Art, crafts and fashion
Handicrafts in the Balearic Islands are highly diversified. Leather goods, bags, leather jackets and belts (the main production areas are the town ofInca on Mallorca; Ferreries, Ciutadella and Alaior on Menorca) are on sale in all specialist stores. While earthenware, ceramics and pearls can be found on all the islands, Mallorca stands out for the abundance of its folk crafts and the quality of its blown glass. Local embroideries, entirely handmade, are of a finesse much appreciated by enthusiasts, which explains their relatively high prices. In Menorca, the craftsmanship of shoes - the famous Avarques - and their manufacture are also remarkable, but the handcrafted jewelry is particularly noteworthy. In Ibiza, while many craftsmen work in leather, basketry and rope sandals remain the island's hallmarks, not to mention Adlib clothing and fashion accessories! Ibiza's and Formentera's various hippie markets offer some great products, either locally made or imported from India.
Ibiza's hippie markets. In Eivissa, along the marina, small stalls set up every evening selling jewelry, paintings and various souvenirs. There's not much hippy about it, but it's just like so many other markets you'll come across at your holiday destination. In Es Canar , the Hippy Market is held every Wednesday. Here you'll find a large number of artisans displaying their creations, among other things. In Sant Carles, the Las Dalias hippy market is held every Saturday, and is undoubtedly the most exotic. Most vendors sell handicrafts they've made or brought back from their travels in India. Most of the products are beautiful and varied (stoles, jewelry, clothes, leathers...), and the vendors are relaxed. You can even relax over a cup of mint tea, sitting on cushions in a tent sheltered from the sun. Sant Jordi has a Saturday morning flea market, where more and more hippies are selling their wares. Interesting for those who enjoy the atmosphere of a garage sale. In Sant Joan on Sunday mornings from 10.30am, one of the newest and yet most authentic markets. Sale of handicrafts made by locals, from food to art to medicinal plants. Concerts from midday. Very rootsy atmosphere.
Formentera's hippy markets. La Savina: the La Savina market takes over the harbor during the high tourist season. You'll find everything here! Great for a stroll before catching your ferry (July to early September). Sant Francesc Xavier: the Sant Francesc market takes over the pedestrian streets of the village center (May to October, daily 10am to 2pm). A second-hand market is also open in the "Jardí de Ses Eres", behind the Sant Francesc church, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, all year round. Sant Ferran: on the promenade of carrer Major, the Sant Ferran art market brings together artists from all over the world to exhibit their works of art inspired by the essence of the island (May to October, daily except Wednesday and Sunday, 8.30 pm to midnight). Sant Ferran also hosts a craft market three days a week (May to October, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 8.30 pm to midnight). Es Pujols: the Es Pujols hippie market takes place on the promenade every evening in summer (May to September, daily from 8pm to midnight). La Mola: the La Mola craft market is the only market on the island where the exhibitors are all real craftsmen/artists. It's Formentera's biggest and busiest market. Concerts enliven the central square paved with multicolored mosaics (May to October, Wednesdays and Sundays, 4pm to 10pm). Free parking is available on site for the many summer visitors!
Enric Majoral, Mediterranean-inspired jewelry. The son of a craftsman born in Sabadell in 1949, Enric Majoral moved to Formentera in 1971. After studying at the Arts et Métiers de Sabadell - and the Polytechnic University of Barcelona - he took his first steps as a self-taught goldsmith in Formentera, selling his inspired contemporary creations in the island's markets, using a wide range of materials including gold, silver, stone, bronze and precious stones. Alongside other artists, he is one of the founders of the La Mola craft market. Goldsmith, jeweler and sculptor, his reputation has spread beyond Spain, the United States, France and Mexico. Two of his creations from the Joies de Sorra series are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. The brand has also opened a boutique in Ibiza. His creations, full of poetry and lightness, are inspired by his island, Formentera, its expressive nature and the softness of its forms. Today, Enric Majoral works with his son Roc Majoral, born in Formentera in 1976, whose creativity and singular vision continue the Majoral spirit. The house has even released a "Posidonia is a jewel" collection, which couldn't better express the artists' infinite inspiration for Formentera and the fabulous waters that splash onto its paradisiacal shores.
Food...
