BETTERIN WINTER SPECIAL EDITION THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS TO GETONYOURBIKEINTHEBALEARICS

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1 Thursday, October SPECIAL EDITION 1.10 Founded1962 N PassegdeMallorca9A, Palma THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS TO GETONYOURBIKEINTHEBALEARICS b If you thought the summer was good, the rest oftheyearsevengreater! WINTER WHAT S ON YOUR FULL GUIDE BETTERIN WINTER SAY CHEESE: NO CAMERA REQUIRED! MAGICAL IBIZA

2 2 Mallorca, Menorca, Ibza and Formentera offer qualty holdays for allseasons,365daysayear. MENORCA October MALLORCA November IBIZA May MALLORCA January FORMENTERA Aprl MENORCA December Cyclng n Menorca. Festas n Ibza. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES BALEARICS:Open forfunallyear 365andIbzadon tcloseforbus- nesswhenthelastdeckchar Anythng wrtten about thebalearcs,amedatentcngvstorstoreturntothe Islands, needs to hghlght thefactthattheressomuch moretobeexploredthanthe sun, sea and sand package wrappedupsoattractvelyn holday brochures. It s mportant to make toursts aware of those fascnatng, yet ntmate places watng to be dscovered hdden awayandoffthebeaten track thatareworthcomngbacktotheislandsfor agan and agan. Such places offer another rhythm of lfe awayfromthehustleand bustleofthesummerseason The Balearc archpelago, nestlng n the Western Medterranean, s around two hours flyng tme from any major European captal oraday ssalngoutofthe key French ports of the Medterranean. Everyyear,mllonsofvstors come to the slands. Such people have conscously chosen a qualty destnaton where every effortsmadetoconservethe natural surroundngs and spectacular scenery. Each andeveryoneofthetoursts who come to the Balearcs has the opportunty to dscover these out-of-the-way places, to enjoy that specal moment that people can treasureandtakebackhome wth them to savour untl they vst the slands agan. The Balearcs boasts many ofthefnestbeachesnthe worldbuttheslandsarefar frombengaplacesmplyfor peopletolenthesun. There s plenty more to do throughout all seasons of theyear. Mallorca, Menorca Lghthouse n Formentera. Balearc Symphony Orchestra New Year concert. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES sfoldedasautumnand wnter appear on the horzon.infacttheoppostes true. Another world opens up whch makes the slands even more attractve than POINTS OF INTEREST: Mallorca: covers an area of 3,640 square klometres has a populaton of 873,000. Menorca: covers 702 square klometres, populaton by 94,000. Ibza: 572 square klometres; populaton 134,000 nhabtants. Formentera: 83 square klometres: 10,000 nhabtants. Palma s Cathedral and A talaot n Menorca. PHOTO: BUL- LEITNFILES For further nformaton they may have appeared n sprng and summer: there s a large selecton of golf courses,anendlesschoceof safe cycle routes for those who wsh to explore ther holday destnaton on two wheels, a surprsngly rch and dverse cultural hertage, a delcous selecton of foodandwneunquetothe regon, mountan trekkng and walkng tours, tradtonal festvals proudly lad clamtobyallthemajor townsandvllagesoftheislands.andfallthesefalto attract, there s plenty of shoppng for all tastes, natonal parks establshed to protect the natural hertage of the regon, museums, plus an annual What son calendar of events rght across the slands. Whatever vstors out of season wsh to engage n, there sawderangeofhotelsopenallyearwhchspe- calse n meetng the needs of those wantng to explore theotherbalearcs.infact, oncethehubbubofthesummer season des down, the hotelers delght n openng ther doors to another nvasonofvstors,butthstme n an atmosphere of unhurred calm and tranqulty. The Balearcs are easly reached from all parts of Europe.Tojourneytotheslands out of season enables vstorstogettoknowther other sde: more settled, more accessble, more orgnal. Perfect temperatures outofseason nottoohot andnottoocold aredeal for vstng small towns and vllages,fortravellngonuncongestedhghwaysandbywaysforstrollthroughtown centres and local markets at yourlesurewthoutthejostlng crowds. It s all much easeratthstmeofyear! Hstorcally, the slands havebeennturnmportant strongholds of the Phoenecans, the Romans and the Carthagnans.Thesenvadersleftthermarkallover thegeographyofthebalearcsntheformofarchtectural treasures now offcally recognsed as World Hertage by UNESCO. BetweenOctoberandMay,the Islands offer an exctng agenda of cultural events, sportng actvtes, festvals reflectnglocaltradtonand customs- some pre-datng- Chrstanty,celebratonsof art and hertage, regonal gastronomy at ts fnest, excursons to wtness the best of the slands natural landscape,brdwatchngexpedtons, the lst goes on... twtter.com/tursmebalears twtter.com/balearctour (ENGLISH) nstagram.com/tursmoslasbaleares

3 MALLORCA 3 MENORCA WELCOME BACK TO THIS PARADISE ISLAND Your nvtaton The second largest sland of the Balearcs bewtches ts vstors wth a specal relaxed atmosphere whch clashes unexpectedlywthtsabltytosurprse. Itsbeautfulbays and coves and magnfcent nteror promote a profound senseofpeace,cutofffromtherestoftheworld.thesland s two major towns and ports, Mahon and Cutadella, reflect a world of dfferent extremes, where the Romans, Byzantnes, Arabs, Brtsh and French have all left ther mark. The characters and lfestyle of the people who have lvedhereoverthecentureshavetosomeextentallcontrbutedtothemake-upoftheslandandthenatureofthe peoplewholveheretoday.andthatsnottomentonthe Talaotcpeoplewhosetuptherstone-bultdwellngsand places of trade and ndustry n the Balearcs more than 3,000 years ago. ButsomethngthatdoessetMenorcaapartsthegreat respect that t shows for the envronment. In 1993 UNESCOdeclaredtheslanda bospherereserve wthts heartlyngnthes AlbuferadesGrauNaturePark.Thss one of the most mportant wetlands n southern Europe. Menorca s the lvng proof that the development of toursmandunspoledlandscapecannfactgohandnhand. Out n the sland s countrysde, tradtonal dry-stone wallngprovdesbordersforgreenmeadowsofgrazngmenorcancows,abreedpeculartotheregon.heretoovstors can see rural homesteads known locally as Llocs where local artsans stll practse the orgnal art of cheese makng. Menorcancheesehastsownoffcallyrecognsedsealof orgnor denomnacondeorgen astsknownnspan, a mark recognsng the product as unque for tradng purposes, protectng t from clams by other manufacturers. For more nformaton vst Vstng Mallorca has been descrbed as the realsatonofadream. Hosptaltyofthelocalpeopletowards vstors s legendary, a major factor n the popularty ofreturnvststothesland.itsndeedthestuffof dreams to walk along Mallorca s fne, clean beaches andplungentotheproverbal deepbluesea.allths aganstabackdropofmagnfcentunspoltedscenery, thetasteandaromaoflocalcookng,andevdenceof theregon sroleasacradleofnotone, butseveral, cvlsatons. Mallorcahassomemagcqualtythatescapes complete defnton, but those who recognse t acknowledge that they have now got the sland under ther skn. Thestartngpontofthewestcoastoftheslands craggy and stark, dwarfed by the stunnng Tramuntanamountanswhchnthelastfewyearshavebeen declared a World Hertage Ste. The landscape of the mountanssalvngmuseumofhowthepeopleof theslandhavelvedandworkedoffthelandforcentures. Of major sgnfcance n thetramuntana s the mountannamedpugmajor(lterally hghestpeak ) whch soars 1,445 metres above sea level. The mountansaredottedwthsmallvllagesandcrss-crossedby tme-honoured terraced plots of land that have wtnessed centures of agrculture on the steep slopes. Fne golden beaches skrt the southern flank of the Tramuntana whlst ts rural nteror opens onto an nnerworldof theothermallorca,theopposteendof thespectrumtothe sun,seaandsandholday.the slandsfullofsurprses, neachplaceandneachmoment, there s somethng new and fascnatng to be found. In many ways, Mallorca s an unsung natural paradse allowng vstors to apprecate the landscape attherlesureortoengagewthtascyclstsortrekkers.andnotforgettng,neverfarawayarethehdden gems of the sland s hstorc past. For more nformaton at nfomallorca.net The Tramuntana whch has been declared a World Hertage Ste. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES A rural homestead known as Llocs. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES

4 4 Ibza,orEvssaasts known n local language, s a hotch-potch of stereotypes.themageofthesland best known nternatonally s assocated wth the Hppy cultureofthe 1960s. Ibzasakeyconof thejetset,ofpartyng through the nght and ultra large dscotheques or megadscos as they are known n the venacular. The sland has been a hdeaway for great muscalcomposers, fornternatonally-famous fashon desgnersandforflmproducersandstars. Ibzasall ofths,andmuchmore. Although Ibza s only thrd largest of the Balearc Islands, snce 1999thashadfourseparate places desgnated as World Hertage stes: the Phoenecan remans of Sa Caleta reveal what an mportant stronghold the ste was n ancent tmes; theoldctywallsofibza townknownas DaltVla werebultdurngthearab occupaton of the sland; the Punc necropols at PugdesMolnsdatesto IBIZA pre-chrstan tmes, between200and300b.c.: and fnally the World Hertage award also protectstheraremarnelandscape of the underwater praresofposdonagrass. There are other features forwhchtheslands well-known. Because of tshstorcandcontemporary dversty Ibza has a reputaton for beng open to all atttudes to lfe. Thsethoshasbeenfundamental n the creaton ofthephraseusedtodayto descrbe acceptance and nformalty: adlb. Famlar too s the glntng whteness of the sland s housesusedasanconto promote toursm nternatonally, and ts fascnatngchurchesbultntothe landscape as fortresses. From one end of the scale to another, we wll fndwhatwearelookng for on Ibza. For more nformaton vst WHITEMAGIC Dalt Vla. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES FORMENTERA THE LITTLE JEWEL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN Althoughtsthesmallestofthe Balearcs, Formentera has some surprsestuckedawayandwemayneed daystoexplorethem.muchcanbe found wthn ts lmted terrtory of 83 square klometres. Ths small Medterranean jewel housng just 7,600peoplegvesusaplaceandtme n whch to fnd ourselves agan. Formenterasgvenovertoaspecalform oftoursm, desgnedtopamperthendvdual- free from stress and crowds. Itsperfectforthosewhohaveafetshforsmallcommuntesnarural settng, but wthout gvng up all the comforts of lfe. Formentera has 67 klometres of coastlne. There s a partcularly unusual blue, crystal clear and yet lumnousqualtytothewaterwheretakngadpbecomessheerdelght.the NaturalParkofSesSalnesswell wthnthereachofvstors.itsatotally unspoled natural space, a rare example of how the sland would havelookedatthedawnofcvlsaton. Natural Park of Ses Salnes. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES For more nformaton vst es

