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.

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 sun is shining and Soller is getting ready for a major fiesta - the Firo that celebrates the battle between the Moors and the Christians that happened on our beach and in our town. The 450th anniversary of the event is taking place from 5th to 9th May 2011. Flags are already festooning houses and shops all over the valley and the nature of the people means that they usually have both flags dangling from their balconies - as if they can't quite decide who to support. The Balearic flag is often alongside so all aspects of life and country are represented.

On the third Thursday in September, a selection of Palma’s art galleries open their doors to the public free of charge, for the cultural extravaganza that is known as the Nit de l’Art. Organised by Art Palma and the Association of Independent Art Galleries of the Balearics, it is one of the top social gatherings in Palma’s events calendar, and you can pick up flyers for the event in tourist offices and art galleries.

Before you reach for your top hat or fascinator, this is not Ascot, nor is it actually horse racing as you know it. For in Mallorca, it is trotting races that is the king of sports. The specially bred horses (with a height of 1.5 - 1.7 metres) pull a small and lightweight cart which carries a ‘jockey' around a race track going at speeds you would not think possible. This sport has been popular in Majorca for 200 years and tracks in Palma and Manacor host races once a week.

The month of June gets the summer beach parties in Mallorca off to a fine start. The weather is glorious and we all look for excuses to get down on the sand and remember why we moved here. The beach and perfect horse shoe bay of Port de Soller never fail to delight and the children start to look forward to their holidays and swapping school shoes for no shoes. The diving platform is installed in the water this week and then the locals know that summer has officially started.

It's mushroom season in Mallorca right now, with plenty of foraging to be had in the forests around the island. Mancor de la Vall is the village which has laid claim to the fair celebrating this humble fungus. This lovely little town lies in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains and this autumn fair is one of its annual highlights.

The 2012 running season is well under way in Mallorca, with the popular Cursa de Muntanya trail race series moving on to its second race, the daunting Mancor Extrem on Sunday 11th March (see the EliteChip website for details).

This week Rialto Living kicked off its first art exhibition of 2017 with a showing of Adrian Elgie’s ‘Mis Nuevas Vistas - A Bright New Vista’ and I was kindly invited to visit the opening night. Adrian is an English contemporary landscape artist and, having seen some examples of his paintings and read his background of moving to Mallorca from Cambridgeshire (my home county) to rekindle a romance with his former art college sweetheart on the island, I was keen to find out more.

Home to the coolest pool parties on the island, Nikki Beach has a Global reputation for luxury, fine dining and it's legendary party atmosphere.

The ‘Ruta del Tapeo’ started in Puerto Pollensa in March this year to encourage locals and tourists alike to sample the culinary delights of bars, cafes and restaurants around this North Majorcan town. The Ruta is held every Thursday evening from 8pm til midnight and is a bargain at only €1.50 for a small glass of beer or wine with a tapa. The Ruta is a great opportunity to try new places and to make friends with others on the trail.

After a fairly hedonistic weekend of parties, late nights and frivolities it's good to finish a Sunday with something calming, relaxing and healthy. In the Palma area one of the best ways to end the week is at the Zhero Hotel Barbeque.