Manacor, the Pearl Capital

Overview

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To the foreigners, Manacor is famous as the center of the Balearics pearl industry. Visit to the factory is free and takes half hour or so. Much more time you will probably spend in their huge store across the street. It makes sense to come here if you want to see how the pearls are produced, but I would not recommend to buy the pearls here--in Palma you‘ll find better price. We visited the town as a part of daytrip to Porto Cristo and the caves. It was a day well spent!Quick Tips: First thing you notice when you enter the town from Port Torrent is a magnificent old mill. A few minutes later you arrive to the Perlas Majorca. Don’t limit yourself to the pearl factory. Besides t...Read More

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Garden Lago Resort

Hotel

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Best Things Nearby:Garden Lago is a wonderful resort situated on Lake Menor (or Estany Petit), a mile or so from the Port Alcudia public beach. The sidewalks along the boulevard leading to the beach are packed with bars, restaurants, hotels, and shops. The resort won the RCI’s Gold Crown title 5 years in the row (1995–1999). When you travel to Mallorca, I would gladly recommend the Garden Lago Resort. Excellent Caprabo supermarket (next to the resort) has fantastic selection of seafood, meat, ice cream, and wine; fruits and vegetable selection could be better (but still decent). The only problem you may encounter here are mosquitoes -– they are plentiful due to ...Read More

Best Things Nearby:
Garden Lago is a wonderful resort situated on Lake Menor (or Estany Petit), a mile or so from the Port Alcudia public beach. The sidewalks along the boulevard leading to the beach are packed with bars, restaurants, hotels, and shops. The resort won the RCI’s Gold Crown title 5 years in the row (1995–1999). When you travel to Mallorca, I would gladly recommend the Garden Lago Resort.

Excellent Caprabo supermarket (next to the resort) has fantastic selection of seafood, meat, ice cream, and wine; fruits and vegetable selection could be better (but still decent).

The only problem you may encounter here are mosquitoes -– they are plentiful due to proximity of the Lake Menor, so don’t forget your repellent.

Best Things About the Resort:
You say ‘WOW’ as soon as you stepped in the reception hall –- the marble floor, magnificent staircase, two elevators with the glass walls, friendly staff –- that’s a vacation dream came true! And the resort did not disappoint us during our seven-day stay.

We had a big apartment with two bedrooms, spacious terrace, one bath, all kitchen needs. This resort is family friendly. After midnight, no loud noise is allowed (but sometimes you can hear it from the neighboring resorts).

Resort Experience:
Facilities: Restaurant, bar, tennis field, swimming pool.

Activity :
Here is a typical holiday week:

Sunday 10:30 - Welcome party; 12:00 - Walking tour to the Hidden Church in the cave of St. Martin; 14:30 Monster Club for kids; 15:00 - Archery lessons; 16:00 – Ping – pong; 20:00 – Professional show.

Monday: 9:30 Excursion to Alcudia, Pt. Pollenca and Cala San Vicente; 11:00 Monster Club for kids; 15:00 - Archery; 21:00 Turbo course Spanish

Tuesday: 8:45 Island Tour (Coach to Palma, nostalgic train to Soiler, boat to Sa Calobra); 10:30 Walking tour to the market in Alcudia town; 11:00 Monster Club for kids; 15:00 - Archery; 20:30 Mini-disco; 21:00 Turbo course Spanish.

Wednesday: 8:45 Island Tour (The famous Dragon Caves and Manacor Pearl Factory); 11:00 Monster Club for kids; 15:00 - Archery; 16:00 – Horse riding; 19:00 BBQ party; 21:30 Men VS Women

Thursday: Inca Market Tour or Palma and Marineland Tour; 11:00 Monster Club for kids; 15:00 - Archery; 20:30 Mini-disco; 21:00 Turbo course Spanish.

Friday: 8:45 Island Tour or Aquacity (waterpark); 11:00 – Horse riding; 20:30 Mini-disco.

Unit Type: 2 Bedroom

Activities: Excellent

Amenities: Very Good

Unit Satisfaction: Very Good

Family Friendliness: Excellent

Service: Very Good

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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 9, 2003

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The Pearl Factory

Attraction

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The factory was our main reason to visit Manacor. My wife wanted to see how the people create those beautiful pearls which you can see in almost every Mallorca‘s store. We booked an island tour and a few days later arrived here. It was early morning, and factory’s parking lot was almost empty. The factory was already open (vacationers can visit it for free Monday – Friday 9am – 1pm, 2pm – 7pm, Saturday – Sunday 10am – 1pm). Next to the entrance, a statue depicted rather somber local woman with a string of pearls--and who would be happy sitting here all day long under the hot Malloca sun. Our factory guide started excursion with brief historic introduction. The first attempts to produce ...Read More

The factory was our main reason to visit Manacor. My wife wanted to see how the people create those beautiful pearls which you can see in almost every Mallorca‘s store. We booked an island tour and a few days later arrived here. It was early morning, and factory’s parking lot was almost empty. The factory was already open (vacationers can visit it for free Monday – Friday 9am – 1pm, 2pm – 7pm, Saturday – Sunday 10am – 1pm). Next to the entrance, a statue depicted rather somber local woman with a string of pearls--and who would be happy sitting here all day long under the hot Malloca sun.