5 5 THE BALEARICS: A PARADISE OF UNSPOILED NATURAL LANDSCAPE All year round Not only do the Balearcs offer actvtes for vstors all the year round but those who are nterested n the natural landscape and ts assocated plants, flowers and wldlfe wll not be dsapponted n any of the seasons of the year. Probably two of the landmarks most sought after by nature lovers are the S Albufera Natonal Park and the S Albufereta Nature Reserve, both n the north of the Island. Others of sgnfcance are the marne and land-based natonal park of the sland of Cabrera and the nature parks of the sland of Sa Dragonera off the Andratx coast, of Mondrago n Santany n the east, and of Llevant n the north-eastern area of Mallorca. There s of course also the World Hertage Ste of the Tramuntana mountans. In Menorca, the outstandng ste s the Albufera des Grau and n Ibza, vstors are drawn to the nature reserves of Es Vedra and Es Vedranell and the Ponent slets. Ses Salnes Nature Reserve les between the slands of Ibza and Formentera. In Ibza, vsts to Cap des Falco and Es Amunts are recommended, whle n Formentera, there are the Estany des Pex and Estany Pudent, two wetlands n the Ses Salnes of Ibza and Formentera Nature Park. One of the partcular attractons of the Balearcs for those lookng to fnd an experence beyond the beach holday s the enormous varety of landscape. The slanders are very aware of ths natural beauty and have gone to great lengths to protect these spaces from napproprate use and development. The countrysde of the slands s a mne of rare and delcate speces of plants and flowers for those who have a passon for them. A web lnk for nformaton on enjoyng nature reserves n the Balearcs s The Albufera des Grau n Menorca. PHOTO: BULLETINEILES NATURE AND HIKING Top: A wnter specal, the Alpne Accentor. PHOTO: MICHAELMONTIER Brdwatchng n the Dragonera. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Brdwatchng n the Balearcs The Balearcs provde an deal holday destnaton for brdwatchers. More than 300 speces of brds stop off all over the slands every year to feed and rest. The Balearc archpelago s stuated along the western European mgratory route, makng the slands the perfect spot for brdwatchng. Mountans, the marne envronment, natural wetlands and salt flats go to make up a welcomng landscape for speces such as the peregrne falcon and the black vulture. Strenuous attempts have been made n the Balearcs to conserve the last sland communty of black vultures n the world. Brdwatchers can also have sght of to see Egyptan vultures, royal fnch, common stork and Balearc shearwater. Mallorca s not short of places for gettng good sghtngs of both mgratory and natve speces. These nclude the nature park of S Albufera n Alcuda, the nature reserve of Mondrago on the east coast of the sland, the Tramuntana mountans n the west, the Parc del Cam des Cngles dstngushed by ts craggy landscape - n Soller, and the small urban nature reserve of La Gola n Pollença. Not to be outdone, meanwhle, Menorca has ts own brdwatchers paradse to offer. Destnatons whch are a must to vst are the s Albufera des Grau natonal park, the extensve natural wetlands known as the Lake of Morella, the wld, juttng headland of Favartx wth ts famous lghthouse and the Addaa salt flats. All these wld and unspolted stes are a haven not just for brds but for those who want to observe them.

6 6 Orquds In the wld of all the Balearc Islands there are beautful small secrets - sxty types of gorgeous orchd. Pnk, whte, volet, yellow. Some can be all these colours at once. They have legal protecton, so please don t pck them. They can be found n felds, n woods, on verges, n wetlands, such as Albufera near Alcuda n the north of Mallorca. The Mondrago Nature Park n Santanysfulloforchdsof dfferent types n sprng. In fact, some of these orchds are not so small. One of the most abundant s the Pyramdal Orchd, whch can grow up to 40 centmetres hgh. It flowersnmay.specalmenton must also be made of Ophrys balearca, the Balearc Orchd, whch s the only natve speces on the sland, and of the Gant Orchd, whch can grow up to 80 centmetres and flowers n February and March. FORMENTERA Save the posdona project: Underwater prares of rare marne grass The occason of the Internatonal Year for Sustanable Toursm s a tmely opportunty to present a new project that ams to promote respect for the natural envronment of the Balearcs. The Save the Posdona project ams to make vstors and resdents alke aware of the fraglty of a type of marne grass whch carpets the sea bed n shallow waters around Formentera. Clamed to be the oldest and largest lvng organsm n the world, the so-called prares of Posdona grass are sad to stretch for 8 klometres and are beleved by naturalsts to have been n Balearc waters for some 100,000 years. In 1999 ths underwater marvel was declared a World Hertage Ste by UNESCO. The marne plant s sad to have played a key part n the evoluton of the whte sands of the Balearc coastlne, to be responsble for the clarty of the sea water and to have formed the bedrock for a Medterranean ecosystem whch protects the qualty of the sea. Throughout 2017 there wll be a whole seres of events n Formentera amed at sponsorng the protecton of every sngle square metre of Posdona grass around the sland. Ths project wll be at ts heght n October ths year when the Save the Posdona festval wll be celebrated n Formentera. There wll be a selecton of sportng, cultural and envronmental actvtes. Any profts wll go to the Save the Posdona project and there wll be a presentaton of any related schemes whch requre fnancng. Formorenformaton vstwww.saveposdonaproject.org The Balearc Orqud. PHOTO:BULLETINFILES RutadePedraenSecnMallorca. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Hostels and mountan shelters If you are worred where you are gong to stay whlst explorng the outlyng, sparsely nhabted areas of the Balearcs, there s a whole network of hostels and mountan refuges where you can stop off for rest and relaxaton. Magnfcently stuated n scenc areas wth vews over the mountans or the Medterranean, these stop-offs allow vstors to feel close to the natural envronment, ether n the brghtness of day or under starstudded skes at nght. Ths network of outof-the-way accommodaton allows hkers and explorers to complete ther journeys n stages. One favourte trek (GR 221) s known asthedrystonewall, or GranRecorregutde la Ruta de Pedra en Sec as t s known n the regonal language. Ths s a mapped-out walk whch crosses the breathtakng beauty of the Tramuntana mountans, whch were declared a World Hertage Ste by UNESCO n There s also another route (GR 222) from the town of Arta n the east of the sland to Lluc n the md-north. Ths ancent walkway lnks the Llevant mountans wth the heart of Mallorca. In Menorca, walkers should vst the Cam de Cavalls whch translates as the Horse Route. All these age-old routes strke out through unspoled landscape and t s often only on foot that the true beauty of the heart of the slands can be apprecated. Enjoy some great hkng!

7 WALKING THROUGH THE UNSPOILED LANDSCAPE Prepare to be surprsed! 7 Takngtothehllsandcountrysdeofthe Balearcs along ts rough-hewn pathways opens a door onto the surprsngly rch dversty of the natural landscape. There are the unnhabted slands of Sa Dragonera and Cabrera, natural wetlands vtal to brd lfe such as Mallorca s S Albufera nature reserveandthesaltflatsofibzaandformentera. In thetramuntana, enjoy the experence of hgh mountan scenery, but f you are more comfortable n the lower coastal areas, the nature reserve of Mondrago wth ts wooded areas and shrubs sweepngdowntothesea, ortheprotected areasaroundthebeachofestrencnotfar from the east Mallorcan town of Campos andescavalletnearibza smantown, provde some beautfully sheltered stretches of shorelne. There are some astonshngly beautful walksaroundtheslands,wthmanyenjoyngthebackdropofthedeepbluemedterranean.thetramuntanamountansonthe westernsdeofmallorca-some90klometres long and, on average, 15 klometres wde-offersomeofthemostspectacular. The mountans have hghest peaks on the sland- Pug Major and Massanella are around1,400metresaboveseelevel-wth ancent dry rver beds or torrents gouged deep nto the rock face. Crossng the entre mountanrangetakesthreetofourdaysbut t s a remarkable experence. In Menorca, Ibza and Formentera where the landscape s flatter, the depths of the countrysde beckon wth centures-old, well-trodden paths. However, the sea s neverfarawayandwalkerscanenjoystoppng-offpontsthatareeasytogetto. There s plenty of opportunty for walkersnthebalearcs.thetramuntanamountansprovdethefnestvantagepontfrom whchtoenjoyanoverallperspectveofthe slands. Ths vast wall of rock encompasses 20 dfferent muncpaltes of Mallorca. Asastartngpontfortrekkngntheslands, theroutewhchcrossesthetramuntana mountans from Andratx to Pollença (GR 221) comes hghly recommended. It s oneofthelongestsgnpostedwalksnthe archpelago. Cultural organsatons n the regonhaveworkedhardtobrngtolfethe old walkways that horses once trod. Some ofthesepathshavebeenmagnfcentlypreserved wth stonework, hence the name thedrystoneroute whchhasbeen named as feature of cultural and hstorc mportance(bic) by the regonal government.afneexampleofthscraftsmanshp can be seen n Bnarax, a beautful vllage n the Tramuntana valley just outsde Soller. Theresalongtradtonofhkngnthe mountans and countrysde n the Balearc Islands. Inonesense, theorgnsofthscan be traced to Archduke Lous Salvador of Austra, or S Arxduc as he s popularly known n Mallorca. He was an arstocrat whobroughthspassonforthegreatoutdoors to the slands. He settled n Mallorca around the mountan vllages of Valldemossa and Dea, settng hs personal seal on the great country estatesofs Estaca, SonMoragues, SonMarrog and Mramar whch enjoy spectacular vewsfromthemountansasfarasthesea. Because of the Archduke s nvestment n creatng these manoral estates whch can nowbevstedbythepublc,hkersoftoday areabletoexperenceoneofthemostnterestngroutesnthewholeofthetramuntana mountan range. As well as walkng, the Balearc Islands provde opportuntes for the practce of other mountan sports such as clmbng or explorng the dry rver beds and gorges knownlocallyastorrents.however,nboth cases, t s recommended that vstors are accompaned by expert gudes to ensure safety. Forexperencedhkers, thejeweln thecrownofscalngdownravneshastobe thedescentofthetorrentdepareswhch canonlybeundertakennthesummer months. Once at the bottom, trekkers can swmfromsacalobrabeach,afnereward after four long hours of contnuous effort toscaledownthedryrverbed. InMenorca,theCamídeCavalls(GR 2223) orthe HorseRoute sa185klometre-long unmade road whch runs rght aroundthecoastofthesland.thankstothe efforts of local government, there are no barrersalongthewayasthewholeofts lengthsnowopentothepublc.another hghly recommended hke runs between EtsAlocs a completely natural beach coverednpebbles-andthecraggyoutcropof Sa Muntanya Mala n the muncpalty of Ferreres.It sawalkofsxklometreswhch takesaboutthreehoursandsnotdemandng. Apart from the countrysde, there s muchtoseewhchreflectstherchcultural hertage of the area. Ibza and Formentera also have plenty to offer the keen hker. Although the topology of the slands doesn t present the same challengesascanbefoundnthemountansofmallorca, theresatremendousvarety of landscapes that conserves mportantnaturalecosystemsandwhchreflects awayoflfethatpeoplelvngofftheland n Ibza and Formentera have known for generatons. InIbza,theclmbfromthetownofSant JosepuptoSaTalaareachesoneofthehghestpontsontheslandat475metresabove sea level. For another spot of outstandng naturalbeautyontheslandtrythenatural wetlands of Ses Fexes. Also of great nterestarethenaturalsaltflatsofsessalnes. EvenonthesmallerslandofFormentera, thereare32establshedwalks somemore challengng than others whch stretch across the landscape. For more nformaton vst: MENORCA Above: Camí de Cavalls n Menorca. Below: GR221 walk n Mallorca. PHOTO: BULLETIN IBIZA Ses Fexes n Ibza. PHOTO: IBIZAPRESERVATIONFUND.ORG FORMENTERA A walk n Formentera. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES MALLORCA Thenetworkof hostelsandstopoffpontsalong thedrystoneroute Refuges for overnght stays n the Tramuntana mountans are operated by thecounclofmallorca.there are eght of them, from Coma d en Vdal and Son Tres n the more southerly part of the mountan range (n the muncpaltes of Estellencs and Esporles respectvely) to Punt Roma, by the Roman Brdge n Pollença at the northern end of the Tramuntana.

