A Stroll Through the Santa Catalina Neighborhood in Palma
It's one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Palma. Located near the city center, adjacent to the seafront promenade and with the Bellver Castle in the backdrop, the neighborhood of Santa Catalina in Palma has gained great popularity in recent years, perhaps for these reasons.
It was once home to fishermen, situated outside the walls of Palma and relatively close to the Pelaires watchtower in Porto Pi. The neighborhood is named after the Hospital of Santa Catalina de Alejandría, the patron saint of sailors, and every November 25th, festivities are celebrated, adding even more color to this part of Palma.
The Santa Catalina Market
One of the most striking aspects of the Santa Catalina Market is the diversity of people who stroll through it. Here, you'll find elderly ladies who have been shopping with their wheeled carts for generations, inquiring about the quality of grapes or the price of fish.
Among them are young locals and foreigners, walking around with their "to-go" coffees, sipping on a smoothie absentmindedly or savoring a matcha tea, killing time after breakfast or before an early lunch.
Not to forget the chefs and kitchen assistants, perhaps seeking some fresh daily produce to feature as a suggestion on their restaurant's menu.
The market is an eclectic place where you can walk around and enjoy the aromas and the people. Fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, wines, nuts, flowers... the traditional stalls compete with modern spaces to enjoy sushi or small restaurants that take the concept of market cuisine to its highest expression.
The New Streets of the Old Fishing District
The eclectic atmosphere of the market spills over into the surrounding streets. Organic product shops coexist with the supermarket chain that has always been there. The spice shop, so typical of this area, rubs shoulders with bars that no longer offer breakfast but "breakfast" or "brunch," featuring a variety of teas, organic bread, and vegan snacks.
Restaurants no longer attract the same patrons from thirty years ago; they have become small balconies where diners bask in the sun year-round. Depending on the occasion, one menu or another to savor increasingly original and daring gastronomic proposals.
On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, the streets come even more alive with the setting up of the street market, attracting residents of all ages and origins in the neighborhood, as well as occasional visitors. Flowy dresses, shoes and belts, handbags, wicker baskets, and, of course, underwear stalls with amusing signs advertising their merchandise all become as much a part of the market as the market itself.
On Saturday evenings, the area turns into a party venue, and a crowd fills the streets, sometimes a bit more tipsy than advisable, to enjoy a few hours of fun, music, and dancing.