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This is the café centre for all the foreigners who own villas nearby, but it’s still very Spanish. Buildings are made from the same golden sandstone used in Palma’s cathedral. The streets near the church are the focus of a lively Wednesday market.

Built in 1678, the church is as much fortress as spiritual centre due to pirate raids in that era. It houses a revered icon and a vibrant Baroque altarpiece.

In this most famous of Mallorca’s retreats (see Monestir de Nostra Senyora de Lluc), you’ll find considerable comfort and every sort of facility, including outside tables, barbecue areas, bars and restaurants, and camping possibilities. The accommodation is closer to hotel-style than most such retreats on the island.

The very simple amenities here are reminiscent of the asceticism of yester-year. The 16th-century lecture hall is preserved, as are four Gothic pillars on the path that ascends from the village to the summit. Great views of the entire Central Plain.

Ramon Llull founded this hermit-age at the top of the Puig de Randa table mountain in the 13th century, and it was here that he trained missionaries bound for Africa and Asia. Nothing remains of the original building, but Llull’s legacy has ensured that the site is an important place for Catholics, who can stay overnight in simple rooms. The monastery, much of which is fairly modern, houses a library and study centre. There are other hermitages lower down the hill.

The lowest hermitage site on Puig de Randa is set on a ledge in a cliff above a sheer 200-m (656-ft) drop and has beguiling views out over the plain. It was founded in 1497 and appears, along with nesting birds, to be sheltered by the huge rock that overhangs it.

Pilgrims and other visitors can stay overnight at this former monastery, which has a truly spectacular setting, right at the top of the Serres de Llevant. You can’t miss it: the site’s huge stone cross and statue of Christ can be seen for miles around (see also Santuari de Sant Salvador, Felanitx).