The beautiful medieval town of Santa Eugenia

Amid the quiet back roads south of Binissalem is the pretty, steeply layered town of Santa Eugenia, home to three picturesque 18th-century windmills and some lovely views from the hilltop on which it’s perched. People argue over whether the mountains or the coast represent “the real Mallorca” but the heart of the island is to be found in villages like this. With a resident population of just 1283 people, Santa Eugenia represents one of the smaller villages on the island where the local customs and traditions that are all to commonly overlooked in popular tourist resorts can still be experienced.

With a distance of around 10 km separating this village from the capital city of Palma, you can be assured that all of the islands major facilities and attractions are only a short trip away. The village of Santa Eugenia has its roots dating back to the early Catalan conquest. At this time, the land became the property of the first governor of Mallorca, Bernat de Santa Eugenia. It is from this man that the village took its name having been previously known under Islamic rule as Benibazari.

Today, Santa Eugenia will hold most appeal to those seeking the solitude and relaxation that the village has to offer over many of the mass tourist areas to the south of the island. Its ideal location makes it the perfect base to explore Mallorca and take in the wide array of delights representing the Mallorcan culture. Here you can discover excellent accessibility to the nearby major town of Inca, while within the immediate vicinity are set the picturesque neighbouring villages of Santa Maria Del Cami, Consell, Sencelles and Algaida. Also, is worth seeing the windmills of Es Puget or Can Camarada, the monastery, an old recently restored water tank and the only Jewish cemetery in Mallorca, next to the Christian one.

Not far from the highway you will find the small zoo Natura Park, the main tourist attraction in the region. The garden was opened in 1998 and features numerous species, most birds and exotic animals such as zebras, peacocks or blades; a truly enjoyable activity, especially for families traveling with children. Natura Park also hosts the largest butterfly garden in the whole Spain. Nature lovers will appreciate the pine forest on the slopes of Mount Son Segui and the area between Son Matxina, Talaia, Torta and Son Tano. Many of the historic sites that formed the early civilisations here provide popular attractions for tourists in the area, whilst the surrounding countryside is good for those that wish to get out and go hiking. This is a village rich in authentic local culture and coupled with its convenient location on the island making it an ideal base for a holiday in Mallorca. Santa Eugenia can be considered an oasis of peace and a perfect location for a stress-free holiday away from the mass of tourism, offering comfortable hotel apartments and chalets, a traditional yet elegance of the Balearic Islands. So, if you’re passionate about history, this is the perfect place for you.