Mallorca Spain

#Mallorca_Majorca_Spain

Mallorca (Latin for larger island) is one of Spain Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea
 Interesting Fact
 Why the waters here are so clear, the seabed are rich in sea grass which oxygenate plus clarifies the water.

This stop brings me to the Capital City of Palma (430,000 citizens) 
 
KeyTip;
The City Council has worked out a deal with local business owners to create Free Tour Palma
It gets you access for either a one or two hour free tours that all visiting tourists can take advantage of
this great idea by the local government

 

Santa Maria Cathedral (groundbreaking was in 1229 and completed in 1601) is one of the largest Gothic Churches in Spain

 Some Fun Facts;
  The rosette has over 1200 pieces of colored glass plus you will see many gargoyles and grotesques on the churches exterior, which is decorative but also it channels away the rainwater

KeyTip
On Fridays there is free admission for the local residents so i bigger crowd.
 So keep that in mind if you so decide to buy a entrance fee, plus please remember there is a dress code 

Palma has over 300 days of sunshine per year with the average temperature of 21C (72F) hence why millions of tourists visit here each year

I am sure something profound was written on this wall but it is to weather-beaten to read, but knowing that the Romans founded this area in 2nd Century BC i am certain of that

Most of the cities architecture is of the Modernista and Art Nouveau that was created in the early 20th century 

As i look for a Bike Rental Shop
Mallorca welcomes tens of thousands of cyclists each year for both professional training and like myself (after retirement of competitions) leisurely biking

Because of the challenging terrain its a favorite area for the both, with the most feared route
 is called Sa Calobra 
 Its a 10km (6 miles) ride that takes you down the side of a mountain,  has 26 hair pin turns plus the final 2km (1.2 miles) becomes very steep climb, just to keep things interesting 😉

KeyTip
There is generally a professional photographer on the route to capture those images for you, which can be purchased online

As like many older religious buildings across Spain they hold their "secrets"
 Such as the claim of an authentic Holy Grail, Architectural Oddities and Priest Holes; which were old houses connected to the Church to hide them during times of persecution

One of 2,500+ restaurants serving fresh seafood, rice dishes and tapas

 With a Foodie Fact;
 That the famous spicy sausage sobrasada and sweet pastry ensaimada are not made outside the island of Mallorca but here, so better get your hunger ready 

Spanish and Catalan are the co-official languages here, but what i noticed in the high tourist traffic areas there is a lot of English spoken 

Palma de Mallorca has earned the title......The Worlds Best Place to Live

Making my way to the Dragon Caves

Cuevas del Drach

From the Latin word "draco" meaning dragon
According to local legend, the fierce dragon was to guard the hidden treasures that belonged to the pirates
The complex is actually made up of four main interconnected caves which then runs out to the sea

Fun Facts
A) A tradition that started in 1935 that has a live musical quartet (two violins, cello and harmonium) that play on a small illuminated boat
B) Jules Verne was in awe of the caves and mentioned them in his novel Clovis Dardentor
C) Special electric lighting system was installed here by the same Catalan engineer (Carles Buigas) who also designed the magical fountains of Montjuic in Barcelona