Manacor is the chief town in the Llevant region of Mallorca, in the northeast of the island. It's an inland agricultural town and in 2023 had a population of 26,000, with another 15,000 in its associated beach resorts.
Visitor information is available at Town Hall, Plaça del Convent 3, opposite Sant Vicenç Ferrer.
Understand
[edit]Manacor is one of a string of inland agricultural towns that are the seat of local government for coast resorts that have outgrown them and are better known. But Manacor's fame stems from the 1st Marquess of Llevant de Mallorca, aka Rafael Nadal the tennis player, born here in 1986. He was a top player for 20 years, winning 22 major titles, 36 Masters titles and an Olympic gold medal. He retired from competition in 2024 when cumulative injury took its toll. In 2016 he founded the tennis academy in Manacor, and has similar centres in Mexico, Greece and Kuwait. These offer tennis development at all stages, from promising youngsters to established pros needing a training base convenient for their next tournament.
Get in
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By road from Palma city head east on MA-15; from the airport turn north to join this. From Manacor it continues northeast to Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, Artà and Cala Ratjada on the coast.
TIB buses link the towns:
- Bus A42 from the airport every 35 min non-stop to Manacor, taking 40 min, and continuing to Portocristo, S'Illot, Sa Coma and Cala Millor. It doesn't go into Palma city.
- Bus 401 from Palma daily every 30 min, taking 50 min to Manacor via Algaida, Montuïri and Vilafranca de Bonany. It continues to Portocristo, S'Illot, Sa Coma and Cala Millor, another 30 min.
- Bus 501 is a slower route from Palma via Llucmajor, Campos and Felanitx, taking 90 min to Manacor.
Train T3 runs from Palma, taking just over an hour via Inca; it's every 40 min M-Sa and hourly on Sunday. Train T1 terminates at Inca and T2 branches off there to Sa Pobla.
1 Manacor Estació is the railway and bus station. Complex S'estació is a shopping mall on its north flank, and public parking is just south.
Get around
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The roads are of good quality for motoring, and the distances suitable for cycling.
TIB buses take you around, but you may not ride the airport bus A42 just for the local section between Manacor and Cala Bona.
- Bus 401 from Palma city as above.
- Bus 411 hourly from Cala Ratjada via Capdepera, Artà and Sant Llorenç to Manacor. Don't take the express 411e from Cala Ratjada, which bypasses Manacor on its way to Palma.
- Bus 412 from Costa dels Pins via Port Nou, Cala Bona, Cala Millor, Son Servera and Sant Llorenç to Manacor.
- Bus 417 from Porreres to Vilafranca, Manacor, Sant Llorenç and Son Carrió.
A dozen taxi operators serve the town, wearing a groove in the road between airport and tennis academy.
See
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- 1 Mare de Déu dels Dolors, Plaça del Rector Rubí, ☏ +34 971 550983. Daily 08:30-12:45, 17:30–20:00. Parish church built in neo-gothic style from 1890, with fine interior decor and stain glass. The extended siesta makes visiting tricky.
- Torre del Palau a block north of the church is all that remains of the Palace of Jaume I.
- Sant Vicenç Ferrer midway between the station and Mare de Déu dels Dolors is a church built circa 1700.
- 2 Molí d'en Fraret, Riera de Conies 13, ☏ +34 971 843065. M & F 09:30-13:30. A windmill converted into a small exhibit of farming life.
- 3 Manacor History Museum, Cales de Mallorca (east edge of tennis complex), ☏ +34 971 1843065. M, W 09:00-14:00, Th-Sa 09:00-14:00, 17:00–20:00. Small but interesting museum, don't miss the gardens. Free.
- 4 Museu Etnològic dels Calderers, Finca Els Calderers Camino, Sant Joan (2 km northwest of Vilafranca), ☏ +34 971 526069. Daily 10:00-17:00. Museum of Mallorcan life in a mansion of 1750. They also offer tastings of local produce. Adult €10, child €5.
- Museu Arqueològic de Son Fornés is in an old windmill at the northeast edge of Montuïri.
Do
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- Tennis is the big thing here in the birthplace of Rafa Nadal. There's a big residential tennis academy 1 km south of town on Ma-4015. The Rafa Nadal Museum displays his trophies, which apparently he won at tennis.
- Cinema: Multicines Manacor is at Bas 7, corner with Ronda del Port at the south edge of town.
- Theatre: Teatro de Manacor is on Av Parc at the east edge of town.
- Auditorio de Manacor is the main live events venue, north edge of town on Passeig del Ferrocarril.
- Fiestas: the major event is Sant Antoni on 16 / 17 January.
Buy
[edit]A dozen supermarkets, the most central are Premium, Carrefour, Eroski and Hiper Centro Xim's.
Mercat Municipal is the open market on Plaça de la Constitució, trading M-F 08:00-14:00.
Farmers Market is outside Mercadona on Plaça de Ramon Llull, trading M 09:00-13:30.
Eat
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Tourists are sparse and few of them stop over, so there isn't the kind of eating strip that you find in the beach resorts.
Central in town are Il Bistrot, Factoria Gastrobar, Cafe Sa Fonda, Número 7 (Chinese) and Osteria Pane & Olio. Busca Brewpub is 100 m south of the railway & bus station.
Drink
[edit]- Wine: Mallorca wine is mostly red.
- In town centre are Origen Manacor, Sa Cocteleria, Es Vinil Cafe, Bar Mingo, L'Argenti and Sa Xispa.
Sleep
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- 1 My Rooms Manacor Centre (formerly Can Guixa), Gerrers 15, ☏ +34 660 780472. Simple clean place, convenient for transport. B&B double €100.
- 2 Rafa Nadal Residence, Calles de Mallorca, ☏ +34 971 171680. Residential sports development facility, so you'd only stay here to accompany a wannabe youngster on a tennis coaching course.
- 3 Hotel Son Trobat, Sant Llorenç, ☏ +34 971 569674. Peaceful hotel in the countryside west of Sant Llorenç. B&B double €220.
- 4 Landhotel Cas Cabo Nou, Sant Llorenç, ☏ +34 664 462153. Swish spa in the countryside south of Sant Llorenç. B&B double €280.
- 5 Hotel Can Pocoví, Mare de Déu Trobada 5, Sant Llorenç, ☏ +34 648 262775. Pleasant hotel in Sant Llorenç town centre. B&B double €155.
- Hotel Can Solaies is clean and central in Sant Llorenç. It's 200 m west of Cas Cabo Nou at Major 28.
Connect
[edit]As of June 2025, Manacor and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers.
Go next
[edit]- Portocristo is the nearest beach resort, straggling into S'Illot and Sa Coma. This is a karstic area with show caves.
- Cala Millor and Cala Ratjada are further up the coast.
- Palma de Mallorca the island's capital needs a couple of days to explore.