8 8 MALLORCA PALMA SEEN FROM ABOVE: The cathedral terraces From Aprl to October All of us have got a snapshot of the cathedral n Palma whch remnds us of our memorable stay n Mallorca. But dd you know that for part of the year you can enter the very heart of ths Gothc masterpece? The cathedral opens ts bell tower and roof terraces to the publc seven months of the year so that vstors can get to know the secrets of ths magnfcent buldng from an nsder perspectve. The full 360 degree tour of the upper terraces of the cathedral lasts about an hour. Lookng out towards the rght gves the most spectacular vew of the mmense stan-glassed, so-called rose wndow of the cathedral. It s one of the largest and most spectacular of ts knd n the world. Clmbng upwards, step number 208 wll brng you to a poston rght above the rose wndow and from there you can see the two dstnct halves of the cathedral s constructon, one facng south, the other north. The tours are held regularly for groups of up to 25 people. For more nformaton at allorca.org Vew from Palma Cathedral s terraces. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES HERITAGE AND CULTURE Top: Santa Cecla concert. Left: organ concert at Palma s Cathedral. Above: the Monastery n Valldemossa. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES CONCERTS IN A UNIQUE SETTTING One aspect of publc entertanment n Mallorca s that there are some very specal hstorc buldngs and stes of outstandng natural beauty that provde the backdrop for the best musc on the sland - whether classcal, folk or contemporary. Every year, there s an mpressve array of festvals and concerts n dyllc locatons on the sland. The result for the spectator s a combnaton of not just beng to apprecate the musc but of beng able to experence t n exceptonal surroundngs. Vstors can take ther pck from an organ concert n Palma Cathedral, concerts n Bellver Castle at the western end of the cty or the annual Santa Cecla concerts held n churches around the captal. Other wellknown muscal occasons nclue the festval held n the north Mallorcan town of Pollença n the Santo Domngo Closter and more ntmate performances held on the terraces of grand buldngs n Palma tself. Fans of the composer Chopn should under no crcumstances mss the Internatonal Chopn Festval held at the mposng monastery n Valldemossa, the place where the composer and panst spent a wnter wth the French wrter George Sand. Whlst stll n the Tramuntana mountans, t s well worth a stop-off n the town of Dea where the Internatonal Musc Festval of Son Marrog s held. Ths s the ste of a former home of the Archduke Lous Salvador of Austra, now a museum. Ths event s dedcated to chamber musc played to an audence seated outsde wth vews drectly over the Medterranean below. There s another really orgnal concert - some would even say darng because of the challenge of access - held at the bottom of the Torrent de Pares gorge n the Tramuntana. The dramatc landscape of the dry rver bed was declared a natonal monument n Every year ths event attracts around 200 people. Don t mss t, as musc lovers say the craggy backdrop heghtens the acoustcs of the orchestral musc played here.

9 9 Pcturesque vllages of the tramuntana mountans In the Tramuntana mountan range s one of Span s prettest vllages. Fornalutx has been offcally ncludedntheselectlstof los pueblos más bontos de España. The accolade s a recognton of the charm of ths vllagebutasmportantlythe determned efforts for preservaton of archtecture and conservaton of a way of lfe. It s somethng shared by the other vllages and towns of the Tramuntana. At the mountan range s northern extremty s Pollença, a town The Lluc Monastery. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES of cultural hertage, forged n no small part from ts assocaton wth the artsts of the early twenteth century, who dd so much to brng Mallorca and the tranqulty and dramatc landscapes of the Tramuntana to the world s attenton. There s Soller, wth ts Hdden Valley and orange and olve groves; Deà, the small vllage that was the home of Brtsh author Robert Graves, who fell n love wth the mountans; Esporles, where you ll fnd the remarkable farmng museum of La Granja; Valldemossa and the Charterhouse where Chopn stayed. The prettest? The accolade apples to all the vllages of the Tramuntana. Getawayfromtall:retreatto the sland s monasteres and sanctuares If you re after a specal knd of peace, you wll dscover t n the sanctuares of Mallorca. Such churches, monasteres and places of worshp, often wth mmensely beautful settngs, are steeped n hstory and mystcsm. What better way to search for tranqulty? There are a number of such stes whose reputaton precedes them, one of them beng the Santuar de Cura hgh up on the mountan peak of Pug de Randa n the muncpalty of Llucmajor. Another whch s a must to vst n the north of the sland s the monastery at Lluc. Ensconced n the Tramuntana mountans, ths sanctuary has an mportant part n the sland s natural and artstc hertage. Meanwhle, at 333 metres above sea level, you wll feel almost n heaven at the Pug de Mara monastery. The Pug de Mara, more formally known as Santuar de la Mare de Déu del Pug s a small hll that overlooks the town of Pollença n the north of Mallorca. In 1348 a chapel was constructed and a monastery was added to ths 14 years later. Alternatvely, f you want to surround yourself n hstory, the Sant Salvador Pett Hotel s the perfect alternatve.ths hotel s stuated n the monastery of Sant Salvador outsde the town of Felantx n the eastern sde of the sland at an alttude of 510 metres. It s a peaceful place near to some of the best coves n Mallorca. TheSongofthe Sbl la 24DECEMBER Ths tradtonal versesettomus musc was madeafeate ureofworldhertage byunescon Itspe perfo orme ed everyc hrstmasevenchurchesrg ght across Mallorca. The words, forete ll-l- ng the comngofc Chr standthef nal DayofJudgment, areofmedaevalor lo- gn wth musc datng from theeraof Gregorancha nt. ntaccordng ngtohst or- ans,theso ngw asbrou ought tothe s- land dfro omt heman anlan dofspanby KngJa ume I t thec onqueror. Ever s nce,t has bee nafrmfavour- te nr regonal lchrs rstm tmastrad adto n. TheSon gofth the Sbl l lahasnomuscal accomp anmen texcep ceptdu rngth enter val vasbetweenverses.itwaso rg - nallyperformednlatnbut fro mthe 13th century onwards,th ere sd ocumentary evde ncethatthefrstth ver - sons n Catalan were sungnpub lc. ThesongoftheSbl l la spe rforme med byasn gleperson dresse dnatunc nc wh ch ssomet mesem brode red around the collar andontn helowe r partofthe t garment.acap eswor n over theto top.thesngeraer lsoholdsa swordperp erpendculartothefacewh lst the chant sbeng performed..once thesongsfn fnsh shed, the sword rdsus sused tom make the sgnofthe Cross. The characterofthesbl lare arepresentsthe fortune-t e-tellersofa ancent tmes eswho consulted prophetc texts tstotrt otryand predctthefutureforth rthecommunt nty. ThenChrs rstanty ympos posed edtso tsown stamponwhatwasseen eenasapag pagantra- dtonon and embedded edtn tntra tradt dtonal Chrstmas lturgy. Rght across Mallorca aonchr Chrstmas Eve,,peopl opleatten tendn dngchurc urchare emoto tonallyly moved dbyth thsbeaut autful song. g.them most popularplace acestosee seea perfor formanceofthesbl la aren PalmaC macath athedralandthemonasteryat Lluc. UNESCO sd sdeclaratonn2010ofthe SongoftheSbl. l.laasaintangblecul- tural Hertage eofhum Humanty wasn recogntonofto ftsunqueplace acenthe hstoryofthereg regon s muscal trad- ton. For more nformaton vst: The Song of the Sbl la s held on Chrstmas Eve around the sland. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES

10 10 MENORCA Port n Mahon. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES MENORCA POC A POC Lttle by lttle Menorca s an sland that operates accordng to ts own dstnct rhythm. One of the jewels of the Medterranean, ths s an sland for sheddng your stress and for relaxng. It s a peaceful place, defned by ts natural and unspoled landscape, but also an sland wth enormous amounts of hstory. Ths s reflected n ts astonshng prehstory but also by very much more recent hstory, whch ncluded the Brtsh occupatons of the eghteenth century and so a Brtsh nfluence that was unque to the Balearc Islands. There are more than 1,500 prehstorc stes of archaeologcalmportanceonthesland.mostarewellpreserved andopentovstors. Becausethewholeoftheslandhasbeendescrbedasan open-ar museum of exceptonal qualty, applcaton hasbeenmadetounesco tohavesomeoftheseprehstorcmonumentsdeservedly labelled wth the World Hertage tag. The combnatonofthendvdualsteson one sland s of enormous hstorcal value as much for ther colossal constructon technqueasfortherunque authentctynrepresentng aneraofthemedterranean s prehstorcpast. Thecategoryoftheapplcaton to UNESCO s enttled Talaotc Menorca. The talaots, or talayots are Bronze Agemegalthsontheslands of Menorca and Mallorca formng part of thetalaotc culture or Talaotc perod. Theydatebacktothelatesecond mllennum and early frstmllennumbc.thsperod of prehstory peters out wth the Roman nvason n the late second century BC. Thesemonumentsrepresent morethan2,000yearsofdfferent stages n human hstory. Talaotc constructons were erected usng gantszed stones, hauled nto place wthout usng any formofmortartosealthe jonts. Many of these megalths reman surprsngly ntact. Archaeologcal nvestgatons have dentfed no fewerthan15typesofsuperszed structures bult wth dfferent purposes n mnd. These nclude tombs, hypogeums or underground sepulchres(the later Chrstans bult smlar underground shrnes, crypts and tombs whch they called catacombs), naturalcaveswhch havehadpurpose-bultwalls erected nsde them, wells, and communal rooms covered n flagstones. These dverse constructons add to the already-known lst of navetasormegalthcchambertombs,andtaulasor stonemonumentssmlarto thosefoundatstonehenge. ForthepurposesofMenorca sapplcatonforworld Hertagestatusfortsprehstorc stes, a selecton has beenmadeofthe1,500that pepper the sland s landscape. They have been chosen for ther monumental mpact, ther fne state of preservaton and the depth of archaeologcal and scentfcnvestgatonwhchhas beenmadesurroundngther orgns. It would seem that these Bronze Age socetes were remarkably cohesve, workngtogethertoacheve theamsofthecommunty. OneofthemonumentsselectedfortheWorkHertage applcaton s the so-called Naveta des Tudons whch s stuated near the Menorcan coastaltownofcutadella.it s the sland s most remarkable chamber tomb, a neatly bult emblem of constructonundertakenbythetalaotc people. The Naveta des Tudons s a perfectly preserved dry-stone bural chamberntheshapeofan upsde-down shp used for collectveburals.durngthe archaeologcaldgontheste, theremansofasmanyas 100 people were found wth grave goods of personal belongngs and small pots whereofferngswereplaced durngthefuneraryrtes. Anothermportantprehstorcsteonthsselectvelst s the mpressve necropols and castle of Calescoves n the south of Menorca. From prehstory untl the Roman era, Calescoves has aroused thenterestofmenorcansettlers, makng t an archaeologcal area of enormous valueduetothenumberand mportance of ts monuments.theresatalaotcera necropols wth over nnety bural caves and underground sepulchres hewn ntotheclffsofthecove,a prehstorcjetty,acoastalestablshment enclosed by a prehstorc wall, and a sanctuarydatngfromtheroman era. UNESCOwllalsobeasked to consder Torralba d En Salort for regstraton as a WorldHertageste.Itsan ancentsettlementbetween Alaor and Mahon whch ncludesatalaotcblock-pled tower, a T-shaped stone monument, stone houses and underground caves that havebeenexcavated.itsthe BalearcIslands mostmportant prehstorc ste, datng backtoaround1000bc.interestngly, Torralba d en Salord contnued to be occuped durng the Roman conquest and, ndeed, nto the MddleAges. For more nformaton vst: An archaeologcal ste. PHOTO:BULLETINFILES The Archaeology of Menorca, a World Hertage treasure house watng n the wngs

