Caimari, Mallorca, Things to do and see, hotels, market

Just at the foot of the beautiful Serra de Tramuntana mountains, lies the small sleepy village of Caimari.

You do not have to take many steps past the first houses on the way into the village before you notice that peace and tranquility dominate here. People stroll calmly around the streets, some locals sit and play cards at the local café and a dog does in the distance – there are not many signs that the silence should suddenly be broken.

Caimari is located in the northern part of central Mallorca and is renown far beyond the borders of Spain for its amazing olive oil.

CAIMARI WEATHER

Things to do

Things to do and see in Caimari

Caimari is a sleepy little village found at the very feet of the Tramuntana range, a perfect location for various physical activities such as cycling, hiking, climbing and MTB. But despite of its rather modest size, Caimari do offers a nice handful of points of interest worth having a look at when you are passing by, for example the ethnological park exhibition, the church of Immaculate Conception, the UNESCO protected marjades and the old pilgrimage path leading to the famous Lluc monastery.

huts at the open air museum and ethnological park of caimari mallorca

EXPLORE THE ETHNOLOGICAL PARK OF CAIMARI

Caimari is home to the only ethnological park on the island, an open-air museum exhibiting life all the way back from prehistoric times. In the park, you can observe various constructions used by hunters living in the Tramuntana mountains and learn about the tools and traps used for hunting and storing. The ethnological park is free to enter all year round, and an interesting place to visit and for learning about the heritage of the island.

Visit the ethnological park open-air museum

santuari de lluc monastery and major tourist attraction in mallorca

WALK THE OLD PILGRIM PATH TO LLUC

Ever since the 13th century, Caimari has been the main access point for reaching the chapel of Lluc. As the chapel grew in popularity, in the 14th century it was decided to construct a stairway to ease the painful journey through the terrain of the mountains. The stairway was marked with 7 stars representing the joy of Mary for pilgrims to follow on their way to Lluc. Today, you can follow in the footsteps of the pilgrims and do an incredible walk to the now famous monastery of Lluc, the religious hub of Mallorca. On your way up, you will explore the wild nature of Tramuntana as you make your way up the stone steps, it is a wonderful and rewarding walk that you should not miss out on.

Walk to the Lluc monastery

front facade of the church of immaculate conception on the main square of caimari mallorca

VISIT THE CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

This is the main church of Caimari, in local mouths referred to as “The New Church” because it is the second temple of the village. The church is built on top of a former convent that was seized by the premiere minister in 1836 to raise money to support the queen in the first Carlist war, after this the nuns could not pay to have it back. Eventually, years later, the local council stepped in and bought the property to replace the old church in Caimari. Inside, you will find some interesting things such as the chapel dedicated to the holy Madonna of Lluc and the main altarpiece of the Immaculate Conception.

Church of Immaculate Conception

nature park of sa comuna in caimari mallorca with olive groves and wildlife

WALK IN SA COMUNA DE CAIMARI

Sa Comuna, is an massive natural area in Caimari that has been declared special interest. The area has an extension of more than 750 hectares of unspoiled nature full of diversified endemic Balearic wildlife waiting for you. Actually, there are more than 250 different species of flora found in Sa Comuna. The area also has two recreational areas if you are looking for a place to camp or rest. For hikers, a visit to the Comuna is a must thing to do in Caimari.

THE OLD CHURCH OF CAIMARI

This building, which is now a cultural center, used to be the village church back from 1792 to 1890. Caimari is not a parish and therefore the church was never officially inaugurated and blessed, but religious services was performed as the congregation continuously grew. From the beginning of the 20th century up to 1958, the old church was actually a movie theater.

Església Vella

olive groves growing on the stone terraces of a mountain side in caimari mallorca

ADMIRE THE MARJADES

One of the most unique characteristics of Mallorca, are the so called marjades. Marjades or majardas, is a series of terraces or cassettes built directly on the mountain slopes using the dry-stone technique, which is declared cultural and world heritage. The marjades was built by the Moors sometime between the years 902 and 1229, which are the official years of the Moorish dominance of Mallorca. Marjades is an excellent solution for growing and cultivating olive, almond and carob trees. The marjardes of Caimari are some of the finest of its kind in Mallorca along with those found in Banyalbufar.

Where to stay

Where to stay in Caimari?

For centuries Caimari has been a resting station for pilgrims on their way to the famous monastery of Lluc, and if you are passing by Caimari on your way through the island, this is an obvious place to stop for a night. There is a cute little hotel in the heart of the village with pool and relaxation area, perfect for restitution.

If you want to stay for more days, there is a nice selection of villas and fincas scattered over the rural landscape at the feet of the mountain slopes offering tranquility and picturesque settings. This is especially great if you are here for active holidays or simply prefer some peace and quietness.

pool at hotel senda in caimari mallorca with mountains in the background during summer

Senda Caimari Hotel

Senda Caimari Hotel is a cute and charming petit hotel completely nestled in tranquility. The comfortable rooms, attentive staff and delicious continental breakfast makes this hotel the best accommodation in Caimari.

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Petit Caimari – Turisme de Interior

Escape the mass tourism and let yourself indulge in this charming old townhouse transformed into accommodation in the heart of charming Caimari. The small Bed & Breakfast offers comfortable spacious rooms, a nice relaxing pool area and a great location a short distance from the area’s activities.

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Market & Events

Weekly Market in Caimari

Every Monday morning the local farmers market is held in the main square of Caimari. At the market, you can browse the many delicious local products including meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, oils, herbs, salts etc.

Caimari is famous for its production of olives and products made from olives, therefore, you will also find a wide variety of products in this category that are interesting.

If you are not looking to purchase anything, you can still sample some of the delicious edibles and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of locals and tourists meeting in this forum.

Annual events and happenings

August

Festes de Mare de Déu d’Agost

Around August 15, Our Lady of August is celebrated in Caimari. There is usually a town party for a few days around this celebration, where a series of fun and cultural activities are on the program.

November

Fira de l’Oliva de Caimari

The biggest event of the year is undoubtedly the olive fair in November, and one of the best times to visit the small village.

The village is filled with stalls with products made from and with olives, and of course also olives that can be tasted in all shades.

There will be lots of taste experiences during the fair. You can taste various dishes where olives are included as a main ingredient, taste olives with e.g. Mallorcan salt, lemon or garlic, or taste delicious bread with olives.

Another highlight of the Caimari Olive Festival is the opening and use of the city’s ancient olive press, giving you the opportunity to experience how the oil was made hundreds of years ago.

The festive program also includes competitions, concerts, folk dances, workshops and exhibitions.

There are always plans for the big thing when the olive festival in Caimari is held, do not miss it.

Facts & History

A bit of history of Caimari

The area of Caimari has been known and inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. Actually, ethnologists suggests that the area was inhabited from pretalayotic times (2,500 – 1,400 BC) based on caves found in the surrounding area.

Very little is known about the Moorish dominance in this specific area, because the first time it is mentioned in history books is in the last part of the Catalan conquest of Mallorca, about 1231-32. After the conquest, Caimari was given to knights of Barcelona who established the first buildings that lay the foundation of the village, one of the buildings is the Son Albertí.

Regarding the name of the village, we hear a lot of different theories suggesting words, nouns and names deriving from both Roman, pre-Roman, Latin and Arab. However, the theory given most emphasis is the theory that the name comes from casmari, which derives from the word chasma, which in Greek refers to abyss. This makes the most sense because of the amount of caves and canyons in the surrounding area of Caimari.