Capdepera
The municipality of Capdepera, with a population of 7200 inhabitants and the tourist area of Cala Ratjada, is located on the northeastern part of Mallorca. It is the first spot on the island where the sun rises.
Capdepera is the most eastern point in Mallorca. It finally became independent of Artà in 1858. It has an area of 54.90 km² and stretches 25 km along the coast, where you can find some of the best beaches in Mallorca and some of the most important tourist areas, such as Cala Ratjada.
Capdepera is located in the mountain range of Serra de Llevant, characterised by small mountains and hills. In the middle of these elevations there are two valleys: the Valley of Sa Mesquida and the Valley of Canyamel. Both of them have highly interesting natural areas, such as Cala Agulla and Cala Mesquida, perfect for hiking o cycling, since there is restricted traffic access.
Form an historical point of view it is important to mention that the first human settlements known in Capdepera date from the Talaiotic times. In 1300 AC, the building work of the Capdepera Castle’s fortified premises was completed. Initially, it was used to defend the area against pirate raids that besieged Mallorca.After James I conquered Mallorca, the castle played an important geostrategic and military role.
From a natural point of view, naturalists have in this municipality a small paradise with 112 different plant species. Birds are the most common vertebrates in this area, since over 200 species have been catalogued here. 30 of these species live here all year long, while the rest comes to breed in springtime or spend the winter here, particularly those species coming from northern Europe.
Capdepera and the tourist resort of Cala Ratjada, Font de sa Cala, Canyamel and Cala Mesquida are a gift of nature. They combine wisely the sea flavour of the tourist resorts and the stunning landscapes and beaches (with Cala Agulla as the main reference) famous for their white sand and crystalline waters.
Information of Interest
- Gardens of Sa Torre Cega in Cala Ratjada, owned by the Bartolomé March Servera Foundation. They are open to the public and contain an important sculpture collection.
- Capdepera Castle: It is a fortress with a fortified building that was first built in 310. However, it was rebuilt on the site of a Muslim hamlet in the 14th century. Its importance lies in the fact that Menorca surrendered from that same place. When King James I conquered Mallorca, he thought he also needed his troops to conquer Valencia; therefore, he developed a stratagem to fool the Muslims that lived in Menorca and make them surrender. In order to do that, he ordered his men to light huge bonfires in Capdepera, so that they could be seen from the neighbouring island. He wanted the Muslims in Menorca to believe that he had a big army ready to invade them. His trick worked very well and the Capdepera Treaty was signed from the castle itself. This treaty allowed the Muslims to stay in Menorca on the condition that they paid taxes to the Aragonese king.
LINK OF CAPDEPERA TOWN COUNCIL
http://www.ajcapdepera.net/