Alaro
Alaro - Geography:
The charming landscape around Alaro is ideal terrain for walking, trekking and hiking. The most popular route is up to the Castell d'Alaro, to explore the ruins of a Christian fortress and Arabian water tanks.
Another excellent route takes you to Orient (which belongs to Bunyola) through the locally named pass of S'Escaleta, or you may like to try other interesting hikes to the Puig de S'Alcadena and to the Clot d'Almedra. While in the area you can visit the areas of Los d'Amunts and Ses Rotes, home to many writers and famous artists and the birthplace of Perellon, Mompo, Coronado, Alex Llull, etc. Nova Square has a sculpture by Enric Broglia and Rossello Square has one by Solveig Pripp, both with beautiful gardens.
Alaro - Monuments:
Castell d'Alaro. The first historical records of Castell d'Alaro dates back to 900. The Christians had occupied it for some 9 years so it is assumed that some type of fortress had to exist, possibly Roman. The Arabs finished its construction occupied the fortress for more than 300 years, until the re-conquest by King Jaume I in 1231. One hundred years later, after the castle had began to lose importance, restoration work was started. In the 17th century the sanctuary of The Mare de Deu of the Refugi was added and in 1741 the military garrison was removed. In the year 1811 The Royal Patrimony sold the castle to a private buyer and it later passed in to the hands of Alaro's town hall.
Today the castle is a delightful place to visit for a breathtaking panoramic view of Mallorca. At a height of 800m those making the climb are well rewarded. A local tavern is also a welcome stop near the summit. The castle, has a strengthened enclosure on the hill top, taking advantage of its natural inaccessibility. Inside the walls is the castle, hermitage, hostelry and a beautiful grove of evergreen oaks. In the south tower in the old Moorish prison - the cave of San Antonio.
Alaro - Fascinating folklore:
Cabrit and Bassa: Local legend tells of the meeting in 1285, between the two Mallorcan independence fighters, Guillem Cabrit and Guillem Bassa and the army of King Alfonso of Aragon. The independence fighters were invited to surrender by the invaders of Alfonso, the exchange went as follows:
'In whose name' shouted Cabrit (Cabrit in Mallorcan means Kid goat)
'In the name of Alfonso' (Alfonso being a type of fish in Mallorcan) came the reply.
In a play on words, Cabrit replied that he preferred his fish served with parsley. The reply from the leader of the attackers was that he preferred his kid roasted on a spit. The Mallorcans were defeated and the irony of the puns was not lost as Cabrit and Bassa were roasted alive in the Plaza del Lledoner in Alaro. Cabrit and Bassa were then revered by the locals as Saints.
The witches of the Cadena: The castle at the top of Puig des Castell stands opposite another lonely mountain: Puig de S'Alcadena, cadena means chain or link in Spanish. Legend tells that at one time, when the Castell de Alaro was under Moorish occupation, they constructed a cable linking the two peaks as a means of escape from the castle. However a more recent version believes that witches spend their days weaving a snow white fabric which at night they stretch between the two peaks, then spend their nights skating back and forth on the fabric, 'dancing and pulling faces until dawn when they return to their lairs like owls.'
Alaro - Our holiday accommodation and service:
Travel with secretdestinations.com holidays and enjoy privileged sophisticated holiday destinations in Mallorca/Majorca, including Alaro. Privately owned villas, apartments and villas with pools, in beautiful coastal and rural locations, hand-picked for an authentic taste of unspoiled Mallorca.
Additionally, the Balearic Islands are ideal for a spot of winter sun. So if you're looking for an activity holiday walking, cycling and trekking; exploring Mallorca's fascinating villages, towns such as Valldemossa, Palma de Mallorca; fancy a spot of sailing, SCUBA diving, wind surfing, swimming sunbathing or relaxing on great beaches; or you just want to simply escape the tourist masses with a private luxury villa, call our holiday team today. We can also assist you with Balearics flights to Mallorca, ferry travel and island car hire.
