An Authentic Experience

As the French novelist Marcel Proust discovered when he dunked a cupcake in a cup of tea (in his book In Search of Lost Time, 1927), aromas can bring us more vivid memories than any other sense. And although the literary work documented the author’s epiphany, it is neurologically proven that smell is our most nostalgic sense. Mallorca is full of aromas from the earth, sea, almond blossoms, olive trees...to bathe in this uniqueness and beauty with the five senses.

A series of tailor-made experiences designed to experience authentic Mallorca, hand in hand with local entrepreneurs who will open the doors to secrets and ancestral lifestyles.

Guests will be able to visit the traditional looms called telares de llengua, a signature of the island, sail on a the heritage boat to understand its relationship with the sea, smell their way through the oldest gardens and taste the evolution of Mallorca ́s gastronomy.

 SMELL THE ISLAND

A perfumed walk through the Jardines de Alfabia with Viti Vinci

If one of the senses had to be chosen to define Mallorca, it would be the sense of smell. The island has its own powerful notes and a history that has been woven through them mixing water and earth.
This experience is a sensorial visit to Jardines de Alfabia through the sense of smell. The visit consists on a guided tour through the gardens stopping to experience the different plants, trees, bushes and flowers that compose its aromatic palette. At every stop, guests will be able to touch, feel and smell each plant. We would go deep into each olfactory profile, describing its different notes and properties. After walking though the gardens, we would make a stop by the pond

and run an olfactory tasting of the perfume in its whole. At the end
of the tour, attendees would visit the palomar (the old pigeon house where Viti Vinci keeps their alembics). Here, guests would go over the different extraction methods particularly emphasizing the process of steam distillation. Visitors would have a chance to experience other Viti Vinci products. Viti Vinci ́s seasoned perfumer will lead this experience where participants will be exposed to the basic concepts of perfumery while introduced to a palette of 20 aromas most of them from the Island.

 TASTE THE CULTURE

Mallorcan Tea with Tomeo Arbona & Maria Jose Orero

This experience was born from a conversation and an obsession.
A conversation with Tomeu Arbona and Maria Jose Orero from Fornet de la Soca, a project of local gastronomic archaeology, who told XTANT about the book “The Wonderful Perfumes”, written by a lady from Mallorca as a diary of the senses materialized in traditional Mediterranean recipes. In the conversation we both agreed that Finca Raixa was the perfect context for this magical experience.
Raixa Estate is a gorgeous country manor house (possessió) located in the municipality of Bunyola. The surrounding gardens, the monumental staircase, the Big Pond and the panoramic views are well worth a visit.
The visit to Raixa will include a walk through the gardens led by the director Tony Colom, followed by a stop at the Museo de Serra Tramuntana. The afternoon will end with a beautiful picnic by Tomeo Arbona & Maria Jose Orero of Fornet de la Soca.

 WEAVE A MEMORY

One of the reasons why XTANT chose Mallorca as the annual appointment for the heritage textile festival are the telares de llengues, a textile tradition unique to the island that still survives.
This distinctive textile follows the ancient technique of oriental ikat:
a composition by hand of reserve-dyed threads, using a slow and precise procedure that requires both skill and patience.
The textile industry, which in Mallorca employed thousands of workers and had hundreds of workshops, began, from the sixties, a slow decline. Today, there are four textile workshops that manufacture “Telar de Llengues” in Mallorca: Teixits Riera in Lloseta, Teixits Vicens in Pollença, Artesanía Textil Bujosa in Santa Maria and José Cañameras in Establiments, which continue a centuries-old artisanal tradition whose secrets have been transmitted from generation to generation.
This experience is an intimate invitation to two of these surving ateliers, their secrets and their histories told by the creators themselves.

ISLAND TO SEA

Sailing the Coastline to Preserve the Coastline

We are excited to be taken to sea by two humans passionate about its relationship with the island, promoting respect for and conservation of marine ecosystems. Led by Brad Robertson, founder of Save the Med, this experience happens on board Falcao Uno, a classic yacht from 1965 built on behalf of the Belgian Royal Family.

Brad will explain the fragile interaction between the earth and the water as the Falcao Uno sails the coast line around Palma.
Save the Med ́s mission is to enable the Mediterranean Sea to
recover its rich biodiversity and to thrive in harmony with prospering, environmentally conscious and proactive local populations.

“Almas Marinas” , an environmental awareness and education project that arises between the collaboration of Falcao Uno (Portitxol Group) and the Palma Aquarium Foundation.