Mallorca’s weekly markets: which town on which day

Why market day matters

Weekly markets are part of the rhythm of island life. In many towns the stalls fill the main square and the streets around it for the morning, selling fruit and vegetables, cheese and sobrassada, plants, clothes, shoes and household goods, and in some places crafts and second-hand goods. Several are very old: Sineu’s Wednesday market goes back to a royal privilege of 1306, and Inca has had a Thursday market recorded since 1375.

For buyers, the market is also a good time to see a town. Go once on market day, when it is at its busiest, and once on an ordinary weekday, and you will learn a lot about parking, noise and how the place works.

The week at a glance

A few worth knowing better

• Sineu, Wednesday: one of the most traditional on the island, still with a livestock section. Stalls spread through the streets around the parish church and pack up around midday. Tour coaches come too, so arrive early to park.
• Inca, Thursday: a big town-centre market from early morning to around midday, from the railway station to Plaça d’Orient. The covered municipal market opens every morning.
• Santanyí, Wednesday and Saturday: held around the Plaça Major of the honey-coloured stone town, and very busy in summer.
• Manacor, Monday: the main market of the east, from Plaça Ramon Llull towards the parish church, with a fruit and vegetable market in Plaça de la Constitució from Monday to Saturday.
• Felanitx, Sunday: one of the largest traditional markets, from 8am to 3pm, with a covered municipal market open from Tuesday to Sunday mornings.
• Santa Maria del Camí, Sunday: 8am to 2pm in Plaça Nova and nearby streets, with priority for stallholders selling their own or organic produce.
• Consell, Sunday: alongside its Thursday market, the town holds a large second-hand and antiques market, the Encants, on its industrial estate every Sunday.

Palma’s covered markets

Palma works differently. Instead of one weekly street market, the city has covered municipal markets that open from Monday to Saturday. The Mercat de l’Olivar in the old town, opened in 1951, is the largest, with fish, meat, fruit and vegetables under one roof. Santa Catalina’s market, from 1920, is the oldest. Pere Garau’s, from 1943, opens early and has island farmers selling their own produce, with outdoor stalls in the square.

Fairs: the bigger occasions

Many towns also hold a yearly fair, usually in spring or autumn, with livestock, farm machinery, crafts and local food. Sineu’s Sa Fira, on the first Sunday of May, is one of the oldest. Inca’s biggest fair, Dijous Bo, falls on a Thursday in mid-November, and Andratx holds its fair on the first weekend of April.

Practical tips

• Go early. Most markets run from about 8am and are packing up by 1pm or 2pm.
• Parking in the centre is hard on market mornings, especially in summer; use car parks on the edge of town.
• Bring a basket or a bag for your shopping.
• If you are viewing a house in the centre, ask whether the market sets up in that street.

Areas in this post

Sineu · Inca · Santanyí town · Manacor city · Felanitx town · Pollença town