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Attractions and Amenities

It's quite easy to pass the Church of Transfiguració by without a second glance, but this building also dates back to 1573, and is built on the same site of the even older parish Church. Inside the Church, on either side of the nave, there are fourteen chapels, among which the most interesting is the Roser Chapel, which is the largest and has a Baroque tableau dating back to the 17th Century.

About 10km from the centre of Arta is the Betlem Hermitage, which stands on what used to be the lands of the Ferrutx estate. The Hermitage was originally founded in 1805, and today the small number of hermits that live there make a living from farming, as well as from donations from tourists.

The Regional Museum of Arta was founded in 1927 by a group of scholars from the town, who were committed to the study of the cultural, historical and archaeological features of the region. The museum is split into three distinct areas, the first being the ethnological section which displays diverse objects such as Majorcan textiles, implements for spinning, and an extensive collection of articles made out of palm fibre. Next is the natural history section, which has displays of birds, insects, and fossils etc. Last but not least, is the archaeological section with displays of pottery, bronze, iron, and bone from different periods of Majorcan prehistory. Many of the exhibits on show have either been donated from private collections, or from archaeological digs that the museum carried out over the years . For more information their contact details are:
Museu Regional d'Artà
Estrella, 4
07570
Arta
Telephone: +34 971 836 157 and 971 829 595

If all of this culture is become too much, then you may wish to consider a visit to the Cave of Arta. The entrance to the cave is set into the cliff face and has spectacular views over the sea. Many famous people have visited the cave in the past, including the writers Jules Verne, Victor Hugo, Alexander Dumas and the actress Sarah Bernhardt, all who have signed the guest book in the entrance. The most famous feature of the caves is the single 22m high “Palm Trunk” stalagmite, which is in the cavern known as the “Salon de la Reina de las Columnas” and it was widely reported that in 1941 the British Museum tried to buy this stalagmite for £25,000. The caves are open throughout the year from 10am each day, and a guided tour with commentaries in Spanish, French, English and German, normally lasts between 25 and 40 minutes. Admission is quite reasonable at 8€ for adults and children under 6 free of charge. Contact details are:
Cuevas de Arta
Carretera de las Cuevas
Capdepera
Telephone: +34 971 841 293
www.cuevasdearta.com

In common with most of the towns and villages on the island, the first fiesta of the year takes place in Arta over the 16th and 17th of January each year in celebration of Sant Antoni the patron saint of animals. The event begins on the evening of the 16th with the lighting of small bonfires, which the local residents sit around and sing traditional songs, and roast "botifarrons", which are locally made blood sausages. The following day a parade is held through the streets, followed by the blessing of farm animals and domestic pets. All of this takes place under the gaze of the statue of the Sant Antoni, who is seated on a donkey and besieged by demons.

Although strictly a religious event, the processions that take place on Easter Thursday and Good Friday always draw a large crowd of both local residents and visitors to Arta. The highlight of the two days always takes place at the Sanctuary of Sant Salvador on the Friday, when the figure of Christ is taken down from the cross which is then the centre piece of a procession down to the Church of Transfiguració.

A more conventional fiesta is then held later in the year on June 13th for Sant Antoni of Padua, who is otherwise known as Saint Antoni of the Apricots. Along with the usual parades and sporting events associated with a typical Spanish fiesta, the main event here involves two red, and two black hobby horses, and a lady with a white horse all dancing to the strangely named “Carriage Dance”, “The Dance of the Indians”, and “The Dance of the Dwarves.”

Despite being one of the smaller villages on the island the residents of Colonia de Sant Pere are still nevertheless very proud of their local fiesta, which is held on June 29 each year and is dedicated to their patron saint Sant Pere, who is also the patron saint of fishermen. Being a coastal resort, the main parade of the event is a maritime procession of high decorated boats around the harbour and marina areas.

Never tiring of fiestas, the first week of August each year sees the week long event of the Fiesta of Sant Salvador. There's always a full programme of activities that appeal to both local residents and visitors to the town that usually include events such as, races up and down the steps to Sanctuary of Sant Salvador and even watermelon eating contests.

The final events of the year worth a mention here is the Summer Fair which takes place on the second Sunday in September each year. Although traditionally this is an agricultural and livestock show, it has over recent years developed a more commercial theme. There's still always exhibitions of livestock, local handicrafts, along with industrial and agricultural machinery, but without doubt the highlight of the event is always the afternoon horse races.

Throughout the rest of the year Arta is a generally a very quiet town, although Tuesdays are always considered to be a “busy” day by the locals when the local produce market is held in the Conqueridor Square. As with all markets on the island, it tends to start early at around 8.00am, and finishes just after 1pm before the heat of the day really sets in.

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