon: head to the beach for a dip in the sea. As the guest of a hotel chain that has worked so hard to protect and enhance the coast and its oceans it would, after all, be remiss of me not to venture into the big blue.

Staying There: Rates at the Iberostar Selection Llaut Palma start at £157 per night.