11 11 The Naveta des Tudons. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND THE TALAIOTIC ROUTE: Let the stones do the talkng! Thousands of years ago, prehstorc cvlsatons bult the talaots, the megalthc structures whch can stll be seen today across the Balearcs but most famously n Menorca. These megalths were stone towers whch archaeologsts beleve were probably used as lvng spaces, as lookout ponts and defence towers. Chamber tombs, stone monuments, caves used for bural and dry stonebult tower-shaped structures called Talaots today make up an mpressve network of perfectly preserved prehstorc stes, some of whch are beng put forward to UNESCO to be consdered for World Hertage status. Although you wll fnd more than 1,500 scattered over Menorca, some of them are a must for the vstor to see: the Naveta des Tudons s a bural chamber whose constructon type can only be found on ths sland. The Talaotc centres of Torre d en Galmes and Trepuco are also home to some spectacular runs. Make sure you vst ths remarkable world of prehstorc Menorca. For more nformaton vst: TOWERS, CASTLES AND FORTRESSES AT PORT MAHON A tour of Brtsh martme hstory and warfare: open all year Strategcally, Menorca s the heart of the Medterranean. Dscover ts hstorcal fortresses. In the heart of the Port of Mahon, you can relve an mportant pece of the mltary hstory of Menorca. ThehugeMolaFortress,flledwthundergroundtunnels and store rooms, defensve battlements and old muntons dumps s set n a surprsngly stunnng coastal landscape. You have the choce of embarkng on ths specal mltary journey on foot, by bcycle, by buggy, or even on horseback. Ths amazng step nto the past contnues wth the underground tunnels of the Castle of San Felpe stuated at the southern tp of the Port of Mahon. Jon a darng nghttme tour of the ste when you wll come across varous unformed fgures lt by flamng torches, all wth a background of cannon fre amed at exctng even the youngest of vstors. On a small slet n the centre of the Port of Mahon, make sure not to mss a tour of the so-called Isle of the Kng. A guded vst wll let you n on all the secrets of the former mltary hosptal. For more nformaton at The Mola Fortress. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES

12 12 IBIZA FORMENTERA Lghthouses of Formentera, cons of the marne landscape Off On A Comet (also known as Hector Servadac ) s a scence-fcton novel by Jules Verne that was wrtten n In ths novel, Verne features a lghthouse - La Mola n Formentera. The most famed of the sland s lghthouses, t s perched some two hundred metres above the sea on top of a clff on the eastern end of Formentera. The straght, dry stone wall-lned road to the lghthouse provdes ts own fascnaton, as the lghthouse draws ever closer. As a lookout spot, t gves amazng vews of the sunrse and sunset, and near to the lghthouse s a monument to Verne. There are two other lghthouses on the sland. Cap Barbara s the southernmost pont of Formentera and the whole of the Balearc archpelago. The lghthouse, whch opened n 1972, s surrounded by breathtakng rocky scenery. It has been used n flms and adverts and has become one of Formentera s prncpal attractons. The thrd lghthouse s n the port of La Savna. There s another lghthouse. Off the north of Formentera, there s a separate sland - S Espalmador - and just above ths sland s the slet of Porcs. It s n fact nearly as old as the La Mola lghthouse. It opened n 1864, three years after La Mola, and was the work of the same engneer, Eml Pou. The lghthouse and the slet are therefore close to the amazng nature park of Ses Salnes. IBIZA: THE OLD CITY WALLS The old cty walls or Dalt Vla of Ibza le at the heart of the old town. They offer wonderful panoramc vews, a treasure trove of hstory, mystery and dscoveres, spannng 2,500 years and encrclng buldngs that represent the sland s poltcal, relgous and commercal power. Ibza town s hstorc centre reflects archtectural features datng from medaeval, Renassance and modern tmes. The old cty walls are part of ths hstorc centre and are stuated n a walled precnct datng from the 16th century. Up untl the end of the 18th century, the old cty was hstorcally an mportant outpost largely due to ts strategc geographcal poston n the Medterranean s network of martme communcaton. It s no wonder then that the old cty walls took on the role of both protector and defender of Ibza. Of archtectural note are the Renassance fortfed walls datng from the 16th century, the town hall buldng (formerly a Domncan convent), the cathedral of Santa Mara de las Neves and the gates to the old cty. The ses Taules gateway s of outstandng nterest, gvng the vstor the feelng of enterng an ancent stronghold. The portal can be found alongsde the Mercat Vell or Old Market. The surroundng streets follow an rregular pattern n order to adapt to the varous levels of the old walls as they rse upwards. The renovaton and fortfcaton of Ibza town formed part of a modernsaton and defence plan for the Medterranean coasts ntroduced by Carlos I and Felpe II. Two engneers n the servce of the Crown were engaged n the work, Govan Battsta Calv who undertook the frst phase whch was begun n 1555 when the frst bastons were bult; and Jacobo Paleazz Fratn who joned the development n Paleazz Fratn started the constructon of a new defensve wall, extended another and made changes to the prncpal gateway to the cty. Accordng to specalsts, the plan of the two engneers was to use techncal advances n mltary archtecture whch were beng put nto effect on the manland of Span. There s documentary evdence of other master engneers, master stone masons and local labourers who took part n the works whch were ongong untl the end of of the 16th century. The man gateway to the old town of Ibza, known as the Puerta del Mar or the Portal de ses Taules, s famous for ts monumental arch flanked by two Roman statues (replcas as the orgnals are n the museum), a great sheld carved nto the stonework emblazoned wth the emblems of the Royal House of Felpe II and a memoral stone dsplayng the names of the kng and the governor of the day n The cty entrance stll preserves part of the orgnal machnery used to lft the drawbrdge over a moat dug out as part of the defence strategy of the day. Ths part of the town was declared a World Hertage ste by UNESCO n OPENALLYEARROUND The whte churches of Ibza, sanctuares ofthepast There was once an sland n the Medterranean known as the whte sland smply because ts archtecture was of ths same colour. Although Ibza today s full of all the colours of the spectrum, t contnues to preserve ts very specal whte churches. They are places of worshp whch are unque to the world as they were also used as fortresses to protect local people aganst attacks by prates. Many of these churches have defence towers smlar to those whch can be seen on mltary fortfcatons on the sland. These places of worshp became strongholds of the daly lfe of people n Ibza s towns and vllages andnmoderntmeshavebecomeplacestocelebrate festvals and concerts. Gettng to know these sanctuares of the past s a gateway to understandng the culture of the present. For more nformaton Cap de Barbara n Formentera. PHOTO:BULLETINFILES

13 13 CALENDAR OF CULTURAL EVENTS OCTOBER 2017 Formentor sunset classcs n Pollença: Season of the Balearc Symphony Orchestra n Mallorca: Internatonal Organ Festval held at Mallorca s cathedral: Mlla Urbana Illa de Ibza: Illa de Formentera Trathlon: Palma de Mallorca Marathon: Formentera Zen: Ibza Sabors: Mallorca TaPalma: Illa de Menorca Half Marathon: JANUARY 2018 Regonal song and dance festval n Ibza: Opera season at the Teatro Prncpal n Palma: Sant Anton and Sant Sebastà n Mallorca: Festas of Sant Anton Abat n Menorca: Mallorca Cyclng Challenge Race Playa de Palma: FEBRUARY 2018 Festval of Fsh Culnary Events n Menorca: Pntxa Sant Anton n Ibza: Peccata Mnuta n Mallorca: Teatre Prncpal Opera Season: Ancent Salt Ponds: Ses Salnes Natural Park of Ibza and Form e n t e r a : w w w.balears n a - tura.com NOVEMBER 2017 A spectacle known the ocho n Palma s Cathedral on Mallorca: A week celebratng the sant of musc Santa Cecla n Mallorca and Menorca: and Alternatve Jazz festval n Mallorca: Evoluton Mallorca Internatonal Flm Festval: Internatonal Golf Travel Market n Mallorca MARCH 2018 Open Jazz Festval n Menorca: Isla de Mallorca Classc Rally: Fra del Camp de Menorca and Menorcan Fresan Cattle Lvestock Show: Sant Pere Rock n Ibza: Sar Prncesa Sofía Salng Trophy n Mallorca: APRIL 2018 Mallorca s Smooth Jazz Festval: Alaor Toursm Far: Ibza Marathon: MECUP Menorca: Fornells Half Marathon: Palma Boat Show n Mallorca: DECEMBER 2017 The Song of the Sbl.la n Mallorca: and Two Day Ibza Tral: Palma Natvty Route: Trofeo Cuat de Palma Regatta: PHOTOS: BULLETINFILES MAY 2018 Opera week at Mahon s Teatro Prncpal ; Formentera 2.0: Isla de Ibza Quadrathlon: and Anar a Mag n Ibza:www: santaeulala.net Medaeval Ibza: and Nrvana Ironman 70.3 Mallorca: Menorqun Horse Far: Wne Days Mallorca: www:bnssalemdo.com and Gourmet weekends n Formentera: For more nformaton seebetternwnter (PDF)

14 14 Above: Thoroughbred Horse Far n Menorca. Rght: Santa Mara del Cam market n Mallorca. PHOTOS: BULLETINFILES AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE MEDITERREAN CULTURE For centures, festvals and markets have formed an mportant part of the character of the Balearc Islands and more wdely of Medterranean culture. ThemarketshavetherorgnsntheChrstanconquest. Fundamentally, they were occasons when producers of goodsonlandandseametupwththosewshngtopurchase them.today, the vast majorty of towns have an establshed weekly market. Two popular markets n Mallorca whch have a partcularly long hstory are the one held n Sneu every Wednesday; the other beng the Sunday mornng market n Santa Mara del Cam. Matchng these two n popularty meanwhle- for ther charm and qualty of locally-made products- are the markets held n SantanyonWednesdayandSaturday,andonentheold town of Alcuda. In Mallorca, there are also well-known second hand and flea markets takng place regularly n Encants(Consell) and Son Bugadelles(Santa Ponça). Thereareanumberofmarketswhchtakeplacedurng the autumn months around the Balearcs, chefly n the dfferent muncpaltes of Mallorca. Two of the most mportantarethoseheldnllucmajorandthedjousbofar heldninca.theoldestfarnmallorcastheoneheldn SneueveryfrstSundaynMay.Ithasbeengongsnce 1318thankstoaroyalprvlegegrantedbyKngSanç.In Capdepera, efforts to revve a market wth ts orgns n medaeval tmes has been met wth great success. The squares of Capdepera, ts streets and houses are decorated for the occason n medaeval style. Plenty of actvtes are organsed connected wth local crafts and lvestock farmng; and all ths takes place aganst a background of streettheatreandmusc, performngjugglersandmpressve horse racng. The prncpal fars and markets of Menorca sprung up n response to regonal agrculture and lvestock farmng actvty. Of note s the Thoroughbred Horse Far, the Menorcan Partrdge Far, and the Country Far of Alaor, where the tradtonal Fresan Cow competton s held. Foragoodnumberofyearsnow,peoplehavebeenattendng the annual Ibza and Formentera Trade Far, whlstoverthesameperodoftme,ibzahasbeenenjoyngasurgenpopulartyoftsmedaevalfar. Regonal festas whch mean days off and holdays for localpeople, canmostlydatetherorgnsbacktotheveneratonofapatronsant,butnotalways.inpalmatheres the Festval of the Standard held snce 31 December, 1229 Above: Medeval festval n Ibza. Below: Festa of Sant Sebasta n Mallorca. PHOTOS: BULLETINFILES FAIRS, FIESTAS AND MARKETS tomarkthedaywhenkngjaume1enteredthecty.its one of the oldest, non-relgous commemoratons held n Europe.TheSundayafterEastersknownasDumengede l Angel(Angel Sunday) n Mallorca, a festval held at BellverCastletothewestofPalma.Thenghtof23June marks the annual celebraton of the Feast of Sant John (Sant Joan) whch celebrates the longest- and most magcal- dayoftheyear.thefestaofsantsebastadatngback centuressoneofthebggestfestvalsnmallorca. Ittakes placeeveryjanuarytocelebratethepatronsantofthesland s captal, Palma. Concerts of dfferent muscal style areheldnthecentralsquaresofthectywhlstonlookers enjoy toastng regonal cooked meats such as the Mallorcansausagesobrasadamadefromgroundpork, paprka andspcesoutntheopenar.inibzameanwhle,on17 January,whchsthedayofpatronSantAnton,theslandpayshomagetothesantwthdsplaysofcountry dancng and a tradtonal blessng of anmals. Normally,eachtownandvllagentheBalearcshasa wnterfestvaloftsowntomarkthefeastofsantanton Abat, the patron sant of anmals. Bonfres are tradtonallylttowarmthechllwnternghtandpeopleenjoy grllng locally-prepared food alongsde them. Ths celebraton s of mmense mportance n Arta, Muro, ManacorandaboveallnSaPoblanMallorca. In Menorca, especally n the sland captal Cutadella, thesanjoanfestvalhasbeenmarkednaverypartcular way snce the 14th century. Celebratons centre around horses and rders and attract people from all over Span whoarekeentojonntheenthusasmandsenseoffun of the Menorcans. Rders charge through crowds n the ctyonhorseback, spectacularlymakngthehorserearup ontshndlegstoloudcheersfromthesurroundng throngs. Stll on the theme of horses, uedaeval joustng s also a feature of San Joan festval celebratons n Cutadella. ThekeyfestvalnIbzasSantaMaradelesNeus(Our Lady of the Snows) held n Ibza Town. The celebratons begn wth mass n the cathedral followed by folk dancngandparades.santamarasoneofthepatronsants honoured n IbzaTown s Festes de laterra(festvtes of theland)heldbetween5and15august,theotherbeng Sant Crac. The Festes de laterra commemorate the conquestoftheslandofibzabycatalanandaragonese forces n 1235.They are also celebrated n Fgueretas wth concerts and freworks.