The market stalls on the four main islands of the Balearic Islands are full of excellent products. However, a few products stand out. These are real treats to offer or to treat yourself to. For starters, Mahón cheese, whose real name is queso Mahón-Menorca - to comply with the DO (denomination of origin), as production is spread across the whole island and not just the town of Mahón - is an island institution. Although originally from Mallorca,ensaïmada, a sweet baked pastry, can be found all over the archipelago and is without doubt the most emblematic gift to bring back from the Balearics. Just as famous, and also native to Mallorca, is the sobrassada, a cold cut seasoned with salt, paprika and aromatic herbs, made from a soft dough that's easy to spread on a slice of bread. A real treat! The islands also produce top-quality olive oils and wines.
The Pityuses also boast a number of gastronomic specialities, such as the famous Ibizan salt that can be found in every restaurant and grocery store on the island. Closely linked to the salt marshes, peix sec is an ancient specialty of the fishermen of the southern islands, which consists of drying fish so that it can be eaten all year round. Although dried fish can be made from all types of fish, today it is mainly prepared from cartilaginous fish. Such is the case with skate, which makes up the majority of the island's dried fish preparations. Caught off the coasts of Formentera and Ibiza, the ray is then preserved in ice until it reaches the fisherman's kitchen. The fish is then cut into long fillets before spending half an hour to an hour in brine, a natural preparation based on water and salt (highly concentrated) that has always been used to preserve food. The skate fillets are then hung from the branches of the juniper sabine, a tree typical of the Formentera landscape, where they can dry in the sun and feed on sea spray for 1 to 4 days (or more), depending on humidity, sun and wind. Once dried, the fish is fire-grilled and then flaked before being packed in olive oil. It can then be stored for months. Now all you have to do is enjoy it, in a salad or on a slice of toast.
...and a drink!
Menorca is home to a gin inherited from British rule. Menorcan gin differs from English standards in its production and presentation: it is obtained by distilling ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin and juniper berries. But the great Balearic specialty, this time from Ibiza, is undoubtedly the recipe for Hierbas Ibicencas (Ibizan Herbs). The drink behind this name is a popular, lightly aniseed-flavored spirit that has been handcrafted for centuries by the island's families, no doubt inspired by the preparations of the monks who populated the Balearic Islands in the Middle Ages. Among the many fermented local herbs and plants used in the recipe (which varies from family to family, each adding its own secret ingredient), rosemary, thyme, mint, lavender, fennel, verbena, sage, juniper, orange and lemon peel are almost always present. Since 1997, the Hierbas Ibicencas protected geographical denomination(denominación geográfica protegida) has only been awarded to producers registered with the Ibiza Council, thus guaranteeing a certain quality to the product. A digestif widely consumed throughout the island, and beyond!
Last but not least, Pityuses wine is an excellent gourmet souvenir. Although grape-growing has been documented on the islands since ancient times, since November 1996, following the approval of a decree by the Balearic government, the wine-growing region of "Ibiza" has been created, with Vi de la terra de Ibiza as its official name. A new decree was issued in 2003, refining the previous one by allowing four grape varieties for red wine (cabernet, sauvignon, merlot and syrah) and two for white wine (malvasía and chardonnay), and introducing new quality control standards for wines produced under the Vi de la terra de Ibiza name. Today, four bodegas produce wine under this designation: Ibizkus Wines, Sa Cova, Can Maymó and Can Rich, the latter being the only one to produce a so-called ecological wine. You can visit the facilities of most of these bodegas, which have a limited production capacity, by prior reservation, or alternatively, organize a tasting session with the possibility of buying a few good bottles.
On Formentera, Monastrell, the grape variety traditionally grown on the island, dominates production. There are two vineyards on Formentera: Cap de Barbaria, located on the eponymous cape, and Terramoll, on the heights of La Mola. Formentera's grape varieties thrive on sandy soil, and are found all over the island. Vines have adapted perfectly to the Mediterranean climate of the southernmost of the Balearic Islands. The wines are classified under the Vi de la terra de Formentera appellation, in compliance with certain production criteria that guarantee the quality of the product. Only wines produced on the island are eligible for this designation. Formentera wines are characterized by their "thick color", purplish hue and fruity aroma.
Majorca and Menorca also boast some very fine wines. In all, there are no fewer than 97 wineries on Mallorca and 7 on Menorca.
