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.

Santanyi's weekend market is one of the better markets on Mallorca. It's not a big market, certainly not as big as the sprawling market at Sineu, but it has some interesting stalls with unusual gifts to take home, some fresh local produce and even some clothing and art.

‘Sa Rua’ is one of Palma’s biggest spectacles. Each year, dozens of floats and carnival goers covering a range of themes parade through the streets of the city. With 42 themes and 16 floats this year, 2018 was the biggest yet!

The Mallorca Live Festival, to be held on 29th and 30th April this year, offers up sixteen eclectic and colourful hours of music, art, food and design.

As most countries in the world begin to wrap up their Christmas festivities, in Spain the Christmas holidays are still in full swing. 

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.

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

The 54th Festival of Pollenca is under way and a part of it is an exhibition by Mallorcan born artist Astrid Colomar. 

As you walk through the narrow streets of Pollensa right now you will see ticker tape suspended from the balconies overhead and it is clear that there is something going on in this usually quiet Majorcan town. Infact, there is no doubt that there is a fiesta taking place as the square is beautifully decorated in white ticker tape, and lights and flags are hanging all around Pollenca and Puerto Pollensa. The flags symbolise the Moors and Christians festival and show that the town is in preparation to celebrate their victory for another year.

There is a definite buzz around Puerto Pollensa at the moment as once again the locals and visitors to this town in the north of Majorca celebrate the Patron Verge del Carme (the Virgin Carmen- Patron Saint of sailors). This is the second of two main festivals held in Puerto Pollensa, the first being Sant Pere (St. Peter) that was held between the 28th June to 1st July.

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.

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’.

The Soller road from Palma cuts through fertile lands of almond and olive groves. The odd goat and flocks of sheep graze in the surrounding fields. A straight road that gives no clue of the vast estates that lie on either side of the road and the interesting stories they have to tell. A few years ago Jill Sander, the German fashion designer, was prepared to spend 8 million euros on one of these estates and her interest sparked government intervention.

The people of Mallorca, like their mainland brothers, love a fiesta. Almost every weekend there seems to be a saint or a historical event that requires face paint and explosions, or at the very least a market. The Fiesta Sant Joan in Mallorca celebrates the life of John the Baptist and in Majorca Sant Joan is a very big deal. Every other street, shop and restaurant seems to be named after him, he's the Patron Saint of four towns and he even has a town named after him.