Inca, an Open-Air Shopping Center

When we think about squeezing the most out of the day with a shopping trip, we often think of a big city like Madrid or Barcelona, and if we are talking about the island of Mallorca, downtown Inca takes the center stage that it has been building since olden times.

Even so, there are countless municipalities in Mallorca that offer culture, gastronomy, and tradition. But do you know what I like most about the other municipalities outside downtown Palma? Their uniqueness and their proximity when it comes to local business. These are features I was able to see for myself during my day at one of the benchmark commercial spots on the island of Mallorca: the municipality of Inca.

Inca is one of the best settings where you can shop, eat, have a drink, or enjoy a stroll through the city’s pedestrian streets. Its businesses range from the purest traditional style to well-known franchises. Restaurants and bars where you can eat signature cuisine or more traditional dishes, all accompanied by the architecture and heritage of a city that has become a benchmark in recent years due to its calendar of activities and the value it adds to the island of Mallorca through its culture and the charisma of its residents.

A destination unknown to some, but for others, a place to find everything you need due to its commercial variety and the uniqueness of its products. Many already know my fondness for this municipality and everything it overflows with, but if I told you that Inca has an open-air shopping center, would you believe me? Join me in this read, and I will reveal to you how to spend a few hours, a day, or even a weekend experiencing something that, until now, you surely didn’t know about. Shall we continue together?

The First Urban Hotel in Inca: Can Guixe

If we go back two years, Inca’s hotel selection was nonexistent, but today it has two hotel establishments that I am going to tell you about. On the centrally located Calle Estrella, right next to the City Hall, we find an urban hotel where you can stay right downtown: Can Guixe, where they made me feel right at home as soon as I arrived. A space to be, celebrate, and be happy. For a digital nomad like me, one of the things I liked most was its rooms—spacious and bright, and besides being decorated with care and elegance, they are equipped for working. A desk, outlets, and everything necessary to combine pleasure with obligations. Something that is开启 undoubtedly essential nowadays for those of us who telecommute. But it’s not just the interior that counts, because my room featured a terrace overlooking the City Hall Square, where you could enjoy an unbeatable, unique atmosphere filled with the scent of tradition and modernity. But no, that wasn’t the only aroma; Can Guixe’s gastronomy was knocking on my door.

Without a doubt, the gastronomic focus is one of the pillars of Can Guixe, and its bistro located on the rooftop, with enviable views of the City Hall Square, was the perfect setting to enjoy a delicious brunch to fuel up for my shopping day in Inca. I would have loved to keep enjoying its gastronomic offerings based on local ingredients, market cuisine, and local dishes for hours and hours, but I had to continue my route. By the way, for those who need an event room, this hotel offers its ‘Sala Quely’—in honor of the city’s most famous crackers—where you can share moments, host events, conferences, and ceremonies.

Going Crazy for the Traditional Sweets of Can Delante

The truth is, I am definitely very weak and fall into temptation way too quickly… For me, it’s impossible to stroll through a city and not notice its bakeries or confectionery shops to taste the location’s traditional sweet and savory treats. I must confess that although my palate knows some iconic spots and guilty pleasures inside out, others were not yet on my radar. Such is the case with Can Delante, a bakery that has been dedicated to making all kinds of traditional sweets from the island for over 160 years. Speaking of its history, it was Ramon Prats Arrom who started the business here in 1856. Since 2008, Joan Sans Perelló has been running the business, having inherited it from his father, and he was the first to see my look of fascination upon entering the first shop in Inca. I must say that the facade preserves the sign, and inside we can see the original shelves and furniture, just as Joan told me.

At Can Delante, they manufacture and distribute nougats (turrones), Easter candy-coated almonds (peladillas), ice cream mixes, and a long list of Mallorca’s most traditional desserts, such as ensaimadas, cakes, almond gató, empanadas (panades), rubiols, and both savory and sweet cocas, among others. Can Delante is a family business recognized throughout the Balearic Islands for crafting products with premium quality ingredients and in a traditional way.

Heritage in the Heart of Inca

For a selfie addict like me, taking a photo is a must in every place I visit, and for this occasion, the Church of Santa Maria la Major caught my attention because of its majesty and its marés stone construction, a material commonly used in Majorcan Baroque churches.

This church is located right in the square that bears its name, Plaza de Santa Maria la Major, which hosts the fruit, vegetable, and agricultural market every Thursday.

Fashion in Inca is Dressed in Local, National, and International Brands

Now, I really couldn’t get more sidetracked, so I headed to Plaza de España, where three of my favorite stores are located: Ones Moda, Forum, and HOMINE (formerly Can Pere). In Inca’s retail scene, tradition is linked to modernity and trends, and we find local, national, and international brands that I am about to reveal to you. My first stop was at one of the ‘Ones Moda’ stores, because if this retail chain can brag about anything, it’s having up to 9 stores in Mallorca (Inca, Ca’n Picafort, Port d’Alcúdia, Alcúdia, Port de Pollença, and Cala Ratjada) and distributing well-known brands such as Jack & Jones, Jack & Jones Kids, Only Kids, Only, Vero Moda, Pepe Jeans Man & Woman, among many others. But do you know the best part? They also offer a Personal Shopper service, ensuring your purchases are a success rather than a hassle when deciding. Young, fresh fashion with a cool touch for men, women, and children.

