The South East, Manacor

Manacor, in the South East of the island, is an extremely attractive town enjoying celebrity as the hometown of tennis great Rafa Nadal.

Coming to the town afresh, it’s easy to misunderstand what makes it tick, but historic buildings restored in recent years to their full glory signify the beneficial gentrification that has enhanced Manacor’s already attractive centre. With lots of lovely restaurants and cafes sprinkled through the little lanes emanating from the central plaza, with its neo-gothic Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Manacor makes a delightful place to own a second home. Not surprisingly, given its connections with Mallorca’s greatest sporting hero, the town enjoys superb tennis facilities, with hard, grass, clay and padel courts, as well as hosting the Rafa Nadal Museum Xperience. It is now home, too, to the Rafa Nada School which, providing a complete 3-18 years international schooling, has greatly increased the demand amongst buyers for property in the town.

The areas surrounding Manacor are deservedly popular with those seeking either a finca on an ample plot. This is a wonderful area to get to know, on foot or on wheels, with fig, olive, carob and orange trees everywhere, and a rapidly expanding organic farming economy, which includes some terrific organic wineries. There’s no shortage of rural eateries, either.