Private Secrets of Jewish Majorca Walking Tour

Tour Details

Journey to the heart of the Old Jewish Quarter where your private guide will take you to the must-see sites of the neighborhood. Start at the small Interpretation Center where you will learn how the island of Mallorca was home for hundreds of years to a thriving Jewish community that played a pivotal role in cartography. With the rise of the Spanish Inquisition in the 14th and 15th-centuries, these Jews faced forced conversions, becoming Crypto-Jews or Chuetas, who displayed their Catholic face outwardly, while adhering to their Jewish faith through secret signs and hidden synagogues in their homes.

Walk through the narrow streets and stop at a Jewish bakery to learn about ensaimada, a famous Mallorcan pastry cooked with pork fat as a reaction to centuries-old prejudice and discrimination. You will also visit the house of a medieval Jewish merchant to discover the secret traditions the Jews concocted to keep their faith.

Continue on to the old synagogue where the Montesion Church now stands, then see the secret synagogue on Leather Maker Street. Conclude your time in the Jewish Quarter at the statue of Jafuda Cresques, a 14th century Jewish cartographer who was one of the first to complete a world atlas and aid Christopher Columbus in his travels. You will leave the tour inspired as you witness the exciting revival of the Jewish community today, including descendants are returning to their roots more than 500 years later. Book this private 2.5 hour tour and experience a unique side of Palma.