My second stop was at the ‘Forum’ store, which belongs to a family business that has been dedicated to selling women’s fashion and accessories in Mallorca for over 40 years. Just like Ones Moda, they also have points of sale across different parts of the island, and not only that, but there you can find garments from well-known designers and international fashion brands such as Isabel Marant, Golden Goose, Anine Bing, La Morenita, Mr. Boho, American Vintage, or Zadig & Voltaire. Wow! A true luxury to be able to count on all these brands in a single shop.

I already had several bags in my hands, but I still had one mandatory stop left in Inca’s Plaza de España: the HOMINE store, or as many still call it, Can Pere. It was in 1970 when Pere Cortès Aguiló opened a shop dedicated to selling fabrics and haberdashery under the name Can Pere. Family and fashion have their own history and tradition in this business, which even used to house a workshop called Creaciones Cortés, where collections sold to the Spanish mainland and the Canary Islands were designed. But what impacted me the most was that their notable clients included the legendary Galerías Preciados department stores.

Today, Pere handles the management and direction of the business, focusing mainly on the sale of clothing and accessories from international brands like Is coming, Karl Lagerfeld, Michael Kors, 10days, MC2 Saint Barth, or brands that evoke the concept of sustainability like Ecoalf, among many others. You can also find HOMINE stores in Port d’Alcúdia, Playa de Muro, Cala Ratjada, and Puerto Portals.

Flor de Murta Handmade: Unique and Exclusive Pieces

Now I truly had all my clothes, but I was still missing that exclusive and unique product that stores like Flor de Murta could offer. This place evokes a world full of charming details, where you can find everything from handmade products in Mallorca to trending accessories and fashion. There you can find artisanal decor (Majorcan ceramic craftsmanship, clay, and local products from the Balearic Islands). What did I like the most? Their own creations, or what they call ‘Flor de Murta Handmade’—mural pieces and exclusive items that make a real difference, whether as a treat for yourself or for someone you love. A store that you will also find in Sineu.

A Charming Hotel with Authentic Character and Mediterranean Fragrance in the Interior of Mallorca: Can Vidal Boutique Rooms

Bags and more bags, and the need to keep savoring Inca. I already told you that my weakness has a name and a face: the gastronomic selection. But before discovering more dining spots in the center of this municipality, I couldn’t miss a visit to two recently renovated buildings that boast local style: the Teatre Principal d’Inca and Can Vidal Boutique Rooms.

The Teatre Principal d’Inca is an ideal place for lovers of culture, events, and shows, which for decades was a benchmark venue in Mallorca and has now reopened its doors with a more modern look without losing its identity. Concerts, cinema, opera, dance, theater—an endless array of activities to enjoy culture in capital letters.

Right on that same street was my next stop. Can Vidal Boutique Rooms is a small, exclusive, and cozy accommodation with an authentic character. This building holds a great history dating back to 1890 when the Can Vidal building was constructed. 132 years later, it has recently opened its doors to offer a unique, exclusive stay with an air of tradition to its guests.

As soon as you walk in, you see a shoe display as decoration on its stone walls. A total nod from this lodging to Inca, reflecting the affection and respect the municipality holds for footwear and leather. But what truly makes you fall in love with Can Vidal Boutique Rooms is its rooms, each with different color tones, distinct decor, and reclaimed materials from the old house, offering a vintage touch. What did I like best? Its details, like the Majorcan baskets they offer their guests for shopping, promoting sustainable purchasing.

After immersing myself in art and more art in this place and getting to wear one of my acquisitions from that day—a highly stylish dress from the Ones store—I was ready to end the day in the best possible way. Can you guess how?

A Gastronomic Offering That Delights the Palate and Makes Us Feel Like We Are Touching the Sky

Inca’s gastronomic selection is infinite, and it undoubtedly boasts restaurants that offer everything from the most traditional set menu to the most outstanding signature cuisine. For that day, I chose dos of the restaurants located on Carrer d’en Jaume Armengol and Carrer de l’Àngel, which offer different fusion cuisine options. My first choice? SURO Bistró Restaurant, a place that stands out for its cork decor and for offering a varied street-food style menu to showcase world flavors from its own culinary perspective.

And just thinking about my room at Can Vidal Boutique Rooms made my feet feel more than happy, but I still had one last stop in Inca, specifically at s’Angel Restaurant.

If there’s one thing Inca’s gastronomic selection has, it’s that it delights the palate and makes us feel like we are touching the sky. And if there was a place there to satisfy my craving for Mediterranean cuisine, this was it—of course, without losing that Asian touch that fascinates me and I miss so much. Thanks to the great weather that day, I was able to enjoy my choice on its magnificent terrace in Plaza de S’Angel.

Now, I could finally say that my day had ended. A day where I got to know a little more about everything this municipality offers its residents, tourists, and visitors to enjoy an open-air shopping center. Now all that’s left is for you to live the experience yourself. Are you up for it?