Accessible Llucmajor

Llucmajor has the largest municipal boundaries in Mallorca, with a surface area of 325 square kilometres, and is only 15 minutes from the airport. Since 1916 it has held city status, following a royal decree issued by King Alfonso XIII. In terms of its history, Llucmajor has been a setting for Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, and was subject to raids by corsairs all along its coast.

Since 2016, Llucmajor has been working hard to become a destination for everyone, focusing on a range of different elements. You can find the services available on its website: www.visitllucmajor.com

Our proposal today is a visit to the old town centre, where you can admire a number of modernist buildings from the early 20th century, such as the Ca Ses Xilenes (House of Chilean Women), Café Colón, Antic Hotel España, Bar Tabú and La Caixa building. In October 2017, the council invited the wheelchair travel blogger Miguel Nonay to visit the town. Here’s a video of his trip round the town centre.

The square mentioned earlier is the Plaza de España, a pedestrian space which can also be accessed by car for people with reduced mobility, with reserved parking.

If arriving on foot from Calle Constitució, the first place you’ll come to on the right is the Fish Market building, now home to the tourist information office. On this side there is only stepped access, but if you go round the building you’ll see a second entrance with an access ramp. Once inside, you’ll find advice on what’s on offer in the town: beaches, vantage points, culture, vineyards, sport and more, in a leaflet designed with everyone in mind. The office has other leaflets with embossed, high-contrast print, Braille and audio description, making sure you get all the information you need on the activities and resources available to you. Having collected your leaflet, head into the square, where to the left you can see the town hall. Designed by Miquel Dalmau in an eclectic historicist style, the building dates from 1882.

If you keep walking, the only thing to decide on now is which of the multiple bars and restaurants in the square to stop at for a drink or a bite to eat.

From Plaza de España it is only 400 metres to the Sant Bonaventura Cloister. The walk through the narrow streets can be tricky, as there are sections where it narrows to 70 cm, which can be uncomfortable in a wheelchair. If on foot it’s easier to use the pavement, but if in a wheelchair use the street until the pavements have sufficient width.

The Cloister has two entrances; the main one is on Calle Fra Joan Garau, with two heavy non-automatic glass security doors. Inside, you’ll come straight to the information desk. To get to the lower floor, there is a lift 80 cm wide and a cabin measuring 1 m x 1.25 m, as well as an elevator to avoid the stairs. As an alternative, access is possible by opening two glass doors and using a removable ramp 98 cm wide. You should ask at reception to have the ramp put in place.  This floor has a signposted and accessible toilet. To get back outside, there are two automatic glass security doors, and the terrain outside the Cloister is flat stone paving.

The location of the Sant Bonaventura Cloister was chosen by Franciscan monks in the early 1600s, with work completed in the same century, consisting of the church, the cloister itself, a few small annexes and a kitchen garden. It was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2006, with renovation works beginning in the same year. They were completed in 2007.

The Cloister features different pieces of art, including paintings in the ground floor corridor produced using a technique known as grisaille, which uses varying shades of grey. This is the only place in Spain where this technique can be admired, and it is rare to see pieces in such good condition anywhere in Europe.

For today we’re not going to reveal any more to you – come and see for yourself, and discover that Llucmajor is for everyone. It’s yet another reason to come and visit Mallorca, enjoying the secrets that this wonderful island has for absolutely everyone.