In south-east Mallorca, Felanitx is an authentic rural town famous for its wine, its hilltop sanctuary and its traditional festivals. Much of the island's white wine is born in its vineyards, so wine tourism is almost a must.
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Felanitx is recognised from afar by its mountain. The Santuari de Sant Salvador crowns the highest point of the Serra de Llevant, at 509 metres: a sanctuary whose origins go back to 1348, flanked by two great landmarks — a stone cross some 14 metres tall and a column over 30 metres topped by a figure of Christ, from 1934 — from where the view reaches Cabrera and Cap de Formentor. On a neighbouring peak stands the Castell de Santueri, a 'rock castle' documented since 1228, perched on the cliff with sea views.
Down in the town, life revolves around wine and the market. Felanitx is at the heart of the DO Pla i Llevant, and its wineries offer visits and tastings: the area's headline experience. On Sunday mornings, the weekly market fills the central squares with local produce — cheeses, sobrassada, oil, honey, ensaïmades — and Felanitx's famous capers, the 'green pearls.' The town also has a long pottery tradition. And towards the coast lies its port, Portocolom, one of the prettiest in the south-east.
Felanitx's speciality is, without doubt, wine: book a visit with a tasting at one of its wineries. And its great festival is the Festes de Sant Agustí, in late August (Sant Agustí is the 28th), with a tradition that sets it apart: Els Cavallets, a dance in which six children of about ten to fourteen, dressed as little horses, parade through the streets alongside dimonis and caparrots. A practical note: unlike Inca, Felanitx is not on the train line, so you reach it by car from Palma via Manacor or Campos — also essential for the climb to the sanctuary and the castle. The market is on Sunday mornings and parking is tight that day, so allow time.