15 15 The Fsh Market n Menorca. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Gourmet markets Markets whch once used to deal only n the necesstes of lfe have become places where gourmets can have ther choce of all manner of exotc foods and top qualty local produce. Vstors can sample a wde selecton of tapas at any of the major markets n the Balearcs ncludng the Santa Catalna and Olvar markets n Palma, the Gastronomy Market of San Juan at Carrer de l Emperadru Eugena 6 n Palma, the Fsh Market n the Port of Mahon n Menorca and the Cutadella Market. Mallorca s outstandng markets For sheer antquty, markets don t come any older than those of Inca and Sneu. There was a market n Inca from the thrteenth century, whle the Sneu far (held n early May) dates from Alcuda s market (Tuesday and Sunday) s by the walls of the town. Durng the buser toursm perods, t stretches rght along the narrow streets nsde the walls. Over the Chrstmas and New Year perod, there s an amazng market n Palma, whch occupes two squares as well as streets. THE FESTIVAL OF SANT ANTONI ABAT OF MENORCA Because Sant Anton s the patron sant of Menorca, ths festval s held everywhereontheslandon17january.thenghtbeforeon16january, bonfres are lt n preparaton for the greatdaynthestreetsandtown squares so that sobrasada(a regonal sausage) and botfarrones(a type of blackpuddng)canbegrlledoutn the open. Blessng of anmals undertaken by localprestssoneofthemostpopular features of ths festval. The Menorcans take ther beloved pets and lvestock for publc blessng, aswasdonebythefarmersndays goneby,notjusttoprotecttheranmalsandprayforaproductveyear ahead,butasveneratonofthesland s patron sant, Sant Anton. Onthedayofthefestvaltself, there s plenty of entertanment wth street parades and markets. In Cutadella, for example, there s a processonknownas trestocs whch symbolsestheentryntothetownby KngAlfons III n 1287 when he lberatedtheslandfromoccupatonbythe Moors. For more nformaton at TapaattheSanJuanGastronomyMarketnPalma. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES OPENALLYEARROUND Specalst food markets They have become the lvng pulse of the town. The food halls of Olvar, Santa Catalna open-ar market, and the Gastronomy Market of San Juan n Palma have created a new pasttme. Apart from fndng the freshest produce around frut, greens, vegetables, meat and fsh these market places throb wth the exctement of local lfe. They are what have become known as gastronomy markets, a meetng place, a pont of exchangng deas, of enjoyng well-tred tapas and oysters washed down by a glass of whte wne as well as the newer flavours brought n by orental dshes such as such. As more and more people are attracted by top qualty produce and food preparaton, buyng at these markets s fast turnng nto a socal occason. For more nformaton vst: Blessng of the anmals durng the Sant Anton festas n Menorca. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES

16 16 FOLKDANCING:Ancestraldances ofibzaandformentera IfyouwanttogettoknowatrulyauthentcsdeofIbzaandFormentera,youhavetogoandwatchsomeofthepublcly-performedregonalfolkdancng,whchsunrvalledntheMedterranean.Thetrueorgnsofthedanceshavebeenlostnthemstsoftmebutaresadtorepresentbelefs ncludngsomethatarepre-chrstan andtheancestralmuscoftheslands,thathasbeenhandeddownfromgeneratonto generaton.folkdancngsperformedatlocalfestvalsonbothoftheslandssotwon tbedffculttofndanopportuntytowatchsome. KnownasBallPages,thstradtonalfolkdancngsoneofthemostcolourfulspectaclestowtnessnIbzaandFormentera.Therearevarous typesofdance.allhaveslghtdfferenceswhchdstngushonetownor vllage from another. However, there are smlar forms of dress, musc andstepwhchdentfythedancesasbengorgnallyfromthesetwoslands. Ifyoutakeamomenttohomenonthendvdualstepsbengperformed, youcansavourhowmuchthsstyleofdancerepresentsatmegoneby andhowmuchtrepresentsthecultureandcustomsofgeneratonsgone before.theres,forexample,acompletedfferencebetweenthemovementsperformedbymenandthoseofthewomen.whlstthemenare constantlyleapngntothearandmakngloudclackngnoseswthcastanetsnordertoseducethefemales,thewomenmantanasolemndemeanourwhlstslowlytracngoutcurvedmovementsacrosstheground. Folk dances n Ibza. PHOTO: BULLETIN FILES Thesymbolsmofthewomen sdancestepsaresadtorepresentthe phasesofthemoonnwhcharetobefoundtheorgnsofthesedances. Thepre-ChrstanGodofIbzawasTant,thepersonfcatonofthemoon. Theancentfolklorefthsdancecanbeapprecatedthroughthemusc whchaccompanest. Drumsandflutes, anespas(ametalpercusson nstrument whch resembles a spade) and huge castanets create a rhythmwhchsunquetothemedterranean. Otheroutstandnglyattractvefeaturesfthesetradtonaldancesarethecostumeswornby thedancers.themenaredressedcompletelynwhtewthembrodered wastcoats,aredneckteandaredhatthatappearstobepartberetand partfloppyskhat.itsknownnthebalearcsasabarretna.thecostumeswornbythewomenareevenmoreeye-catchng. typcalcountrywoman sdresssbeautfullysewnwthjewelleddecoratons,amultlayerednecklacewthflgreeembroderng,toppedwthahungcrucfx andrelgousconmadeoutofglass.shewllalsowearseveralgolden rngs. AttendanceatanyoneofthefestvalcelebratonsnIbzaandFormentera ssuretoprovdeanopportuntytowtnessthspartculartypeofdancng.normallyperformancesaregvenntownsquaresorneartheoldest wells, whch were mportant meetng ponts n former tmes. Folk dancngsalsoaspectacletobeseenatweddngsntheporchesof churches to lavsh attenton on the brde and groom. If you re unlucky enoughtomssthesefestvals,don tworry.therearedemonstratons nsantmqueleverythursdayandonthesantperefortfcatonsofibza s oldctywallseveryfrday. CALENDAR OF FAIRS AND FESTIVAL WEEKLY MARKETS MALLORCA Monday: Camar (Selva), Calva, Lloret de Vstalegre, Manacor, Mancor de la Vall, Montur. Tuesday: Alcuda, s Alquera Blanca (Santany), s Arenal (Llucmajor), Arta, Campanet, Llub, Bnamar (Selva) fortnghtly -, es Pla de na Tesa (Marratx) Peguera (Calva), Pna (Algada), Porreres, Portocolom (Felantx), Santa Margalda. Palma: Can Pastlla, Pere Garau, Santa Catalna (Carrer de Soler); Plaça del Bsbe Berenguer de Palou (an ecologcal, ecofrendly market). Wednesday: Andratx, s Arenal (Llucmajor), Bunyola, sa Cabana (Marratx), Capdepera, Cas Concos (Felantx), Deà, Llucmajor, Petra, Port de Pollença, Santany, Sa Rapta (Campos), Selva, Sencelles, Sneu, Vlafranca de Bonany. Palma: s Arenal, es Coll d en Rabassa. Thursday: s Arenal (Llucmajor), Arany, Calonge (Santany), Campos, Can Pcafort (Santa Margalda), Consell, Inca, es Llombards (Santany), Pòrtol (Marratx), Port de Sóller (Sóller), ses Salnes, Sant Joan, Sant Llorenc des Cardassar, sa Torre (Llucmajor). Palma: Can Pastlla, Pere Garau. Frday: Alcúda, Algada, Bnssalem, Can Pcafort (Santa Margalda), Inca, Llucmajor, Mara de la Salut, es Pont d Inca (Marratx), Son Carró (Sant Llorenc des Cardassar), Son Ferrer (Calva), Son Servera. Saturday: Alaró, S Arraco (Andratx), Artà, Bada Gran / Pedrafort (Llucmajor), Bnal (Sencelles), Búger, Bunyola, Cala Rajada (Capdepera), Campanet, Campos, Costtx, Esporles, s Horta (Felantx), Inca, Lloseta, Manacor, Moscar (Selva), Las Palmeras (Llucmajor), Portocolom (Felantx), Santa Eugena, Santa Margalda, Santany, Sa Rápta (Campos), Sóller. Palma: Avendas (flea market), Plaça del Bsbe Berenguer de Palou (ecologcal /eco-frendly market), Pere Garau, Santa Catalna (c/de Soler), Son Ferrol, Son Fuster Vell. Sunday: Alcuda, Consell, Felantx, Inca, Llucmajor, Moscar (Selva) monthly market -,Muro, Sa Pobla,the Industral Estate of Marratx (Marratx), Pollença, Porto Crsto (Manacor), Santa Mara del Cam, Valldemossa. MENORCA Monday: es Castell, Sant Llus Tuesday: Mahon Wednesday: es Castell, es Mgjorn Gran, Sant Llus, Fornells Thursday: Alaor Frday: Cutadella, Ferreres Saturday: Cutadella (Plaça des Born), Cutadella (Plaza de la Llbertat), Ferreres, Mahon Sunday: Mahon, es Mercadal IBIZA Frday: Sant Anton de Portmany Sunday: Sant Joan de Labrtja FORMENTERA Tuesday and Saturday: Sant Francesc de Formentera For more nformaton:

17 17 Left: Frt Mallorqu from Mallorca. Centre: Flao from Ibza. Rght: Caldereta de langosta from Menorca. PHOTOS: BULLETINFILES THE MEDITERRANEAN FLAVOUR Theresanenormousselecton ofhgh-qualty, tradtonal cusne n the Balearcs.Theregonalgastronomy s lnked to Medterranean cultureanddetandtoseasonal food producton and harvests. Gastronomy forms part of the cultural dentty of the localpeople.muchofthas roots deep n regonal hstory, but gastronomy n the slandshasbecomeelaborate and magnatve, a delght for vstors rrespectve of whetherornottheyare gourmets. Frto mallorqun s a concocton of fnely dced and exqustely-herbed offal, tossednafryngpanwth equallyfnely-choppedpotatoesandvegetables.thedsh sverypopularnthewnter months as s sopas mallorqunas a Mallorcan bread andvegetabledsh, nottobe confusedwth soup.specalty dshes of Mallorca also nclude coque, a pzza-lke dshtoppedwthfreshgreen vegetables such as spnach, peppers and courgettes. The summer months are the tme for trempo a thrstquenchng salad made up of huge, jucy tomatoes and peppers. The regon lays clam to ts own specalst cheeses and delcatessen meats, Menorca boasts ts owndelcouslobsterstewor caldereta, and Ibza s wellknownfortsowncheese cakeorflao.allthesedshes arepartoflfenthebalearcsandvstorswllbethe poorer for not tryng them. Ensamadas- yeast-baked cakes fashoned nto round, coled shapes - and sobrasada,amallorcansausage attsbestwhenmadefroma specalbreedofblackpg,are the two regonal products thataremostheardofoutsde the Balearcs, but there are several hundred dstnct recpesthatgotomakeup the culnary delghts of the slands. The most humble household wll produce coques de verdures, pzza-lke slces of fne pastry topped wth green vegetables, empanadasandcocarros-meatand vegetable pastes respectvely-andofcourse paamb ol, slces of fresh country breadsoakednthejuceof locally grown tomatoes and drzzled wth olve ol, and then topped wth cheese, ham or sobrasada. In summer, try the thrstquenchng tremposalad, made wth tomatoes, green pepperandonon,ortumbet Mallorca s answer to France s ratatoulle- made wth aubergnes, peppers and tomatoes. Warmupnwnterwth sopas mallorqunas wth ts fllng base of locallymadebrownbreadandgreen vegetables or Ibza s sofrt pages,adshofgentlyspced pork,lambandchckenwth localsobrasadaandbutfarra (a type of black puddng). Andwththeseanever veryfarawaynthebalearcs, howmuchfresher could local fsh and shellfsh be? Straghtfromthewaternto the ktchen. Menorca s lobsterstew,caldereta,hastobe a must for seafood lovers. Andfyouhaveroomfora dessert after all ths, try el gató (wththestressonthe o ), an almond tart served wth home-made ce cream. TryalsoIbzancheesecake flao ortsmallorcancounterpartthe duquesa ; orelletes whcharetarts Ibzannorgn-madefromaprcot or peaches; sweet bscuts called crespells whcharecutntoheartand star shapes and rubols small self-contaned pastes flledwthjamoralghtcottage cheese-type fllng: to justrghtforlckngyourfngers afterwards! Dscover the fnest foodofthebalearcislands. Tradtonal, hgh Top:HerbasfromMallorcaandIbza.Paamb ol.sobrasada and ensamada from Mallorca. PHOTOS: BULLETIN qualty gastronomy wth a Medterranean flavour The Balearc Islands can boastanarrayoftasty,top qualty products such as olve ol, wne, cheese from Mahon on Menorca and Ibzan herbas naturallyflavouredlqueurs.theseproducts are rooted n regonal authentcty and tradton andcanbepurchasedatmarketsandfarsaroundtheslands. The Balearcs have dfferentareasoflandsetasdefor vne cultvaton and wne producton. Mallorca has ts ownorgnaltrademarksfor ts wnes, sgnfed by labels specfyng desgnaton of orgnor DO.Wnemaden BnssalemandthePlaLlevantareasoftheslandare madewthvaretesofgrapes whcharenatvetotheregon. There are other wnemakng companes n the Balearcs that manufacture undertheumbrellaof Vde la Terra, a label provdng authentctyofwneproducton n the Balearcs. One popular choce of dry whte wne, grapes for whch are grown all over the Tramuntanamountans, smalvasa. Manyvneyardsareterraced alongthesteepclffsofbeautful coastal areas such as Estellencs and Banyalbufar. There are wne-tastng routes whch take vstors andenthusaststothewnemakng centres themselves. Another product of whch local gastronomy s proud s vrgn olve ol, mostly produced n Mallorca and Ibza. Toursoftheolvepressesprovde a fascnatng nsght nto methods of producton andmoreoftenthannot suchatourwllgohandn handwthavsttobuldngs oftypcalmallorcanarchtecture.theislandscanofferan mpressve selecton of delcatessen meats. There s the already well-known Mallorcan sausage or sobrasada, GASTRONOMY whchsattsmostflavourfulwhenmadewthpork, spcesandlargequanttesof paprkawhchgvesthesausagetsaromaanddefntve colourng. Cheese produced n Mahon, or queso mahones,sthestarproductof Menorca. Itsmanufactured accordng to age-old methods usng top qualty cows mlk. Sofarassweetfoodsconcerned, Mallorca s ensamada regns supreme. There areavaretyofmethodsof producngthsspral-shaped pastry, ether wthout any fllngatallorwthatypeof jam known as angel har. Then there s Ibza s cheese cakeor flao flavouredwth mnt. Anothernaturalproductto lookoutfornthemarkets the exquste Mallorcan almond,wdelyapprecatedby great confectoners for ts subtle flavourng. No-one couldclamtobeanexpert on Balearc frut and vegetables wthout knowledge of the tomate de ramellet, a qute small type of tomato butonewhchssotastyand jucy that t s deally suted to flavourng the slces of country bread used for pa ambol anopensandwch mostenedwthtomatojuce and olve ol, and then topped wth cheese, ham or sobrasada. The sprts and lqueur drnks of the Balearcs come n all shades. The Mallorcan palosdarkncolour,produced by soakng qunne andgentantogether.thegn produced n Mahon meanwhle,referredtoasgnmahones s transparent wth a flavourofjunper.ithasbeen manufactured on Menorca after the Brtsh ntroduced thedrnkthereattheendof the18thcentury.thelqueur known as herbas manufactured both on Mallorca and Ibza s produced by soakng a secret combnaton of aromatc plants n ansette.

18 18 WINES: The essence of the Medterranean A good bottle of wne form the slands makesandealgftforfamlyandfrends.there are nearly 100 wne cellars or bodegas n the Balearcs, whch gves some dea of the qualty and strength of the regonal market. Although vneyards were establshed by the Romans here, t has only been over the last 20 years or so that there has been a boom n the wne-producng market. The dverse terran and landscape of the slands has promoted the cultvaton of many varetes of grape, although the Manto Negro, a natve to the regon, s the most popular. Other local varetes of grapeusedtoproduceredwnencludecallet and Fogoneu, and la Moll for whte wne. Although the overall breadth of producton s lmted by the sze of the Islands, a sgnfcant percentage of regonally-produced wne s exported throughout the world, prncpally to other European countres and North Amerca. A vneyard n Mallorca. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Makngthemostof regonal gastronomy, botholdandnew There s a rch varety of regonal Balearc cookng whch uses natural products accordng to the season of the year. You can fnd good old-fashoned meals n what are known as cellars. These are restaurants whch are typcal of sland-lfe, regularly frequented by local people and often located n what would once have been cellars used for wne storage, or n hstorc buldngs that may - n tmes gone by have catered for vstors as boardng houses. But not all typcal restaurants are found n old town centres. There are some on the coast perched hgh up wth breathtakng vews over the Medterranean or others n mountan locatons. Wherever these restaurants are, you can be assured of qualty cookng usng local produce and some excellent wnes to accompany them. But the Balearcs are also renowned for state-of-the-art culnary creatons that are fashoned by a number of chefs wth Mcheln stars. Hence whether old or new, the Balearcs provde the fnest gastronomy. Wne-tastng toursm If you don t want to vst alone, there are organsed tours to the wne-producng areas of the slands. The wne cellars or bodegas welcome vstors to ther premses, whch are often fne examples of regonal archtecture. Toursts can eat and even stay overnght at the bodegas. There s also the opportunty to take a tour of the vneyards by bcycle, lsten to musc beng performed out amongst the vnes and even attend seasonal events that are assocated wth wne producton, such as festvals whch celebrate the grape harvest. Good old-fashoned meals at a typcal cellar n Mallorca. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Chefswtha Mchellen Star There are nne Mchelnstarred restaurants n Mallorca. There were two new recpents for ths year s gude: Argos at the Hotel La Goleta n Port de Pollença, where the chef, Alvaro Salazar, s the youngest to have receved the dstncton; and the Adran Quetglas Restaurant n Palma s Passeg Mallorca. Smply Fosh, one of Brtsh chef Marc Fosh s restaurants, s another wth a Mcheln star; t s on C. Mssó n Palma. The other restaurants are Zaranda n Es Capdella, whch n fact has two stars; Andreu Genestra n Capdepera; Bou, Sa Coma; Es Fum, Costa d en Blanes; Es Recó des Tex, Deà; and Jardín n Port de Alcuda. Brtsh Mcheln-starred chef, Marc Fosh. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES

19 19 THE OLIVE OIL OF MALLORCA, THE ISLAND S LIQUID GOLD GASTRONOMY CALENDAR OCTOBER FLAVOURS OF IBIZA October-November: TAPALMA: Dscover the secrets oftheolveolpresses Vrgn olve ol has been produced for centures n the Balearc Islands. Orchards of olve trees, hundreds of years old, can be seen growng along the coast, on the vast plans of the sland nteror or n the depths of the mountans. It s one of the trees whch s most profoundly assocated wth the Medterranean. As they grow, the trunks of the olve trees twst over the decades to form remarkable lvng sculptures. Olve ol s seasonally extracted from the frut of these ancent trees as well as those of younger trees. The ol forms an essental part of Balearc gastronomy and n Mallorca, the qualty of producton s certfed and protected wth the Ol de Mallorca (Mallorcan olve ol) regstered trade mark. Vstors can learn about olve ol producton through organsed tours of the olvepressesoftheslands,botholdandnew. Manufacturers are rghtly proud of the process, nvolvng ancestral skll and a surprsng amount of tme that s requred to produce such top qualty olve ol. Those on the tours wll have the chance to taste dfferent varetes of olves at varyng stages of maturty. The fsh dryng out n the sun n Formentera. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES THE DRIED FISH OF FORMENTERA A unque flavour of the Medterranean Formentera s dred fsh s one of the most delcous sland dshes. It s cured n a unque way, dryng out n the sun wth a lttle help from Medterranean sea breezes. The fsh s the man ngredent of local country salad on the sland. The choce of what fsh to use for the dryng process n largely based n fsh whch have a sgnfcant amount of cartlage n ther bones, such as ray and dogfsh. It s stll the fshermen who carve up and slce the fsh ready for dryng. The fsh s then left coverednathcklayerofsaltforseveral hours, after whch t s hung, accordng to tradton, from the branches of Junper-lke trees called savns. The hot sun of Formentera s then left to do ts work. Once the fsh s dry, t s splt up nto small parts and put n glass jars flled wth olve ol. The fsh can thus be preserved for several months at a tme. Apart from salads, the fsh s used on canapes, pzzas or smply on toasted bread. It can be found throughout the year n all restaurants on the sland, n bars, n small and gourmet shops as well as supermarkets. QUESO MAHONES The cheese of Mahon- Menorca, true sland craftsmanshp ThecheeseproducednMahonnMenorcasmanufactured by true craftsmen. Its qualty s recognsed and apprecatedthroughouttheworldandsmlar,tomallorca solve ol, s protected from poorer copes through an orgnal trade mark desgnaton of orgn certfyng ts unqueness. Ths cheese s only produced n Menorca. Queso mahones, Mahon s cheese, can clam to have been part of the culture of Menorca snce prehstorc tmes. Ceramc cheese-makng utensls have been dscovered datngbacktoaround3,000bcndcatngthatalreadyatthat tme sklled manufacturers were at work. The method of producng ths top qualty cheese has been passed down from father to son over the centures. Ths tme-honoured tradton has been part of the reason why the cheese has been able to mantan ts own partcular, homely character and flavour. There are two types of process for manufacturng the cheese.theartsandaresuserawmlk,freshfromthecow. Thecheesesmouldedbyhand,wrappednasquarecottoncloth, thefogasser, andhungfromthefourcorners. Its thenplacedonatable. Thewheysremovedandthepaste smanuallypressedandted.itsthenpressednamachne whchleavesthemarkofthefoldsoftheclothandthecords mprnted on the top. Thendustralplantsareallowedtousemlkthathasbeen processed or preserved n some way. The rght amount of anmalrennetsusedtoensurethatcoagulatontalesplace namnmumof30-40mnutesataconstanttemperature. Ths temperature must also be mantaned durng cuttng anddranngofthecurds. Thecurdsarethencuttothesze ofalargepeaandlefttostandforabouttenmnutesbefore thewheysdranedoff. Inbothtypesofmanufacture,durngrpenng,thecheeses regularlyturnedandcleaned,andtherndsrubbedwtholveolandpmenton,atypeofpaprka.theoperatonsrepeatedseveraltmesandpreventstherndfromdryngout, repels nsects and gves the cheese ts characterstc colour and appearance. There are three varetes of the Mahon cheese dependng on the stage of maturty. Softcheese,wthagentleflavourandtexture: nthsnstancethecurngprocesswouldlastbetween21and60 days wth the result beng sutable for all palates. Sem-cured,whchhasamoreorangeycolourthanthesoft varety but stll wth a gentle flavour. Ths would need curngforbetweentwoandfvemonths. Cured, wth a much more ntense flavour and harder texturewhchwouldappealtothosewhoenjoyasharper cheese. ThemanufactureofMahoncheesesndsputablylnkedto tradtonalcraftsmanshpofthesland.itsproducedontypcalhomesteadsoutnthecountryknownasllocswhere there s plenty of green pasture bordered by dry stonewallng. Here,cowscangrazetotherhearts content.here toovstorscangoontourstolearnabouttheprocessof cheese-makng, enjoytastngdfferentvaretesandeven jonnaculnaryworkshoportwo. FEBRUARY CELEBRATING FISH: w w w. g a s t ro n o m a m e - norca.es APRIL FLAVOURS OF IBIZA Aprl to May: MAY TAPAS FESTIVAL OF MENORCA: WINE DAYS MALLORCA: w w w. w n e d a y s m a l - lorca.com GASTRONOMY WEEK- ENDS ON FORMENTERA: LOCAL PRODUCTS WITH OUTSTANDING QUALITY MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS ZARANDA BOU RESTAURANT ES FUM w w w. r e s t a u r a n t - e s - fum.com ES RACO DES TEIX JARDIN w w w. r e s t a u r a n t e j a r - dn.com ANDREU GENESTRA w w w. a n d r e u g e n e s - tra.com SIMPLY FOSH ARGOS ADRIAN QUETGLAS MENORCAN CHEESE FROM THE PORT OF MA- HON WINES w w w. w n e s o f m a l - lorca.org/es/ SPECIALIST GASTRON- OMY MARKETS

20 20 Regonal crafts and shoppng The dversty to be found n Balearc gastronomy, culture and hertage also apples to the slands regonal arts and crafts. When vstors wsh to buy mementos of ther trp or presents for those back home, they are spoled for choce. Balearc craftsmen and women manufacture beautful glassware, pottery and ceramcs and produce elaborate embrodery and fabrcs. There s also qualty footwear (a chocebetweenwhathasbeenproduced locally and nternatonal brands),leathergoods,slverware,: costumejewelleryandofcoursethe fabulous pearls of Mallorca, whch are known the world over for the Majorca name. If you are after the latest n fashon, t s readly avalable n most shoppng centres. In many cases the latest clothes have been manufactured by local desgners who are earnng an nternatonal reputaton for themselves. The sland of Ibza s well-renownedforgvngrseto ad-lb fashon, wth the colour whte as ts e m - blem, so beloved of the hppy generaton. The ntroducton of ths flower power trend can stll be seen to survve n the many street markets around the sland. And of course,theperfectaccompanment to the ad-lb outft has just got to be a par of espadrlles made out of straw. In Menorca,so-called abarques - shoes that are typcal of the sland - andshrtspatternedwthdesgnsof the natural envronment are the two most sought-after souvenrs to take home. For those who enjoy sprts,don tforgettobuyabottleof the sland s gn known as Xorguer, after the perod of Brtsh domnaton of Menorca at dfferent tmes durng the 18th century. Gourmets wll also want to buy the delcous Menorcan cheese assocated wth the Port of Mahon. It has ts own orgnaltrademark,thuspreventng t from beng produced anywhere else n the world. In Mallorca, leather goods and footwear are the most popular goods sought by holday shoppers. However, add to ths lst the cultured pearlsmadenmanacor,thestrange surell green, red and whte o r - namentalfgures,sadtodenotethe sland s pagan past, and whch are wdely avalable at sland markets, and the roba de llengues lterally a cloth of tongues pattern woven nto qualty fabrc produced on the sland. Apart from buyng goods that are typcal of the regon, the Balearcs can offer new trends n natonal and nternatonal fashon. The towns of Ibza and Mahon, but above all the cty of Palma are places where the shopper can fnd anythng he or she mghtbelookngfor;somuchsothat thebalearcssnowandeallocaton for a weekend shoppng spree. In the hstorc centre of Palma, the so-called golden mle s located between the Passeg Born and the Jaume III avenue. Shops n ths stretch offer the best desgner labels n the world so even wndow shoppng s a delght. Marnas aroundtheslandprovdeanchorage for large numbers of luxury yachts, wthmoorngsatpuertoportalsand Port Adrano beng partcularly sought after. In Ibza Town, the port area of Ibza town s full of shops where styles remnscent of the hppy era rub shoulders wth sophstcated nternatonal brands. The old centre of theportofmahonnmenorcahasa pedestransed shoppng area where local busnesses peddle ther wares comfortably alongsde nternatonal brands. Mallorcan fabrcs. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Vst a specalst Mallorcan textle factory Mallorcan tongues or lenguas mallorqunas s the name of a centures-old desgn pecular to the sland that s woven nto textles for makng clothes and furnshngs cushon covers, curtans, carpetng - or for coverng handbags and purses. To fnd out how ths clever desgn s used n textles, sgn up to a guded vst to Pollença, to one of the few famly workshops n Europe where the kat technque one of the most complcated natural dyeng processes n the world - s stll used n manufacture. The kat technque found ts way from the Orent to Mallorca n the 16th century va the old Slk Route. The Mallorcan kat produces a very versatle, resstant fabrc whch s dentcal on both sdes. The tour of the workshop wll reveal the secrets of dyeng the fabrc whch s made out of natural fbres. It wll also enable vstors to watch the looms n acton and provde the chance to buy some of the fnal product. SHOPPING: ARTS AND CRAFTS Loseyourselfnahppy market n Ibza There s a whole strng of so-called hppy markets n Ibza. They are an experence of art, musc, street spectacle, gastronomy and above, all colour. There s a specal Boheman atmosphere to these markets, where there s vast array of goods to choose from. Every Saturday n Sant Carles de Peralta, the magcal Las Dalas market opens ts doors wth around 100 stalls. Every concevable art and craft product s for sale here from jewellery, ornaments and accessores, to books, pantngs and antques. If you feel lke t, have a massage, lsten to lve musc or enjoy some fuson cookng at the market restaurant. Meanwhle the hppy market at Benrras s open every day, but t s on Sundays when the hppes themselves celebrate the famous drum festval. The drums start to pound out ther mesmersng rhythm when the sun starts to set. The largest and one of the most vsted Hppy markets n Ibza s Punta Araba at Es Canar. It s open every Wednesday. The oldest hppy market n Ibza, establshed n 1974, s the Mercadllo del Puerto (Ibza town) stuated n squares Anton Rquer and Sa Tertula. It s open every day. A worker at a Pons Quntana shoe factory. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES THE ART OF SHOEMAKING IN MENORCA Menorca at your feet Sncethemddleofthe19thcentury, thendustryofthemenorcahas beencloselyalledwththeshoetrade andnmoderntmesthesland sshoe manufacture has earned an nternatonal reputaton for desgn and qualty. The most tradtonal shoe sold n Menorca s the abarque, whch was orgnallyatypeofsandalwornby countrypeople,butsnowsoldwth equal colour, style and success alongsde top nternatonal brands. The begnnng of the sland s shoe trade was rooted n small craft workshops whereaswellasabarques, othertypes offootwearwereproduced.although state-of-the-art technology s now used n shoe manufacture n Menorca, craftsmen have managed to preserve the countrfed character of the sland s favourte shoes. Inthe1950s,theoldcraftworkshopswerereplacedwthmodernfactores. Salesbegantosoarnthe1960s wththeresultngnternatonalreputatontomatcheventhetopshoemakers of Italy. Nowadays, shoes whch carry the name of Menorca havelongsncereachedtofoundther waytothefar-flungreachesofthe globe. Mascaro s one of the companes wth the best-known nternatonal reputatons, largely thanks to the brand names assocated wth ts busness: Mascaro, Ursula Mascaro and Pretty Ballernas. If you are shoe huntngnmenorca, vstngthemascaro shop n Ferreres s an absolute must.thereyouwllbeabletopck throughthelatestcollectonsofthese threeshoebrandsandsnapupsome of the best bargans. Other brands lnked to Menorca whch have outstandng nternatonalreputatonsfordesgnandqualtyareponsquntana knownabove allforthewaytusesplatdesgnsn tsshoes SalordJover, Patrca, Hommers and Flavo Menorca. It s qute usual for these desgner brands to be foundnprncpaltownsofthesland such as Mahon and Cutadella.

