In Mallorca you don't choose the market: the calendar does. Nearly every town has a fixed market day inherited from generations past, and the rhythm barely changes year to year: produce brought in before dawn, folding tables in the plaça, baskets and sobrasada and oranges, packed up in the early afternoon. It's the most reliable way to see the island as Mallorcans see it, and because the days are fixed you can plan an entire trip around them. Seven markets — one for each day — deserve a week built around them, chosen for character more than size and joined in a relaxed circuit that crosses the island with barely a detour: Manacor and Artà in the east, Sineu, Inca and Binissalem across the central plain, Sóller in the Tramuntana and Pollença in the north. The location map marks all seven; each is detailed below. If your days don't line up, swap them for the Santanyí art market (Wednesdays and Saturdays), the walled Alcúdia market (Tuesdays and Sundays) or the craft market at Santa Maria del Camí (Sundays) — all excellent. Whatever the day, the rules are the same: go in the morning, bring cash and a basket, and leave room in the boot.
