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Una Atalaya para observar el pasado

A Watchtower to Observe the Past

A Watchtower to Observe the Past 2560 1707 Mancomunitat Pla Mallorca

In the Pla de Mallorca, you can discover and visit a series of archaeological sites that closely connect the history of the region and our island with the neighboring island of Menorca. One of the most common yet fascinating heritage resources that can be found, and which also writes a fundamental chapter in trying to understand how the settlement of the islands of the surrounding sea, the Mediterranean, must have occurred, is the Talayotic culture.
First, let’s understand what these sites exactly are, or what is known about them today. Talayotic sites are archaeological locations specific to the Balearic Islands—particularly Menorca and Mallorca—that date back to prehistory. They are typically recognizable by the talayots or watchtowers that characterize and give them their name. While there is no consensus on their exact origin, the Talayotic culture is the first evidence of settlement and complex social organization in the Balearic Islands.
Its significance is so great for understanding Mediterranean culture that, since 2023, the Talayots of the neighboring island of Menorca have been included in the
UNESCO World Heritage List. However, as we have pointed out, this is not a unique heritage resource in Menorca; the Talayotic culture is especially significant in the Pla de Mallorca. Let’s review some interesting figures to understand its relevance.
As the Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2030 notes, there are 317 Cultural Heritage Sites documented in the Pla de Mallorca, which accounts for more than 15% of the cataloged elements on the entire island. If we take a quick look at the catalog of the Ministry of Culture, most are talayots, prehistoric caves, and other remains of fortifications linked to this culture.
If we consult the Spatial Data Infrastructure of the Council of Mallorca, which manages heritage on the island, the picture is not very different: in the just under 800 km² that make up the Pla de Mallorca region, 232 archaeological sites are cataloged, including BIC (Cultural Interest Sites) and other sites of interest, meaning there is one archaeological site for every 3.5 kilometers of the region’s total area.
This diversity of resources offers countless opportunities to learn more about the original and native culture of the Balearic Islands. To facilitate its discovery, there are already some successful initiatives that we invite you to explore and enjoy in the Pla de Mallorca:
For example, since 2013, Sencelles and, since 2015, Costitx, offer a marked route to visit six Talayotic sites in the Pla de Mallorca in one go, in whatever way you prefer (on foot, horseback, by car, by bike…), featuring important sites like the Sanctuary of Son Corró or the Talayot of Son Fred, two of the most relevant sites in the region and the island.

To organize the visit and learn more: Archaeological Route Sencelles Costitx

Another important site in the Pla de Mallorca region is Son Fornés, excavated since 1975. Today, it has more than 2,200 square meters of documented excavations, revealing a spectacular open-air museum.

To organize the visit and learn more: SON FORNÉS ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The work to better understand and explain how the settlement of the Pla de Mallorca, Mallorca, and the Balearic Islands occurred through Talayotic culture is still necessary today, as seen with the Talayots of Es Racons in Llubí. Although they had been covered with vegetation until recently, the local council has been working on their recovery since 2018.
The mysteries and certainties of the Talayotic culture are also a driving force and reason to explore our region. Who knows if what is left to be discovered will help us understand in detail how the first inhabitants had the privilege of inhabiting our island.

Pla i Llevant

Pla i Llevant 2400 1601 Mancomunitat Pla Mallorca

People often tend to misunderstand how quality recognition through Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) works. Many people think that a product has quality because it has managed to be recognized with this type of seal when, in reality, it is the other way around.  

PDOs, as well as Protected Geographical Indications and other seals with this marked “territoriality,” are obtained to identify those producers and territories that have been working for the quality of a given product.  

These producers, in their respective territories, maintain quality standards of their productions over time thanks to their extensive knowledge of their climate, soil, orography, and landscape, and the adaptation of production to these conditions. The Protected Designation of Origin is a recognition of this continuous effort and dedication, which achieves a human-natural symbiosis, a sustainable production that brings life to authentic gastronomic gems.  

We can affirm that all Protected Designations of Origin are, at least indirectly, a recognition of the landscape of a territory, of how people adapt their work to the land they have to work with.  

