A walk through Santa Catalina

The Santa Catalina neighborhood is the oldest in Palma, formerly known as ‘Es Jonquet’. This designation refers to a reed field that grew very close to it due to the proximity of the neighborhood with the sea.

The residents used to be called “llonguets”, and most of them were fishermen or millers, and we have proof of it through the mills that have been conserved in Calle Industria and in El Jonquet. Currently, the most popular restaurants, bars and nightclubs are located there. Young people as well as people that aren’t so young anymore are provided with a big selection of different atmospheres where they can enjoy and have a good time. After a progress in the legislation, where one of the streets of this emblematic neighborhood managed to be pedestrian, Santa Catalina can brag of having the most requested terraces in Palma. This fact has made the area increase its value and turn into a reference point in both nightlife and daytime entertainment.

Santa Catalina counts with a market that holds the title of Palma’s oldest food market. It’s the Mercat Municipal de Santa Catalina. The building that one can currently see and where all the stands are located dates back to 1920 and the last renovation, which has driven it to be a reference in natural shopping occurred in 2010. Santa Catalina Market has become more than that. It has gone from just being a place to make the daily shopping to being a reference spot for culinary innovations. The atmosphere combines the simplicity and closeness from a traditional market which are maintained alive thanks to the politeness and friendliness of its sellers, with the taste for exquisiteness and delicacy in the composition of its plates.

In the market you can find a wide offer of products in stands like: fishmonger, charcuterie, butcher shop, fruit store, greengrocery, wine cellar, bakery, ecologic store, flower shop, etc. Furthermore, the municipal organization of the Santa Catalina Market carries out quite often (a few times a month) interesting gastronomical events. For more information about such events, you should check their website once in a while.

Santa Catalina counts as well with cultural options such as the Mar i Terra Theatre, located in Carrer Sant Magí, 89. It is inside a building of neoclassic construction dated back to 1898, and is part of a renovation plan that was made in 2010 thanks to which this theatre was installed in Palma’s Municipal Theatre School. This project was born from the town hall’s will to recover a building that is a part of the city’s heritage and also to create a cultural area for citizens to enjoy. The program of this theatre is very interesting and to check it we recommend you to visit their website. You will probably find a play that you would like to watch during your stay in Mallorca.

To end with, we must highlight the incredible food that is served within this neighborhood. Anyone from Palma can’t imagine a better place to have a beer on a sunny Saturday in one of the many terraces around. There is a wide gastronomical offer, in which you can find prices that suit any budget, though we must say that the tapas restaurants where eating is actually quite cheap are the most popular.