Santa Maria del Cami: wine and a Sunday market in the heart of Mallorca

Set on the plain between Palma and Inca, in the shelter of the Tramuntana mountains, Santa Maria del Cami grew up along the old royal road that once linked the two towns. Today this Mallorcan town of some 7,500 people is known above all for its wine and for one of the liveliest Sunday markets on the island.

Wine country

Vineyards surround the town, which sits within the Binissalem appellation and is home to several of Mallorca's best-known wineries, open for tastings and visits. A long tradition survives here: at the end of November, to announce that the year's new wine is ready, the cellars and house doors are decorated with branches of pine for the Festa del Vi Novell.

The convent of the Minims

Founded in 1682 beside the road to Inca, the convent of the Minims is the town's architectural jewel, its serene cloister among the finest on the island. The friars, who avoided foods of animal origin, helped make almond milk a local staple, still drunk here especially at Christmas. The Baroque parish church, its tower clad in blue tiles, and the 15th-century town hall complete the centre, while every Sunday the Placa Nova fills with stalls of local and organic produce.

Getting there

Santa Maria del Cami is about fifteen kilometres north-east of Palma, on the main road and rail line towards Inca.