Reclusive and gardening: Kevin Kampl seeks peace on his Mallorca finca

Reclusive and gardening: Kevin Kampl seeks peace on his Mallorca finca

Family, soil and a slower daily rhythm instead of stadium lights

The island has a way of slowing things down. In the morning, when the cicadas start to chirp and the air smells of olive wood and damp earth, you more often see people here with straw hats and watering cans than under floodlights, a contrast explored in Fincas, not Deckchairs: Mallorca from Plant to Plate. Kevin Kampl is among those people as of late. The former Bundesliga midfielder lives withdrawn on a finca in Mallorca and spends his days gardening, with his family and doing small, hands-on farming.

For the 35-year-old, the past months were not an easy time: within a short period he lost two close relatives, first his brother and then his father. Such losses change one's outlook on life. Kampl pulled the emergency brake, ended his active professional career in January and sought distance from deadlines and media fuss, similar to what is described in From the Pitch to the Seafront: Mats Hummels Recharges in Mallorca. On the island he found the space to process and to reorganize everyday life.

On the finca, family is at the center, reminiscent of stories like At the Finca near Llucmajor: How Talia Is Putting Down New Roots in Mallorca. His wife Vanessa and their two sons are there when the beds are weeded in the morning or when the first melons are harvested in the late afternoon. In his social media posts he shows the tangible results: honey- and watermelon, tomatoes, onions, peppers and olive trees that are eventually turned into his own olive oil. The picture is simple: a man working with dirty hands and a smile.

This is not an escape, but rather a reorientation. For many athletes daily life ends with press appointments and training schedules; for Kampl it now begins with watering. Physical work helps him switch off; the seasons provide a rhythm that is not dependent on results. Anyone who has been out on one of the quieter mornings in Campos or near Santanyí knows: the island gives such processes space.

What this means for Mallorca is more than celebrity gossip. When well-known faces choose the island as a place of regeneration, it sends a different image than just party and beach postcards, as seen in reports like New Home, New Calm: Marco and Tamara Gülpen Move into Mallorca Dream House. People who live and work here — whether in small gardens or on traditional fincas — are part of everyday life, not just scenery. The gentle, private profile Kampl currently shows indicates that Mallorca is for many also a place of retreat and living space.

A concrete everyday observation: at the weekly market in the early morning this scene occurs more often now — locals, long-established vendors, guests with canvas bags and, quietly, sometimes a well-known sports family among the stalls. Things like this contribute to the normality many newcomers are looking for.

For readers who themselves are considering how to slow down, Kampl's example offers a simple idea: start with small, real projects — a herb box on the balcony, a sponsorship for an olive tree or volunteering in a community garden. Soil under the fingernails is a good counterbalance to digital demands.

In the end, there remains a piece of inspiration: celebrities who turn their backs on the hustle and adapt to local rhythms do not only change their own lives. They remind us that places like Mallorca are more than postcard motifs — they are spaces where people can find peace, rethink and regain strength.

A look ahead: For Kevin Kampl this means time with his family, simple daily work and the chance to reorganize step by step. For the island it is a quiet confirmation of its appeal as a retreat — with olive oil, garden produce and the sound of cicadas as a backdrop.