Artá
The coast of Artà (25 km long) still preserves its natural condition since many areas have not been urbanized. Some places that are important to highlight are: the beach and the dune formation of Sa Canova, the coastal plain of Sa Colònia de Sant Pere, the enormous cliffs in Ferrutx, where some of the most unique fauna and flora species on the island live (Paeonia cambessedesii, the fish eagle or the peregrine falcon), and finally, a series of little coves with sand beaches.
The Talaiotic settlement of Ses Païsses is 1 km from Artà. It is located on a hillside, in a Holm oak wood. It represents one of the most important vestiges of the prehistoric period in Mallorca. 324 people are estimated to have lived there in the past and that its wall was built between 1000 and 800 BC.
In the old centre of Artà, in the high part of the village, there are big mansions that in the past used to be the houses that the owners of the big fincas had in the village. There, you can also find constructions built by those who emigrated to South America and made a fortune.
Sant Salvador is a fortified building that houses a sanctuary that was already known in Muslim times. It is therefore a defensive construction prior to the Catalan conquest. It is located on a hill and is considered the most emblematic structure in Artà. Its wall is 1 metre thick and has 10 towers.
The sanctuary dates from the 13th century and has a sculpture of the Virgin seating next to baby Jesus. It is a Romanesque sculpture, probably from the 12th century, which was brought from Catalonia. The current temple was built in the 19th century, since the previous one had been destroyed. It had been used as a hospital during the plague that stroked the region in the summer of 1820.
Some people from Artà spend the summer in the coastal area of Sa Colònia de Sant Pere, a place that has moderately grown from what at the end of the 19th century was a repopulation colony. Today, it is a peaceful residential area located between the mountains and the sea and surrounded by vineyards and almond trees.