Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eating
Mandala
INTERNATIONAL €€€
( 971 61 52 85; Carrer Nou 1; mains €17-25; 8.30-10.30pm Tue-Sun Jun-mid-Sep, shorter
hours rest of year & closed Dec-Feb; )
Spicy smells drift enticingly from this Swiss-run den
of fusion cooking, run with love and a pinch of creativity. Snag a table on the patio for
French classics like steak tartar and bouillabaisse (Provençal fish stew), or Asian takes
like Thai prawn curry followed by a Yogi tea gourmand with a trio of mini desserts.
Bookings are essential.
DON'T MISS
THE ROAD TO ALARÓ
One of the most scenic ways to approach Alaró is on the Ma210 from Orient, which
takes you through bucolic scenery of cypresses and orchards of fig, olive and al-
mond. The road meanders about 4km northeast before taking a leisurely turn
around the outriders of the mighty rock plug
Puig d'Alaró
(822m) that thrusts up
from the valley floor. Its identical twin to the east is
Puig de S'Alcadena
(815m).
Ripped apart by a geological fault millions of years ago, these twin peaks are one of
Mallorca's most distinctive images. To the south you can make out the flat interior
of
Es Pla
(The Plain).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Alaró
Perkily topped by castle ruins, Alaró is pleasantly sleepy and rewards those who linger.
Head for Plaça de la Vila, flanked by the Casa de la Vila (town hall), parish church and a
couple of cafes. The square springs to life at its Saturday-morning market. Cafes also
congregate around Carrer Petit and Carrer de Jaume Rosselló.
Sights
Castell d'Alaró
CASTLE
(Carretera Alaró-Bunyola)
Perched at an improbable, almost comical angle on a gigantic fist
of rock, Castell d'Alaró is one of the most rewarding castle climbs on the island. The ru-
