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Market days in Mallorca

February 16, 2010 // Posted in Events in Mallorca (Tags: , , , ) |  No Comments

Market days are an important weekly event in Mallorca. They usually have a mixture of items for sale ranging from local and imported foodstuffs to clothes, handicrafts and nik-naks for tourists. The food markets of agricultural centers such as Santa Maria and Sineu are the most colourful. These two in particular are well-known but many other towns have markets that are well worth visiting.

Here is a list of the main market days in Mallorca.

Alcúdia
Martes/Tuesday y Domingo/Sunday
Algaida
Viernes/Friday
Andratx
Miércoles/Wednesday
Ariany
Jueves/Thursday
Martes/Tuesday
Binissalem
Viernes/Friday
Búger
Sábado/Saturday
Bunyola
Sábado/Saturday
Cala Ratjada
Sábado/Saturday
Calvià
Lunes/Monday
Campanet
Martes/Tuesday
Campos
Jueves/Thursday y Sábado/Saturday
Can Pastilla
Jueves/Thursday
Can Picafort
Martes/Tuesday y Viernes/Friday
Capdepera
Miércoles/Wednesday
Colònia de Sant Jordi
Miércoles/Wednesday
Consell
Domingo/Sunday
Costitx
Sábado/Saturday
Felanitx
Domingo/Sunday
Inca
Jueves/Thursday
Lloseta
Sábado/Saturday
Llubí
Martes/Tuesday
Llucmajor
Miércoles/Wednesday y Domingo/Sunday
Manacor
Lunes/Monday
Maria de la Salut
Viernes/Friday
Montuïri
Lunes/Monday
Muro
Domingo/Sunday
Palma
Sábado/Saturday
Sa Pobla
Domingo/Sunday
Port de Pollença
Miércoles/Wednesday
Pont d’Inca
Viernes/Friday
Porreres
Martes/Tuesday
Portocolom
Martes/Tuesday, Sábado/Saturday y Domingo/Sunday
S’Arenal
Jueves/Thursday
Sant Llorenç
Jueves/Thursday
Santa Eugènia
Viernes/Friday
Santa Margalida
Martes/Tuesday y Sábado/Saturday
Domingo/Sunday
Santanyí
Miércoles/Wednesday y Sábado/Saturday
Selva
Miércoles/Wednesday
Sencelles
Miércoles/Wednesday
Ses Salines
Jueves/Thursday
Miércoles/Wednesday
Sóller
Sábado/Saturday
Son Servera
Viernes/Friday
Valldemossa
Domingo/Sunday

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Sant Sebastiá 2010, Palma de Mallorca

January 24, 2010 // Posted in Events in Mallorca, Mallorca photo galleries (Tags: , , , ) |  No Comments

Sant-Sebastia_2010_3457

Sant Sebastia is the Patron Sant of Palma. The story of Sant Sebastia is that of a Roman officer who used his position to protect Christians. He was found out and tied to a tree the had arrows fired at him until thought dead.

He survived however when a young girl called Irene saved him and he was able to continue with his covert saintly activities. Sadly not for long though as he was found out again and this time was whipped to death and thrown into the gutters. His dead body was found by another young Christian woman who gave him a decent burial.

Sant Sebastia is now celebrated every January with what has become Palma de Mallorca’s biggest festival of the year – a weeks worth of music, entertainment and cultural events. The week culminates in the usual Atiàr Foc (fire show) and El despertar de las bestias (Awakening of the Beasts) followed by a pyrotechnic-musical show in front of the Cathedral. All very dramatic and entertaining! Here are a few snaps of the final event.

≈ See here for a full list of festivals in Mallorca

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Binissalem – Es Vermar grape harvest festival – 260909

September 27, 2009 // Posted in Events in Mallorca, Mallorca photo galleries (Tags: , , , , ) |  No Comments

IMG_3197_Es Vermar, Binissalem

Binissalem is the centre of wine production in Mallorca. It seems fitting then that one of the main festivals of the year here is the Es Vermar festival held every year in the final week of September, the end of the grape harvest. The fiesta is associated with the celebrations of the town’s patron Saint Gal, who represents fertility.

The festival runs for over a week with a traditional float parade, a correfoc (fire devils and fireworks), exhibitions, performances, “glosses” (rhymes) and demonstrations of various sorts. And there are of course many events related to the wine harvest itself, such as a wine tasting course, grape competition and the Concurs de Trepitjar Raïm (grape treading competition). The traditional dish of the festival is “Fideus de vermar” (harvest pasta), a lamb dish with noodles.

