Manacor is an industrial and residential town located in the northeast of Mallorca, about an hour away from Palma. It is the second largest town in Mallorca and its history dates back to 2000 BC. It is known for being the birthplace of Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal and the home of the world-famous Majorica pearl factory. Manacor also has a very large Sant Antoni celebration in January.
If you’re a tennis fan or an overall sports lover, Manacor is a must-visit for its top-notch sports facilities and tennis training thanks to Rafa Nadal. Additionally, Manacor is nestled in the Llevant region and there are many adventurous activities to do outside the town while the town offers amenities, delicious restaurants, and some shopping.
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How To Get To Manacor
As the second largest city in Mallorca, Manacor is very easy to get to from Palma with a direct highway, TIB buses, and train routes. The quickest option is to go by car, but the most scenic is the train.
Driving
It takes a little under an hour to drive to Manacor from Palma. There are three highways you can take. The quickest is Ma-15 (about 45 minutes from Plaça d’Espanya in Palma center). But if you also want to visit Inca on your way, you can take Ma-13. Or, if you want to stop by Can Pastilla or Llucmajor, there’s the Ma-19 highway. The latter two take about ten minutes longer.
Public Transportation
Bus
No car, no problem! The TIB 401 bus to Cala Millor can also get you to Manacor in a little under an hour (depending on traffic). The TIB bus is a comfortable option that runs every thirty minutes.
As someone who commutes to Manacor twice a week, I can say from experience that the 8:20 am TIB bus route usually has more traffic and therefore takes a little over an hour and is more crowded than the 8:50 am bus. In comparison, the 8:50 am bus has plenty of space and is very punctual since the morning traffic rush is mostly over. Likewise, if you’re wanting to leave Manacor in the early afternoon, the 2:00 pm bus is usually pretty crowded, but it empties a bit at the Vilafranca de Bonany stop.
Tip: look for the hot air balloons in the sky in the early morning!
Train
Manacor has a direct train from Palma the T3. The train is my favorite transportation option when I’m not in a rush because it feels more scenic and relaxed than the bus, but it does take a little longer. While the bus can get you to Manacor in about 55 minutes, the train takes about 65 minutes.
During the day, the train runs about every forty minutes, but starting at 7:20 pm, it runs every hour until the last train at 11:25 pm.
I love the train for the views. You can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the countryside from Inca to Manacor. Past Inca, it’s really lovely to see the mountains in the distance.
Inca is the next biggest stop on the route between Palma and Manacor, so if you’re not getting off to check out the town, please note that your previously quiet train might get a bit more crowded since a lot of people get on at Inca.
Where To Stay In Manacor
Best Experience Stay: Rafa Nadal Residence
If you’re a sports lover and a Rafa Nadal fan, have a fully immersive experience and stay at the Rafa Nadal Residence with the tennis courts and state-of-the-art sports and spa facilities at your fingertips. They have packages for tennis programs and accommodation.
Best Luxury Stay: Principal Son Amoixa
Relax and unwind at Principal Son Amoixa, a 16th century finca about three miles outside of Manacor and minutes away from Cala Romántica, Cala Anguila, and Cala Mandía. Recently renovated, it’s the best of the Mallorcan countryside with all the modern luxuries. The property has tennis courts, a large pool, a relaxing sauna, gardens, and a highly-rated gourmet restaurant.
Where To Eat In Manacor
Traditional Dining: Restaurante Es Cruce
This popular Mallorcan restaurant is located off Ma-15 just outside of Manacor. The food is affordable, authentic, and delicious. They have large portions at good prices. It is a popular restaurant so sometimes there may be a bit of a wait, but it’s worth it. I recommend trying their suckling pig, but you really can’t go wrong with any choice from their well-loved menu. The restaurant isn’t accessible by bus, but if you go by car, there is plenty of parking.
