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Mallorca’s grandest church is also one of the greatest Gothic churches anywhere. Flamboyant spires with stone flames give it a prickly look. The vast space and riches inside are also unforgettable (see Sa Seu: Palma Cathedral).

Built just after the Christians reclaimed the Balearics in the 13th century, this church has a rare Gothic homogeneity, despite some later medieval touches and 19th-century additions.

Built in 1281 on a site where the Moors made soap, this church has suffered its share of woes, most notably when struck by lightning in 1580. Consequently, the façade you see today is a Baroque creation, though presumably no less massive than the Gothic original. The beautiful cloisters are the star turn, and, in fact, you must enter the church by going through them first.

One of the caves along the rocky headland of Portals Vells has been turned into a church, Cova de la Mare de Déu – according to legend, by shipwrecked Genoese sailors who were grateful for their survival. The holy water stoup and altar have been carved out of solid rock, although the effigy of the Virgin that was once placed here is now in a seafront church at Portals Nous.

Features include a vibrant rose window with elaborate arabesque stone tracery outside and an intriguing sculpture, located in a side chapel, of St Sebastian, nonchalantly resting on the arrows that pierce his body. Note the floor tiles with rooster heads, the symbol of the town of Pollença.

The fortress church was built on a rocky headland near Alcúdia in the 1600s to house an early statue of the Virgin. Despite these measures, the figure was stolen twice by pirates. The views are sweeping, and it’s also a starting point for great hikes over the promontory (see Santuari (Ermita) de la Victòria).

The story goes that once, when a band of loutish brigands were preparing to attack the town of Capdepera, the townspeople implored the Madonna to help them. A thick fog promptly settled in, confounding the pirates. Since then, the town’s statue has been known as Sa Esperança (“the bringer of hope”). It is housed in a quaint Gothic chapel within the famous castle at Capdepera.

Mallorca’s grandest parish church, at the highest point of a town that was declared the official centre of the island by King Sanç, can be visited only on market day, Wednesday. It has a small archaeological museum.

Petra was the birthplace of Fray Junípero Serra, who established missions all over California in the 1700s and early 1800s. The town’s stocky church commemorates the man.

Part of a former monastery, this 14th-century hilltop church overlooks the small agricultural village of Porreres. It has a five-sided cloister, an unusual arcaded façade with elegant Gothic lines, and great views out to sea. The setting is a wonderful venue for special concerts sponsored by the town, featuring internationally known talents.