Inca: Weekly Market, Shoe History and Walking Routes

Market Day and Leather Goods

Every Thursday, the weekly market takes place in Inca’s historic centre. It offers fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as handicrafts and leather goods. Inca is particularly associated with leather goods. Market day thus marks a regular point in the weekly rhythm; the exact selection and opening details may vary seasonally.

The market gives you a specific reason to plan your stay around a Thursday. If you are also interested in the history of local shoemaking, the Museu del Calçat i de la Indústria adds a broader perspective on leather and production. This allows you to include different interests—a market visit and an exploration of craftsmanship—in your travel plans without combining them into a single activity.

Dijous Bo: the Highlight of the Autumn Fairs

Dijous Bo is the highlight of Inca’s autumn fairs. It takes place on the third Thursday in November and includes a market with hundreds of stalls selling products from the island. In terms of its scale and the time of year, this annual event differs from the regular Thursday market. Check the dates for your travel year if you want to experience Dijous Bo.

The accompanying programme includes events on the days leading up to the fair and on the fair day itself, such as wine and product tastings, guided tours and workshops. The programme may vary from one edition to the next. For planning purposes, it is therefore important to distinguish between the weekly Thursday market and Dijous Bo, a special November event with a changing programme of activities.

Shoe History at the Municipal Museum

The Museu del Calçat i de la Indústria explains the history of footwear and the supporting and related industries in Mallorca, from the 13th century to the present day. A large collection of tools used in 20th-century shoemaking illustrates the many specialised steps involved in traditional production. The tools were donated to the museum by former shoemakers from the region.

This takes the subject beyond finished footwear: the collection also focuses on the processes and tools needed to make it. For travellers interested in local craft history, this offers a different way to get to know Inca than through its markets and seasonal events.

Stories and Routes Through the Municipality

The “Leyendas de Inca” walking tour shares stories and legends about Inca while also leading visitors to parts of the city’s preserved history and heritage. In this way, the city’s narrative heritage sits alongside the physical traces found elsewhere in the municipality.

In the eastern part of the municipality, the route to Puig de Santa Magdalena follows little-used paths and passes remnants of the island’s former pre-tourism society. Some of these remains helped lead to the area’s designation in 1991 as an Area of Special Natural Interest, or ANEI. The Santa Magdalena massif includes the 287-metre-high Puig de Santa Magdalena and the 307-metre-high Puig de la Minyó, the highest point in the municipality.

The path to the Santa Magdalena hermitage is part of the old road from Artà to Lluc. Its final climb follows a stone staircase with 86 steps, planned in 1914. If you plan to take this route, check current trail conditions; the historical details described here do not indicate the trail’s condition on the day of your visit.

Getting There and Choosing Your Stay

Inca is well connected by public transport, including frequent train services from Palma and other parts of the island. Services and frequency may change, so it is worth checking the timetable for your travel dates. The most common way to reach Mallorca is by flying into Palma de Mallorca Airport, which has direct connections from many European cities to major Spanish and international cities. This information describes travel to Mallorca, not a specific connection from the airport to Inca.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Inca, your planned activities can help you decide: Thursday suits the regular market, the third Thursday in November suits Dijous Bo, and the routes through the municipality offer a different focus from the museum and the city’s history. Match your travel dates to the activities that matter to you, and check seasonal dates and current timetables in advance.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Sant Llorenç Des Cardassar, Cala Mendia, Lloret De Vistalegre, Escorca, Pla de na Tesa, Son Ferrer, Alaro, Deyá.

For the main travel overview: Mallorca.