Best Bar: Bar Mingo
Bar Mingo is a local favorite. This true “locals bar” next to Plaça des Mercat serves Mallorcan food at good prices. The terrace is great for people watching, but the bar interior is very spacious and nicely decorated. It feels cozy. They have an extensive list of pa amb olis, ranging from the traditional jamón serrano and Mahonés cheese to suckling pig, chicken, baby squid, and pork loin.
Best Seasonal Menu: Terragust
Truly experience Mallorcan cuisine at Terragust. Terragust combines an excellent menu made up of local products and seasonal produce with rural tourism. You can try their seasonal tasting
menu, buy local produce from their market, book a guided tour of the farmland they source their products from, or all the above. This restaurant is located a short ten-minute drive outside of Manacor off of the Ma-15 highway.
Best Bakery: La Montevideana
This is my go-to bakery in Manacor. There are two locations, one a short walk from the train station and one in the city center. They specialize in Uruguayan baked goods like alfajores, facturas, and empanadas. I recommend their chicken empanada and the dulce de leche barquillo. They are well-located, the coffee is good, and the workers are nice. Also, if you like mate, alfajores, and other Uruguayan/Argentinian products, their shelves are well-stocked.
What To Do In Manacor
Let your Inner Tennis Fan Shine
Calling all tennis fans! If you’re a tennis fan, you can’t come to Manacor—the birthplace of world-famous player Rafael Nadal—without visiting the Rafa Nadal Sports Center and the Rafa Nadal Museum.
The museum is a must-see for any fans of Rafael Nadal. It’s home to an exhibit of all his most iconic sports moments with trophies from his childhood to present day along with other sports memorabilia. There’s also a high-tech interactive exhibit with games, simulators, and virtual reality where you can feel like a professional athlete and do activities like tennis, F1 racing, rowing, paragliding, and more.
The Rafa Nadal Sports Center is state-of-the-art and has twenty-six tennis courts, soccer fields, a semi-Olympic pool, a spa with Turkish baths, and more. While in Manacor, book a tennis lesson with one of the center’s coaches and learn from the best. The center offers packages that include tennis lessons and access to the rest of the facilities.
Explore the City Center
Nostra Senyora de Dolors
Every town in Mallorca has a main church that is an essential part of the landscape, and Manacor’s is Nostra Senyora dels Dolors. This neo-gothic church is located in the center, at Plaça del Rector Rubí. The current church’s construction began at the end of the 19th century, but the site has a long history of religious buildings, dating back to before King Jaime’s conquest when it was an Islamic religious site. Since 1248, there has always been a church of some kind in this location.
Museu d’Història Manacor
This free museum features Manacor’s history with an archeological collection, an ethnographic collection, and an industrial archeology collection. Step into Manacor’s history with artifacts from the community’s agricultural roots and from its rise as an industrial city in Mallorca. The museum has permanent exhibits from the prehistoric, Roman, late antiquity, and Islamic periods.
Opening days and times vary depending on the time of year, and it is closed for Spanish holidays, so check out the website before going. It’s located just outside of Manacor.
Torre de Ses Puntes
The Torre de Ses Puntes is a 13th and 14th century tower located at Plaça Gabriel Fuster. Today, it is home to educational activities and temporary art exhibitions. Entrance is free.
Torre de Palau
El Torre de Palau is the only remaining remnant of the 14th-century palace built by King Jaume II as a temporary residence. It is located on Plaça del Rector Rubí.
Fresh Market
Manacor’s weekly market takes place on Mondays on Plaça Ramón Llull from 8 am to 1:30 pm.
Go on an Adventure
Via Verde
Via Verde is a 29 km ecopath (approximately eighteen miles) that runs between Manacor and Àrta. This former railway was repurposed in 2014 into a popular path for biking, walking, running, and horseback riding. It passes through the farmland, olive groves, and landscapes of the Llevant region as well as pueblos like Sant Llorenç, Son Carió, and Son Servera. It is mostly flat and there are rest and picnic stops, renovated train stations, and information boards about the plants you see. It is the only ecopath in the Balearics. Motorized traffic is prohibited.