21 21 CYCLINGTOURISM An effort for some, a pleasure for others but recommended out of season, cyclng toursmcanbecomparedtoanopendoor,an nvtatontovstsomeofthemostwell-hdden spots of the slands. Although cyclng toursm can apply to the Balearcs n general, Mallorca s partcularly recommendedforbcyclelovers.thenatural outdoors, splendd landscape and excellent temperatures haave promoted an ndustry thatsrespondngncreasngly totheneeds of those wantng to tour the regon on two wheels. Durngthewnterandsprngmonths,thefnestprofessonalcyclngteamsnEuropeenjoytheroadsoftheslandsalongsdetoursts who are amateur cyclsts both groups fnd the condtons on the slands deal for tranng. Everyyearhundredsofthousandsofpeople come to the Islands for cyclng toursm. The favourte tme to come s between February and May 90 per cent vst at ths tme becausethemedterraneanweathercondtons are just rght for the sport. The Balearcs have an extensve road networkcoverngnearly1,400klometres.many of the roads are very well sgnposted to ensure an excellent cyclng experence. Scenc countryroadsleadtothesmalltownsandvllages of the slands nterors where vstors can enjoy authentc regonal culture and cookng. (There are routes to sut all types of cyclsts.themostchallengngarethosenthe mountans. The dverse terran s a key reason for professonals (and others) choosng the Balearcs, and Mallorca n partcular.) For more nformaton vst: Cyclng n Menorca.PHOTO: BULLETIN SPORTING ACTIVITIES Sports An exceptonally favourable clmate and dyllc surroundngs attract thousands of vstors to the Balearcs each year for sportng toursm. Salng and golf, as well as cyclng, are the man sportng actvtes, but there s massve scope for varous other sports - runnng, Nordc walkng, skatng and bladng, tenns, football, beach volleyball and rugby. For dsabled sportsmen and women, the slands are provng mmensely popular for handbkng. Paralympans are among those who come each year to take advantage of the slands roads, whle para-badmnton tournaments n Alcuda attract sportspeople from all over the globe. The great thng s that all these sportspeople return year after year. They are aware of all the facltes provded, ncludng hotels that are adapted to dfferent needs, and are makng the Balearcs the pre-emnent sportng destnaton n the Medterranean. Dvng n the Medterranean The waters around the Balearcs provde a remarkable underwater experence. For snorkellers or for dvers, there s so much to see beneath the sea. The clarty of the water and ts temperature make dvng an allyear actvty. In addton to the fsh, sealfe and flora, there are wrecks and sea caves to explore. The Balearcs are blessed wth havng many hghly professonal and fully qualfed dve centres and nstructors who wll guarantee your safety whle also payng specal attenton to marne envronmental regulatons - whch are n place to ensure that your dvng experence takes advantage of conserved habtats, reefs, sea grass and other marne lfe. Dve centres are proud to be able to offer dvng materal from the best-known brands. Boats and equpment are subject to annual checks to ensure ther mantenance and your safety. Football They re football crazy n the Balearcs. Even the smallest vllages have football ptches. Typcally all-weather, they offerafabulousopportuntyfortranng,buttheyarealsoavalable for tourng teams, some of whch are groups of frends who come year after year to challenge local rvals. Lastng frendshps are establshed wth local people, especally because of the after-match festvtes. Organsng a football trp s a great way to play your favourte sport but also to get to know the real character of the slands. Prncess Sofa Regatta held n the sprng n Palma. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Salng There are more than 1,400 klometres of coastlne around the Balearc Islands, and plenty of facltes for those who enjoy salng.. The slands have more than 50 marnas and some 22,000 moorngs, provdng a vertable paradse for salng enthusasts. The Balearcs, a hub for cross-medterranean yacht races, provde all sorts of support servces for people messng about n boats : small and large marnas, safe anchorage and shelter from rp currents or sea swells so that there s no draggng or snatchng, open coves to be explored, dvng from the deck nto an azure sea. There s therefore somethng to sut every taste and every pocket. Golf The Balearc Islands have no fewer than 26 golf courses. In Mallorca, there are 24, whle Ibza and Menorca have one each. All of these courses enjoy ther own, unque surroundngs meanng that all the golfng enthusasts of Europe are spoled for choce n terms of stunnng locaton. And what more could any of them ask of the deal weather? The golf courses provde dfferent challenges. The Alcanada golf course n Alcuda, for nstance, s an almost lnks-style course that looks over the fabulous bay of Alcuda. Or there s the Golf Park Puntro on the road to Sneu from Palma. It s a Jack Ncklaus Desgns course wth lakes and bunkers that create testng holes. The oldest course s Son Vda Golf n Palma. It was offcally opened n 1964 by Prnce Raner of Monaco, and t has been attractng Europe s and the world s golfers ever snce. Many of the golf courses have accompanyng hotels, as s the case, for example, wth Son Vda. Alcanada golf course n Mallorca. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES

22 22 RUNNING IN THE BALEARICS what better place to run thannthe Balearcs If runnng s your passon, then you ll lovedongtevenmorenthebalearcislands. Here you have got all the ncentves you could wsh for: an deal clmate 365 days of the year, varyng terran so you can choose the ground you want to run on and to the level of dffculty that you wsh to aspre to, and all wth splendd scenery n whatever drecton you want to go. There are hundreds of klometres to explore from the flatter urban areas of n Mallorca to the steep slopes of the Tramuntana mountans. Dscover the rural, well-trodden pcture postcard route of the Camí de Cavalls or Horse Route n Menorca; enter the wndng labyrnth of theoldctywallsofibzatownorbreathe n the tranqulty and unspoled natural beauty of Formentera. Itsforallofthesereasonsandmorethat the Balearc Islands have become a destnaton for runners on an nternatonal scale. Year after year people come to tran and enter the dfferent racng compettons that are organsed. Marathons, halfmarathons,trals,racesnwhcheveryone traned or untraned can partcpate. The Balearc calendar s full of sportng events. Come and take part! Rafa Nadal Sports Centre Mallorca s most famous sportsman s Rafael Nadal. From Manacor n the east of the sland, Rafa s commtted to sportng development on hs natve sland. The Rafa Nadal Sports Centre n Manacor s a clear example of the tenns star s commtment. Whle the centre s a place for the developmentofyoungbalearctalent(andtalentfromoutsde the Balearcs), t s also for sportspeople from anywhere who wsh to take advantage of ts outstandng state-of-the-art facltes and hghly professonal team of nstructors. TheRafaNadalSportResdencehasbeendesgned by and for athletes. It has the best of gastronomy, the best of facltes and hgh-comfort rooms. There are 26 tenns courts, a seven-a-sde football ptch, two swmmng pools - outdoor and the ndoor 25 metre pool - athletcs track and ten paddle tenns courts. The motto s to lve 360 degree sport. There are few sports toursm centres that can compare. Tral run on the Camí de Cavalls n Menorca. PHOTO:BULLETINFILES Rafa Nadal n Manacor. PHOTO:BULLETINFILES Tenns There are tenns courts all over the Balearcs. They are a reflecton of the slands sportng phlosophy of nclusveness: sport for all. Some of the tenns centres are grander than others of course.fornstance,there s the Palma Sport & Tenns Club, where the ATP Legends Cup s held n October, or the Santa Ponsa Tenns Club, whch even has grass courts. In Ibza, there s, as an example, the Vva Club n San Antono, whle Menorca has clubsncutadellaandmahon. Sportng toursm WHY NOT TAKE TO THE AIR? It s not only salng, sports fshng, scuba dvng, paddle surfng and wndsurfng that are practsed by hundreds of thousands of people n the Balearcs. You can also take to the ar to hang glde, parask, and even go balloonng, but f you want your feet more frmly on the ground there s clmbng, cave exploraton, trekkng n gorges and ravnes, and equestran sport n all ts dfferent styles. Why not vst racng tracks where trottng races are held? Before you reach for your top hat, ths s not Ascot, nor s t actually horse racng as we mght know t. For n Majorca, t s trottng races that are the kng of sports. The specally-bred horses pull a small and lghtweght cart whch carres a jockey around a race track at great speed. Prncpal hppodromes are n Palma and Manacor. The Balearcs are akn to an open-ar gymnasum where sportng enthusasts can practse n an unrvalled envronment - n full sunshne, wth beautful scenery, all cooled by a lght Medterranean breeze. For more nformaton about sports: Sportng Toursm A trathlon n Formentera. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Trathlon Mallorca stages one of the bggest trathlonsneurope.thenrvanaironman70.3nmay s based n Puerto Alcuda and each year attractsthousandsofpartcpants-professonal andamateur-fromnumerouscountres.whle thebayofalcudasdealfortheswmmngleg, the proxmty of the Tramuntana mountans means that the cyclng leg s challengng. Rathereaserstherunnngcourse,whchsflat. Alcuda wll ths year - at the start of November - be holdng the frst Long Course Weekend:bascally,atrathlonoverthreedays.Inaddton to the Alcuda events, there are, for nstance,theportocolominternatonaltrathlon n Aprl, and not forgettng those whch take placenmenorca,ibzaandformentera,thelatter of whch s n early October. Paragldng: Dscover the sland of Menorca from the ar. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES

23 23 CONGRESSES AND CONVENTIONS The Balearc Islands have some magnfcent facltes for the MICE(meetngs,ncentves,conferencesandexhbtons) sector. There s an abundance of long experence wth organsng natonal and nternatonal events n the Balearcs,andnowtheresabrandnew centre. The Palaco de Congresos(palace of congresses) n Palma opened n Aprl. The work of the brllant archtect Patx Mangado, t has world-class facltes n ts varous halls and audtorums, and theacoustcstomatch.overlookngthe bay of Palma, ts locaton s unbeatable. Justashortdrvefromthearport,close totheoldcty,thsnewcentressetto make Palma one of Europe s premer destnatons for the busness toursm of conferences and exhbtons. It also creates a dramatc mage for vstors enterng the eastern end of the Paseo Martmo coastal road. Away from Palma, there are audtorums n dfferent parts of Mallorca, such as Cala Mllor and Alcuda, whle Ibza hastsownpalacodecongresosand audtorum n Santa Eulara. For more nformaton vst: The new palace of congress n Palma. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Gettng marred n Ibza. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES Gettngmarred?Dotnthe Balearcs Weddngs should always be specal, and the Balearc Islands are deal for creatng memores that wll last a lfetme. There are varous hghly professonal companes whch wll organse your weddng and assst wth fndng the perfect locaton. Mountan settngs, overlookng the sea, splendd country homes wth grounds: there s a wde choce that the experts wll be only too happy to help you wth n arrangng a day n the Balearcs that you wll never forget. Health Once upon a tme, toursm n the Balearcs was manly to do wth health. People from cold clmates would come to the slands for the benefcal effects of the wnter sun. They stll do. Even f t s just to relax, there s no better tonc than a Balearc wnter of sunny days and moderate temperatures for unwndng. Nowadays, there s very much more for your health. Medtaton and yoga, nutrton classes, personal traners, beauty treatment and an outstandng medcal servce are all here. Moreover, there are the only hot sprngs n the Balearcs, whch can be experenced at the Hotel Balnearo San Juan de la Font Santa n Campos, Mallorca. Rural toursm and accommodaton wth a dfference There are many ways to get to know the Balearc Islands. One of them s to stay n hghly ndvdual alternatveaccommodaton.apart from hotels servcng holdaymakers and busnesses, the slands are also dotted wth superbly located farmng estates and manor houses that have been refurbshed for accommodatng rural toursm. Into ths bracket also fall boutque hotels wth old-world charm that are deal for vstors who want to enjoy a break wth complete peace and quet n a gorgeous rural settng. On the nternet you wll fnd a grand selecton of rural accommodaton n all of the four slands of the Balearcs. For more nformaton vst: Professonal tranng Want to learn Spansh or Catalan? Well, there are any number of leadng schools whch wll teach you. Language learnng s a fantastc way to not just be able to speak, understand and wrte another language but also to mmerse yourself n the local culture. For foregn students, there are Spansh courses at the Unversty of the Balearc Islands n Palma. The unversty s also one place where fne food lovers and cookng afconados can come to learn more about culnary arts through workshops and classes. Students can work alongsde top chefs at the hotel and caterng school, at whch Mcheln-starred chefs n Mallorca learned ther own craft. Yoga n Menora. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES All-year-round enjoyment for the famly The natural landscapes of Mallorca are exceptonal, and wth a favourable, temporate clmate, outdoor actvtes can be practsed all year round. Indeed t s the clmate that has helped promote the creaton of theme parks and open-ar commercal centres whch tastefully complement the natural backdrop of the unspoled slands. Mallorca Fashon Outlet nmarratxhasafullofferoflesureactvtes, restaurants and fashon. The Aquarum n Can Pastlla n Palma s one of the most spectacular n the world. Forestal Park also n Playa de Palma and Jungle Park n Bendnat provde amusement and entertanment for all ages. Fnally, Katmandu Park n Magaluf s full of surprse attractons. What suts you best? Palma Aquarum n Mallorca. PHOTO: BULLETINFILES General nformaton THE BALEARIC ISLANDS MALLORCA MENORCA IBIZA FORMENTERA