Aromas, colors and flavors

Whenever we talk about villages, one of the most commonly repeated phrases is "despite the passage of time and the changes, they have managed to preserve the essence, the authenticity and the charm". And it is often very true. Localities that, in spite of everything, decide, consciously or not, to preserve their identity, their roots, not as a tourist attraction, but as a way of being and understanding their reality. Within all these parameters Santanyí fits perfectly, a village located in the southwest of the Llevant de Mallorca. A rural and traditional village, set in an agricultural environment, but with direct access to some of the most beautiful and hidden coves of the whole island. The perfect combination of village life, nature and leisure.

However, this more leisurely and quiet style is altered twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday) by its more than recognized and classic weekly market. It is located around the main square, where farmers, producers and artisans from different parts of the territory, in addition to the municipality itself, have their best items for sale. An event that we have not been able to ignore and that we finally have the opportunity to enjoy first hand.

As we are cautious and expect a large influx of people, we arrive minutes before the market starts. In fact, some stalls are still being set up, so we take the opportunity to go to a bar to have a cup of coffee and catch the last moments of a moderate temperature before the sun hits stronger. We head down Sebastià Vila street towards the main square, the heart of the town and where the daily activity is concentrated.

It is a constant coming and going of people, the terraces overflowing and the stalls full of seasonal fruits and vegetables that give off a huge amount of aromas transporting you directly to the countryside. In one of them, run by a family from Porreres, a few boxes of strawberries capture our attention for their intense red color, so we decide to ask where they come from: Manacor. And not only strawberries but apricots, watermelons and melons are from here.

We continue walking around the parish of Sant Andreu, leaving behind the vegetables and finding here stalls of clothing, art, jewelry and accessories typically Mallorcan, such as baskets of llata, fabrics of llengües, espadrilles or the more than known abarcas, all made by hand and with products from the land. A worthwhile traditional market could not miss having a classic oven, in this case the Lozano Bakery one, and its huge and varied amount of different breads, biscuits, panades and more typical sweets.

Going down towards Rafalet street, we come across a very nice stall where they sell salt, jams and one of our favorite products, the Mallorcan olive oil, which catches our attention. On this occasion the olives they use to elaborate Es Pujolet oil are of the Arbequina and Picual variety, which they collect from the olive groves they have in their estate in Arian. Catalina tells us that, like many businesses, they started selling to family and friends, and nowadays they go to all the markets of the island. With a production of 10,000 liters per year, their oil with denomination of origin is very appreciated by both locals and tourists. Before saying goodbye, she invites us to taste this precious liquid gold. Delicious.

After visiting all the stalls, we put an end to our morning walk. We go home very happy for the great experience and for having talked to local producers to learn first hand about the origin of the products they have for sale.