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.

Last weekend saw British-born, international artist Andrew Potter host his first art exhibition at his new gallery at Carrer Major 19, Felanitx.

The Esporles Sweet Fair began in 2005 and is held on the first Sunday of October to guarantee fine weather. The event is becoming increasingly popular and diverse with every passing year and offers a unique opportunity to meet the people who make a fine range of traditional, homemade and, often, organic foods including wines, cakes, pastries, jams and sweets. And, of course, to sample their wares! Here are some of my favourite stands from Sunday's fair, with an insight into the characters and traditions behind the produce.

Nit de Foc, or the direct English translation ‘Night of Fire’, is one of Mallorca’s biggest fiestas. A raucous evening of bonfires, beach parties, midnight swims, music and dancing until dawn. What more could you possibly want from a Friday evening in Mallorca? I was extremely excited to get involved this year, as there had been a lot of hype in the lead up to the evening with locals, expats and tourists all getting involved.

There's a real buzz in the air ahead of Calvià's biggest party. The battle of the Moors versus the Christians comes at the end of a week of celebrations in the south-western town of Santa Ponsa.

This years Sant Sebastia festivities in Palma last Saturday night were much quieter than in previous years as wind and rain put many Mallorquians off coming out to celebrate. However, the rain didn’t last long enough to put out the barbecues on the streets and still crowds were there cooking sausages, toasting bread, and warming up by the foguerons (bonfires).

One of the best times of the year to visit Mallorca is during the month of May. The temperatures start to rise and the lack of tourists means that you can get around without being stuck in traffic jams. More importantly, the month of May is when the little known town of Capdepera in the north east of the island hosts its Medieval ‘Fira’.

This is the week of celebration for St Pere – St Peter. All the fishing communities in Majorca revere the name of their patron saint and Soller is no exception. The fiesta of St Pere is in full swing and one of the highlights of the Soller programme takes place on Wednesday 27th June 2012 at 20.30 hrs - a concert by Pro Musica.

The Nit de l'Art is the biggest art event on the island, kicking off the artistic season in the island’s capital. Each year, people flood the streets of Palma eager to sample the artistic delights on show.

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).  

I have been living in Palma for nearly 9 months and was surprised to stumble upon a somewhat common monthly event but still very unknown to many residents here on the island - The Changing of the Guards of Honour.

The mountains that surround the Soller valley met their conqueror 100 years ago. The thinkers of the hidden valley knew that progress was going to be impossible unless they ended Soller's mountain isolation. At the turn of the century Soller was a boom town trading in cotton and oranges and moving these goods other than by sea was, quite simply, impossible. The majestic mountains and, in particular, the Alfabia mountain range prevented passengers and goods being transported to the island’s main port in Palma de Mallorca.

The far easterly village of Capdepera was bursting with activity last weekend as it celebrated its 17th Medieval fair. Over 70,000 visitors flocked to its picturesque streets, most heading straight up to the walled fortress of Capdepera Castle, which provides a very authentic backdrop to the festivities.