This affirmation leads us to the next question, the reason for this publication: What makes the PDO Pla i Llevant unique, the Protected Designation of Origin that recognizes the wine production in the regions on both sides of the Sierra de Llevant and gives the seal its name?  

Perhaps it is the regulatory effect of the Embat, the Balearic sea breeze that moves inland during the hottest hours of the day, lowering the temperature and humidifying the region’s fields. Or maybe it is the salt that, trapped in the Embat, the vineyards manage to metabolize, giving them unique characteristics.  

It is likely that the region’s relief has something to do with it, as it has much to say in this close relationship with the Mediterranean.  

Or it could also be the inseparable Mediterranean character of the Balearic Islands, and that rainfall regime that allows the grapes grown in Es Pla i Llevant to ripen in the sun, giving local producers the opportunity to distinguish up to six native grape varieties: Callet; Gorgollosa; Mantonegro; Fogoneu; Giró Ros or Premsal blanc… grapes that allow the vinification of wines where balance and aromas prevail.  

In short, a variety of factors make the Balearic Islands and the fruits of their land unique, which well deserve a special way of being enjoyed, something offered by the Local Tourist Experiences Guide published by the Mancomunitat Pla de Mallorca. A compilation of up to twenty-four unique experiences in the region, among which the proposals for enjoying the local wines beyond the wines themselves stand out, understanding the quality of their climate, their landscape, their land… and what makes the Protected Designation of Origin Pla i Llevant unique. 

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Come to the Pla: treasures in the heart of Mallorca

Come to the Pla: treasures in the heart of Mallorca 2400 1797 Mancomunitat Pla Mallorca

The Balearic Islands, both as a whole and each island individually, are unique territories in the world, capable of fascinating with the abundance of resources they treasure, and which are showcased to tourists, visitors, and locals through their culture and gastronomy.  

In the Pla, in the heart of Mallorca, despite being an area where the predominant sea is a sea of crops and not of salt, this reality is not very different. The Pla is undoubtedly an inland paradise that dazzles with its landscapes and agricultural character, and with the feast for the senses offered by the products of its rich and varied gastronomic offerings.  

There are many fruits of the land and the good work of the residents of the Pla recognized for their quality through various Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications: olive oils, Mallorcan almonds, hanging tomatoes… or foods that, due to the care with which they are made, sometimes do not even need these recognitions: bread, ensaimadas… the result of years of tradition dedicated to lovingly cooking what the Pla provides.  

While it is true that throughout the island, the various restaurants and cellars that dot it offer the opportunity to enjoy this gastronomy all year round, the Pla stands out as a territory that offers unique ways to get to know and delve into the gastronomy of the region and the island, with fairs and gastronomic days spread throughout the regional geography and throughout the year, for a long time now.  

The already established Llubí Honey Fair, with 23 editions under its belt, is held every November to showcase honey products and their derivatives in the streets of the town. Notable is the honey produced by its characteristic almond and carob fields, recognized nationally, which pairs with the caper of Llubí and the work of the local bees.  

Another event with great tradition in the region, with deep roots in local gastronomy, is the one held in Lloret de Vistalegre, the Festa des Sequer, which at the end of summer pays homage to the king of the garden at that time of year: the fig.  

Also in summer, specifically in September, and for more than 50 years, Vilafranca de Bonany has celebrated its particular tribute to the melon (with different varieties on the island such as “eriçó”; “marina”; “groc”; “pell de melicotó” …). the Vilafranca Melon Fair.  

Finally, every April in Santa Eugenia, the Agricultural and Livestock Fair is held, which in 2024 has celebrated its XLI edition, a fair that preserves the industrial character of these fairs, offering not only samples of the area’s gastronomy and crafts but also giving space to the agricultural machinery and livestock of the region, a fundamental effort to keep the heart of Mallorca alive with its traditions and idiosyncrasies.  

In short, these gastronomic showcases – not the only ones, as we will talk later about cellars, markets, wineries… – serve as a showcase and incentive to get to know the treasures and traditions of the Pla up close, through its gastronomy – and the cultural activities and traditions that accompany these fairs – at any time of the year. 

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