Artà

A town on a hill

Artà feels lived in rather than visited. Its streets climb from the main road through a dense grid of stone houses, shuttered windows and small squares to the parish church of the Transfiguració del Senyor, halfway up the hill. From the church a stepped lane lined with cypresses continues to the top, where the sanctuary of Sant Salvador sits inside a ring of crenellated walls, the Almudaina, built on the site of an older fortress.

Walk up rather than drive. At the top a path runs along the battlements, and the view stretches over the roofs to the Llevant hills, the plain and the sea beyond. The sanctuary church itself is plain and cool, a good place to sit out the heat of the day before heading down again through the old streets.

Ses Païsses, palm leaves and Sant Antoni

Just outside the town, among holm oaks and olive trees, lies Ses Païsses, one of the best preserved Talaiotic settlements on the island. A wall of huge, roughly shaped stones encloses the village, entered through a monumental gateway, with the base of a central tower, the talaiot, and the outlines of rooms around it. It dates from the Talaiotic period, centuries before the Romans arrived, and its quiet, shaded setting makes the past easy to imagine.

Artà's living traditions are just as distinctive. The town is known for its palm-leaf work: baskets, hats and mats plaited from the leaves of the dwarf fan palm that grows wild in the Llevant hills. You will see it at the market and in small workshops; the guide to Mallorcan crafts tells the wider story.

In January, the fires of Sant Antoni turn the town inside out. On the evening of 16 January bonfires burn in the streets and squares and devils dance through the crowds; on 17 January animals are blessed and decorated floats parade through town. It is one of the most heartfelt fiestas on the island: see Mallorca's festivals and traditions.

The Llevant natural park and the north-east coves

North of the town, the Parc Natural de la Península de Llevant protects a wedge of hills, cliffs and old farm estates with almost no roads. Tracks and paths lead through dwarf palm and pine to quiet valleys, the cliffs of Cap de Ferrutx and small beaches reached only on foot. The hermitage of Betlem, on a hillside above the coast, is another fine goal for a walk or a slow drive. Take a good map and plenty of water, and avoid the hottest hours in summer.

East of Artà the coast holds some of the least developed beaches in Mallorca. Cala Torta, reached by a narrow, rough road through the hills, is a wide bay of sand and dunes with almost nothing built behind it. Cala Mesquida, a little further east, has a broad beach backed by protected dunes. Both face north and take the full force of the Tramuntana, when waves and currents make swimming risky; on calm days the water is clear and inviting. Check the wind and beach finder before you go.

The Tuesday market and the table

Artà's market fills the streets of the centre on Tuesday mornings: farm produce, cheeses, sobrassada, olives, palm-leaf baskets and household goods, with plenty of locals doing their week's shopping. It is a good morning to be in town; combine it with the climb to Sant Salvador before the heat builds. The market days tool shows what else is on that week.

The countryside around Artà is farming country, and the cooking is plain and good: lamb, frit mallorquí, tumbet, sobrassada on bread, almonds and carob from the dry hills. In the cooler months look for hearty soups and stews; in summer, trempó salad and pa amb oli.

Arriving and parking

Artà is about an hour from Palma airport outside peak traffic, by the fast road to Manacor and the main road beyond. Leave the car in the car parks on the edge of the centre; the lanes up to Sant Salvador are steep and narrow. The road to Cala Torta is rough and slow, so drive with care; Cala Mesquida is reached on a paved road from Capdepera. The old railway line between Manacor and Artà has been turned into a greenway for walkers and cyclists, an easy, car-free way to arrive.

Combining Artà with nearby places

Cala Ratjada and Capdepera lie a short drive east, with a castle, a lighthouse and more beaches. Alcúdia is along the coast road to the north-west, past Can Picafort and S'Albufera. Closer to home, Colònia de Sant Pere, Artà's small seaside village on the Bay of Alcúdia, is a quiet spot for a swim and a walk at the edge of the Llevant hills.