Sant Joan

Small municipality in the interior of the island that belongs to the region of Pla de Mallorca. Despite being in the Pla, a rather flat central area, the characteristic landscape of the municipality is composed by a set of hills with rounded tops and extensive farmland, of mainly wheat.

A stroll through the town reveals: the parish church of Sant Joan Baptista, built between 1927 and 1939, but this still holds the remains of the previous church, dating from the 18th century; houses with traditional architecture; boundary crosses, monumental crosses of marès - sandstone used for centuries in all types of constructions on the island - located at the edge of the roads, to delimit the town´s limits, and flour windmills. You can also visit the Museu de la Paraula, located in the birthplace of Father Rafel Ginard (1899-1976), one of the most important folklorists of the Balearic Islands. A visit to the museum is a trip to the Mallorca of a bygone era, to discover the culture, customs and traditions, as well as getting to know the legacy of Father Ginard and the interior of a Mallorcan peasant house from the first half of the 19th century.

Other visits that it has to offer are: a stroll to the sanctuary of Nostra Senyora de Consolació, approximately one kilometre from the village, on a hill at an altitude of 172 metres; the climb to the puig (mountain) of Sant Nofre, at 254 metres, where the remains of the old hermitage of Sant Nofre can be found; and a visit to the possessió (estate) of Els Calderers. The visit to the estate includes the manor house, the stables and the corrals with native breed animals (black pig, Mallorcan goat, Balearic donkey, etc.), as well as various aspects of rural Mallorca.

As for the festivities, the Sol que balla (the dancing sun) festival is held on June 24, when the young people of the town go up to the sanctuary of Nostra Senyora de Consolació to see the sun rise. And on the first weekend of October, the Fira del Botifarró (typical botifarró-sausage fair of the island) takes place, with barbecue grills in the street, musical performances and exhibitions.