Inca: famed for shoes, famed for its market
We can make shoes from that, the shoemakers of Inca once said to themselves – and established the reputation of the place as the shoemakers’ town, right in the heart of Majorca. It is home to well-known companies such as Camper. This company with its trendy footwear is now represented in more than 500 stylishly designed shops all over the world, from New York to Mexico City, from Berlin to Paris. Here in Inca, you also have Farrutx, Munper and Lottusse.
Real Estate Mallorca – Inca
Good soles and good prices
The various leather outlet stores are a powerful magnet for anyone who likes a footwear bargain. You can also buy bags, belts and leather jackets there – beautiful and practical. Another great location for shopping is the traffic-calmed centre of Inca with the pedestrian area. Enticing shop windows are full of clothing for babies, youngsters and adults, watches, jewellery, shoes, cosmetics, accessories etc. A long-established bakery from 1856, Bäckerei Ca‘n Delante in Calle Mayor, with its nostalgically old-fashioned original fittings, draws you in with sweet temptations such as the iconic Majorcan pastry in the form of a spiral – the ensaimada. You can do like the locals and shop at the indoor market, the Mercat d’Inca, where you can buy fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, sausages and bread – or drop by the weekly market on Thursdays. The green town squares, bars and restaurants are all very appealing when you’re ready to take a breather.
Loft-style restaurant
If you like the rustic style, you should enjoy the cellers – traditional cellar restaurants with basic cuisine, which are well represented in Inca with Can Amer, Sa Travessa, Can Ripoll and Can Marrón. Once, these cellers were not just taverns. In fact, wine was produced and stored at constant temperatures in the vaulted cellars.
Restaurant Joan Marc serves Majorcan food too but offers but more refined dining. And then you have Sa Fábrica – which, in a nod to Inca tradition, is housed in an old leather factory. Here, a young German chef pampers the guests at his loft-style restaurant. It’s modern, casual, urban. A bit of the outside world in Inca. Marcel Reß mans the kitchen. Marcel made a big name for himself in the highly regarded TV competition “Top Chef”, when he got to the finals and then emerged as the best young chef in Spain!
Carpaccio of grouper fish
Simple wooden tables stand on grey concrete floors. The place has a technical vibe, with supporting pillars several metres high and the roof construction on display. The enormous hall is organised by rust-look partitions. Light streams in through floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on the plates of duck breast with celeriac, noisette butter and blackcurrants, for example… or the carpaccio of grouper fish with roasted tomato and herb oil… or the hake with a pumpkin compote and “hierbabuena” (this “good herb” is a typically Majorcan herb related to mint). Here, as you can see, regional cuisine is refined and interpreted in a particularly creative way.
When Inca goes crazy
Every November, Inca goes completely mad! That’s when the autumn fair “Dijous Bo” takes place. “Dijous Bo”, translated as “good Thursday”, is a must for all Majorcans. Also joining in this extravaganza with its dozens of stalls, live music and cattle shows are the foreign residents who have their own properties here as well as many tourists. What originally began as a purely agricultural fair has evolved into a colourful, bustling market with all kinds of goods. Up to 200,000 people unfailingly attend the event every year – at least, they did in pre-coronavirus times. If you feel like checking it out sometime, it’s a good idea to come by train because it’s almost impossible to find a parking spot.