Event Previews & Reviews from Mallorca

A trip to Deià on the north coast of Majorca is a must for anyone wishing to experience the diversity that this beautiful island has to offer.

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations may be over in the UK, but here on Mallorca, we enjoyed a quintessential English garden party at La Residencia Hotel in Deia to mark the British monarch’s 60th year on the throne.

This fun fair (or Feria to the Spanish) is a large-scale amusement park located in Son Fusteret, on the outskirts of Palma de Mallorca between February 27th-April 10th 2016.

Sometimes on a weekend, it is nice simply to laze around the house, take a leisurely breakfast and flick idly through the newspaper (or your fancy i-Pad if you are The Frenchman). But not so this weekend! For it is the annual Olive Fair, held in Caimari, in the north west of Mallorca. Named as one of the top ten gastronomic festivals in Europe by The Guardian, it is actually one of the autumn fairs on Majorca that you really shouldn't miss.

Port Calanova celebrated its 40th anniversary this weekend by treating the public to a wide range of water sports and a giant paella.

The second week in May brings the Es Firo festival to Soller. This is also known as the battle between the Moors and Christians.

Mallorca has long been a big draw for cyclists from all over the world, colourful teams of road bikers are a common sight all over the island but this weekend bikers of a different breed took over Old Town Pollenca in North Mallorca. No cycle shorts in sight here as lightweight bikes were switched for downhill rigs and Lycra was replaced with full body armour; the downhill mountain bikers were in town!

The BBQ Nights on Thursdays in the summer are a popular event at Ca’s Xorc Boutique Hotel & Restaurant. For €59 per person, you get all the food you could possibly want to eat, including half a bottle of wine, water, dessert and coffee! So, on a particularly balmy evening, we decided to take on their flaming feast.

If you were in Palma on Friday night, you might have wondered what was going at the Parque del Mar, in front of the Cathedral. A massive pair of inflatable legs stretched out from the centre of a dazzling stage complete with bright red heels. 

Every year, during the second weekend of May, the inhabitants of Soller prepare their muskets, bring out the black shoe polish, and engage in fearsome battles to commemorate one of the town’s greatest historical triumphs.  In 1561, the town was invaded by pillaging pirates from North Africa who were set on stealing riches and selling the folk of Soller into slavery.  This event is celebrated these days during the annual Soller ‘Fira & Firo’ which honours the victory of the town’s people, (the Christian Sollerics) over the invading Algerian Moors (the Saracens).  

Soller and its hidden valley celebrate all things orange in June with the Fiesta of the Orange. From the 2nd to 17th June, both Soller & Port de Soller go back to their roots and give the orange the place in its calender that it deserves. Soller has a micro climate and water supplies that produce the best oranges.

Friday’s stormy weather and the recent sighting of a large blue shark around the island didn’t hold back SUP fanatics taking part in the annual event over the weekend of the 14th May 2016.

Last weekend Mallorca’s capital hosted the Legends Cup, a tennis tournament a part of the exclusive ATP Champions Tour. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday evening than being a part of this intimate sporting event, so decided to pop along for Saturday evening’s semi-finals.

This is Soller’s weekend of the ‘Apropa’t A L’Art’. Literally translated means ‘come to the art’ and it is the three days of the year when art, music and poetry are honoured in our town. On the 6th, 7th & 8th August from 6 pm onwards, many of our fine buildings are open to the public to view the paintings and participate in the music and poetry – it’s like a mini Eisteddfod here.

On the evening of Friday the 15th there was a gathering of local artisans showing off their wares in the Joan March gardens in front of the Claustro de Santo Domingo.