Cuevas del Drach
If you’re in this area, you can’t miss the famous Cuevas del Drach. Located a short twenty-minute drive away from Manacor in the nearby town of Porto Cristo, these caves are a natural wonder and are home to one of the largest underground lakes in the world, Lake Martel. And while the caves themselves are large and impressive in their own right, what makes this experience really special is the concert, a tourist attraction that began in 1935.
Once you reach the lake, you’ll be ushered into an underground auditorium (aka the largest cavern with rows of chairs). After a little while, the lights will go off. There will be a faint glow in the distance and the music will begin, violins, cellos, and harpsichord, all playing classical music that echoes through the cave, swelling in volume as the boat the musicians ride comes closer and closer. The acoustics in the cave are absolutely incredible. The classical music concert lasts about ten minutes. After it’s finished, you have the option to take a short boat ride to the exit at no additional charge, or you can cross the lake by foot over a bridge.
From November 1–March 10, you can buy tickets for 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 2:30 pm. In the summer, from March 11–October 31, tickets are available at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 5:00 pm. Currently, adult tickets are 17.50€ and children’s tickets are 10.50€ onsite. Cheaper prices may be available if you book online.
Cuevas del Hams
The Cuevas del Hams are known for their fish hook-shaped formations, also known as hams in Mallorquín. They were the first caves in Spain to be opened to the public, and today mix natural wonder with technological innovation to create an immersive, educational experience. Inside the caves, you will pass through a botanical garden in the Round Cave, you will watch a documentary on the history of Mallorca as well as the caves in the Blue Cave, an audiovisual timelapse of the “history of life” from the big bang to the present in the Pit of Hell, and a classical music concert on the Sea of Venice, the caves’ underground lake.
The caves are open year-round from 10:00 am to 5 pm. Tickets for adults are 17€ and tickets for minors are 11€.
S’Hospitalet Vell
If you like archeology and ancient history, you should check out the prehistoric settlement of S’Hospitalet Vell. Structures have been excavated from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (the Talayotic period). I recommend pairing this outing with a visit to the museum to have proper context on the ancient settlement and to get an idea of what life in Mallorca was like four thousand years ago. The settlement is on the way to the calas and entrance is free.
Take a Ride in Hot-Air Balloons
You can enjoy Mallorca from a bird’s eye view, soaking in the views as you float above the island. Mallorca’s only hot air balloon airport is located off of highway Ma-15 just outside of Manacor.
Go to the Beach
Manacor is inland and has no beach, but beautiful beaches like Cala Millor or the beaches around Porto Cristo are a short drive (or a slightly longer bus ride) away.
Fires i Festes
Sant Antoni – January 16th & 17th
If you’re in Manacor in January, you can’t miss the Sant Antoni celebrations on January 16th and 17th. January 16th is the big party and it starts early. People are already out in the streets by early afternoon, drinking, grilling, and mingling. The dimonis come out around 2 pm. It’s a fun afternoon to just walk around and stumble on the elaborate foguerons (bonfires) that will be burned later that night because they are so artistically done with images of dimonis, sant antoni, and references to Mallorcan culture. There is a church service at night and so many people go that there is a crowd standing outside the church, still singing the traditional songs. After the service, the first bonfire is lit and the rest of the night is spent grilling, singing, drinking, and dancing. The whole town seems to come out to celebrate.
Easter – March & April
Pancaritat: l’Àngel – March & April
Manacor celebrates a spring festival at the end of May and the beginning of June. It lasts for several days and includes a variety of activities, including a craft fair, an animal and livestock fair, parades with floats and traditional dancers, and a flower show.
Virgin of May – May
May, known as the month of Mother Mary, is celebrated on the last Saturday of the month of May. During this celebration, Cossiers dance around the streets of Los Damunt. There are seven dancers as well as a Dimoni, because it’s really not a Mallorquin party without a Dimoni. These dancers perform four traditional dances, which have been performed since the 16th century, conveying the story between the Dama (Lady) and the Dimoni (Devil).