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Autumn begins in Mallorca

With the end of the long hot summer, comes a new rhythm of life. Gone are the indoor siestas to avoid the midday heat, gone are the early evening trips to the beach. It’s back to school, work picks up again, and activities arise for the next cycle. Mallorca living is all about the seasons.

First, in September, we have the Urban Down Pollensa, where a bunch of crazy mountain bikers drop down the Calvario Hill at terrific speed with some hair-raising jumps along the way. The full day sees children and adults train in the morning while the serious competition kicks off in the afternoon.

Another annual event is the Pujada a Lluc. Not so much adrenaline rush, more a mass meander up from whatever town you live in (or from Inca via the shuttle bus, if you live really far out) to Lluc. This overnight hike is all about community, getting together with your townsfolk and joining surrounding towns on a cool September night. The pujada is growing in popularity year-on-year.

Perhaps an overnight schlep over some distance (and gradience) is not that appealing, but now that it is cooler, take up one of the guided walks in Pollensa. During September and October there are guided walks to Cala Boquer in Puerto Pollensa (Mondays), Coves Blanques in Cala Sant Vicente (Thursdays) and a cultural guide to the Old Town of Pollensa (Fridays). Do all three of these and your knowledge of this beautiful town, and its coastlines will be firmly established.

Hikes can easily become gentle walks and what better way to do this than by taking in the local wildlife? Mallorca is home to a rich bird population. Birdwatchers arrive on the island in their thousands to find the rare and indigenous birds that live or pass through the Balearics. The North of Mallorca is home to a wide array of species thanks to the landscape of sandy and rocky coastline, cliff faces, wetlands, grassland, scrubland and forests, and it is this diversity that makes it such a great home (temporary or permanent) for birds. The area is also located along a main migration route, so it’s no surprise that wildlife lovers come follow the nature trail here too.

If your fitness levels demand something more challenging, then Mallorca has it all. There are dozens of events to keep your holiday a healthy one. For example, the Viking 859 are two swim/run events in Alcudia and Pollensa. There is also the AlcudiaMar Aquathlon either short and long events. Muro has its own sprint triathlon in October as well. For something less watery, Pollensa’s popular run for Alzheimer’s is an annual event. The 7km run takes in the Calvario Steps and is a challenge for the most seasoned runners. But perhaps the biggest challenge is the 5000 Skyrunning event along the Tramuntana, from Soller to Pollensa and the Palma Marathon in October.

For the after party, there are jazz concerts in Alcudia throughout September. There are also classical concerts at the Auditori d’Alcudia and at the Claustre in Pollensa. Check the local town programmes for more details.

If you are more about the cultural side, autumn is the season for Firas (or fairs) and every year, Alcudia is the first to hold theirs. In recent years, themes have included medieval and Roman, and the Fira is a chance for local farmers to show off their livestock, local artesans to show and sell their wares and local trades to demonstrate what they do. The markets—including food, artesan, trade, plants and garden and more—and activities from local bands and dance groups make these fairs a great slice of Mallorcan culture. Pollensa’s is in November as are the smaller towns fairs.

For full-on fiestas, Campanet has its Sant Miquel Fiesta at the end of September. It’s a week-long programme of events. The highlights are community dinners, a health fair, music and dance and plenty more beside.

In October the Festes de Verges is an excuse to eat tonnes of bunyols (little Mallorcan donuts) and then of course comes Halloween. All Souls day on 1st November is a long-standing tradition but Halloween dress-ups and trick or treating is new to Mallorca. In response, the Nit Fosca in Pollensa is becoming a regular occurrence on the autumn agenda. Children from across Pollensa dress up in Halloween style and the party at the Claustre has a timetable of varying degrees of scariness. The later event is for bigger kids who think they can handle it.

The North of Mallorca is so much more than sun, sand and sea. It’s just as exciting in the cooler months.

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