when you think of mallorca, you think of the sun, beaches, sand, blue waters, and the heat heat heat. yet if you “dare” to visit the island any time between the end of january and the middle of february, you’ll have the chance to witness an amazing natural phenomenon: the blossoming of the almond trees in mallorca.
it is at this time of the year that mallorca becomes a paradise for painters, writers, photographers, artists who get inspired by this wonderful show of nature! if you´re into nature and photography, and have been looking for that perfect spanish self-made souvenir, then go hiking, biking or walking along the almond fields in mallorca, or take a train ride on the old sóller railway for some picture-perfect views.
painting by santiago rusiñol – almendros en flor en mallorca (1902), and the inspiration
the thought of an entire almond blossom island is truly romantic and ethereal. the thousands of almond trees have been reportedly planted by an arab king for his scandinavian-born love who missed her snowy homeland, what could be more romantic than that?
more pragmatically, it was probably the romans, who took it from the greek, who introduced the cultivation of almonds in the balearic archipelago. yet even in the greek mythology, the almond tree has a magical romantic story.
the beautiful princess phyllis was transformed by the gods into a leafless and bare tree after she had her heart broken by her fiancée, who left her at the altar. when the fiancée returned, he wept at the sight of such a sad tree that used to be his beautiful love. his tears turned into the beautiful almond trees that now cover many mediterranean regions.
spain is the second largest producer of almonds, grown all over the mediterranean region, and are the base for favourite spanish sweets like the turrón and the marzipan.
traditional turrón and marzipan figures
the almond blossoms cover mallorca at the perfect time to represent the new year and a new beginning, a rebirth, a sign of prosperity and good hopes for what the year will bring along!
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