Page 93 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Mallorca, Menorca & Ibiza

M ALL ORC A  91

Benedición de los Frutos –
on the 4th Sunday after Easter.
Tucked under a steep cliff
face, Santuari de Nostra
Senyora de Gràcia is the first
of the religious buildings you
come to. The interior of the
chapel is decorated with
beautiful majolica tiles. A
little further up the hill is
the16th-century Santuari
de Sant Honorat. This herm-
itage houses a courtyard that
is filled with ancient trees.
The passage to the church is One of several water slides in Aqualand El Arenal
decorated with tiles depicting
the sanctuary’s history. Environs $ S’Arenal
On the summit is the The odd-looking castle @ n C/Terral 23. Tel 971 669 162.
Santuari de Nostra Senyora on the road from Palma to ( Thu.
de Cura, which is on the site Manacor dates from the 1960s
where Llull once lived. The and houses Ca’n Gordiola, a A little to the east of Palma,
gate in the wall surrounding glassworks, museum and S’Arenal offers several kilo metres
the monastery is 17th-century shop. Here, you can see skilled of sandy beaches. A tree-lined
and opens onto a court- glass-blowers producing the boulevard runs along the
yard built of typical golden pale blue and green glass that shore, with bars, restaurants,
Mallorcan sandstone. The has been produced on the nightclubs and shops. A series
monastery, much of which island for hundreds of years. of stainless-steel beach bars
is fairly modern, houses a On the first floor is a museum stretches along the coast. These
library and a study centre. exhibiting items collected by balnearios are numbered: No. 1
The stained-glass windows several generations of the is near the harbour, No. 15 is
of the church depict the Gordiola family. by the Ca’n Pastilla marina (a
most important moments Some 9 km (6 miles) to the miniature “tourist train” travels
of Llull’s life. east is Montuïri. The town, to the marina). In peak season,
built on a hill, is famous for its the resort’s narrow alleys
agricultural produce. Nineteen throb with life, day and night.
£ Algaida of the original 24 windmills S’Arenal’s harbour provides
still stand as testimony to mooring places for yachts.
@ ( Fri. _ Sant Honorat (16 Jan),
Sant Jaume (25 Jul). the town’s former glory. Just On the outskirts of town is
outside Montuïri, on the road Aqualand El Arenal, a children’s
Most people pass through that leads to Pina, is one of the paradise of pools, water slides
the outskirts of this small town best- preserved Mallorcan and playgrounds.
on their way to Puig de Randa. Talayotic remains – Son Fornés.
If you like churches, however, This prehistoric settlement has  Aqualand El Arenal
it is worth stopping here in two talayots and includes nine S’Arenal. Tel 971 440 000. Open May &
order to visit the Gothic church dwellings, which were used Jun & Sep 10am–5pm daily; Jul & Aug:
of Sant Pere i Sant Pau, with up until Roman times. 10am–6pm daily. & ∑ aqualand.es
its ornamental gargoyles.
Ramon Llull
This prominent Mallorcan was born in Palma to a
noble family around 1232. During his youth he
lived life to excess. Quite why he changed his
ways is not known, though legends abound.
One story has it that he abandoned court life
after seeing a vision of the crucified Christ.
At the age of 30 he became a monk and
devoted the rest of his days to the Catholic
faith. He became a religious scholar, founded
a missionary school and wrote over 260 works
of theology, philosophy, physics, chemistry
and warfare. During the final 30 years of his
life, he travelled around Europe, Asia and
Africa. He is believed to have been stoned Statue of Ramon
Ceramic sign of Ca’n Gordiola, advertised to death in Algeria in 1315. Llull in Palma
outside a Palma shop

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