Wine growing in Mallorca in fact goes back to Roman times. Since then its been through ups and downs, becoming well established in the 18th century, declining in the late 19th / early 20th century, and then re-establishing in more recent years to once again become one of the main agricultural industries on the island.

The wines of Binissalem and neighbouring towns such as Santa Maria are now well established and Binissalem wines in particular are now highly regarded throughout the world having obtained the mark of origin (“Denominación de Origin”) on its labels. Few Spanish wine areas have this national quality award.

≈ Find out about properties in Binissalem
≈ More about the wines of Binissalem

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Focus on Puigpunyent, a pretty mountain town with easy access to Palma

September 17, 2009 // Posted in Mallorca photo galleries, Places in Mallorca (Tags: , , , ) |  No Comments

1077-Puigpunyent townhouses

Puigpunyent is located in a valley of the same name. It is a small town surrounded by the Puig de Galatzó, Mola de la Planícia, and Fita des Ram mountains which range from 833 metres to 1035 in height. The area is heavily forested, mostly with pine but also some old oak trees. It is without doubt an area of exceptional beauty.

Aside from the scenery the key attractions of Puigpunyent to property buyers are its proximity to Palma and the unspoiled traditional nature of the town. Puigpunyent is a friendly and tight-nit community with a mixture of local farm workers and people who commute daily to Palma and other larger towns on the southwest coast.

The church of la Assumpció de la Mare de Déu is the main architectural attraction and there are many pretty stone cottages in the town and dotted around the surrounding mountains. Overlooking the town is the luxurious 5 star Gran Hotel Son Net, one of the most well-known and highly reputed hotels in Mallorca.

Puigpunyent is not a major tourist destination and for those that visit or buy homes here this is undoubtedly a major part of the attraction. Other beautiful mountain towns such as Esporles and Bunyola are within easy reach making this a great location for walkers and cyclists.

For days out by the sea, golfing or participating in other leisure pursuits, the resorts of the southwest coast of Mallorca are also within easy reach. Furthermore the capital Palma de Mallorca is just 15 to 20 minutes away by car making this an unusually convenient place to reach for such a mountain location.

Find out more about properties in Puigpunyent

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Focus on Soller, Northwest Mallorca

September 14, 2009 // Posted in Mallorca photo galleries, Places in Mallorca (Tags: , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

IMG_1564-historic railway, the Ferrocarril de Soller

Soller is one of the better-known old towns in Mallorca. Set in “El valle de los naranjas” (The Valley of the Oranges) on the north west coast, the town is 3 kilometres from the Port de Soller and the villages of Fornalutx, Biniaraix and Binibassi are close-by. The population in this area is around 13,000.

Soller has a distinct character. In the past the town was cut off by the mountains from the rest of the island and journeys to Palma or other towns meant long walks or donkey rides over the winding mountain paths. There was much trade with the South of France with oranges and olives making up the main exports. The French influence on the local culture is still apparent to this day.

Today however Soller is linked by an historic railway, the Ferrocarril de Soller, as well as by the highway which runs through a toll tunnel through the mountains. So Palma is an easy 20 minute drive away. There is also a highway that runs along the Traumantana from Andratx to Pollensa – this is a mountain road with stunning views and well worth driving along, albeit not the best option if you are in a hurry to get somewhere!

The centre of Soller, the Plaça Constitució, is a colorful location with many cafés. The tram passes through the Plaça on its way to the main station which also incorporates a museum of Picasso and Joan Miro. Other prominent buildings in the Plaça include the church of Sant Bartomeu, the town hall and the Banco de Soller. There are some grand mansions in Soller too demonstrating the wealth the town has enjoyed through its history.

Soller has an air of culture and sophistication to it. The town plays host to a week-long international folklore festival every July (see Aires Sollerics), and there are classical music and other cultural events throughout the year.

There is plenty on offer to holiday makers and people looking to move permanently to Mallorca. The Port of Soller is close-by with its beaches, excellent seafood restaurants, and its harbour offering a range of leisure boating opportunities. The surrounding mountains provide some of the most beautiful scenery on the island with wonderful walks and country drives.

In terms of property Soller itself offers a classic and characterful old town setting. There are traditional townhouses, renovated apartments and also new build apartments built in a traditional style. Outside of the town there are some very beautiful country houses. There are also “olivars” – old farm worker cottages, many of which have been restored and turned into comfortable and charming mountainside homes.

≈ Click here to see more about properties in Soller

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