Our factory guide started excursion with brief historic introduction. The first attempts to produce manmade pearls go back to 1890s, but it was the German entrepreneur Eduard Hugheusch who founded the factory in 1902. The business was rather small-scale until the breakthrough in 1952 when they developed new kind of pearl called Majorica.
At this moment our leader guided us to the first room where several dozens of women worked with pearls on their desks. From our catwalk above the desks we could see little but pearls and some small tools. Meanwhile our guide continued. The first stage in the pearl manufacturing includes preparation of the special substance made from the Mediterranean marine species. The content is the factory’s know-how, the guide could say only that it involves a solution made from the scales of a million fish. During the next stage, craftsman (well, craftswomen) create a nucleus of high density glass on a revolving wire thread. After that, other employees cover it with enamel to simulate a real pearl. Amazingly, they have variety of colors; besides the natural one you can see almost all colors of rainbow (I don’t recall green only). We moved to another room and our guide continued the story. The glass nucleus is bathed on this special secret compound, then dried by heated rotating wheel. They repeat the process many times, adding layer upon layer over the nucleus. Finally, quality control people check every pearl (when you by the jewelry, they give you International Certificate of Guarantee for 10 years).

After the excursion, we crossed the parking lot full of cars and busses, and entered huge showroom, I would call it--the Pearl Superstore. Here every group splits into three streams: men go to the bar, children – to WC, while the most difficult task is undertaken by the women meeting tons of the pearl jewelry and army of the salespersons. We found that prices here somehow are higher than in Palma and returned to the coach empty-handed like majority of our group. By this time, the parking lot was full to its capacity and the woman-statue looked like she was about to faint.

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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 9, 2003

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Manacor Old Town

Attraction

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Old Manacor offers a few interesting old buildings worth a visit. The Nostra Senyora Verge dels Dolores at the Rector Rubi square is unexpectedly large church (for a small town like Manacor). Its bell tower, called the Torre Rubi, is the highest building in Manacor (75m). Both the belfry and the square where the church stands, bear the name of Rafel Rubi - due to his efforts present church was built. The Nostra Senyora is a typical Neo-Gothic church with a big beautiful rose window. The architect Bennaser Moner built it in the 19th century on the place of an earlier church. Some scholars claim that the first church on the site was built during the reign of the King Jaume II in 1232 on...Read More

Old Manacor offers a few interesting old buildings worth a visit. The Nostra Senyora Verge dels Dolores at the Rector Rubi square is unexpectedly large church (for a small town like Manacor). Its bell tower, called the Torre Rubi, is the highest building in Manacor (75m). Both the belfry and the square where the church stands, bear the name of Rafel Rubi - due to his efforts present church was built. The Nostra Senyora is a typical Neo-Gothic church with a big beautiful rose window. The architect Bennaser Moner built it in the 19th century on the place of an earlier church. Some scholars claim that the first church on the site was built during the reign of the King Jaume II in 1232 on the foundation of the Arabic mosque. Posted schedule says that it suppose to be open 8:30am – 12:30pm and 5:30 – 8pm. On the same dusty Placa Rector Rubi you will find the Palace Tower – Torre del Palau. This box-like building is all that left from the Royal Palace. For the brief time, Palacio de los Reyes de Mallorca, as it officially was called, served as a residence for the King Jaume II. The Festival of Sant Jaume is celebrated in Manacor on July 25th.

More attractive than the Palace Tower is the Convent Sant Vicenc Ferrer on the Convent square. It has beautiful arcaded cloister and rectory. The convent was founded by the Order of Preachers in the 16th century but the present buildings date from the 17th century. In 1919 the cloister was declared as a Spanish National Monument. It is open to visitors 8am to 2pm (free).

Right behind the church, at the Constitucio square, you will find covered market. Local farmers come to this colorful place to sell fresh vegetables and fruits and prefer to call it Plaça de les Verdures - "the vegetables square" (this colorful inexpensive market open daily). Around the square you will find some historic buildings from the 18th, 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. There is another market – on the Placa Ramon Llul, but it runs only on Monday. Tourist Information Office is on the same square, open 10am – 1pm.

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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 9, 2003

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Old Mill

Attraction

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While driving across Mallorca, you can see hundreds of the windmills. Our tour guide told us that once there were more than 2,000 wind mills on the island, most of them used to pump the water from the wells (sorry, no rivers on Mallorca). But the Polit Mill on the Manacor’s outskirts is a regular 19th-century flour mill. Its big stone tower was built on the top of the solid rock-like building. The mill was recently restored and now open to visitors (free), but you should check with local tourist information office at the Ramon Llull Square first.

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on August 9, 2003

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Olive Art Exposition

Attraction

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You will find this amazing place on the outskirts of Manacor, at Carretera Palma-Manacor. First thing you notice here is a group of giant dinosaurs on the square next to the store. It remains mystery to me what the dinosaurs have in common with olive wood; I guess that people who carved the beasts simply tried to catch visitors’ attention. And it works perfectly. Inside, it’s half-museum, half-store with tons of fantastic items –- all made from the olive wood (the factory itself is on the backyard). Variety is awesome– from toys, to furniture, to cutlery, to pens, to frames -– you got the idea. Some articles are expensive, but most of them are reasonably priced, and all are very inte...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 9, 2003

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Mallorca Journals

Manacor, the Pearl Capital