Telegram / Santuari de Cura
A budget-friendly option in Mallorca's countryside
2023 has so far been a turbulent year. The war in Ukraine continues, the political and cultural division in Israel worsens, and global inflation is still on the rise. It’s easy to understand that this would impact people’s interest in international travelling. Traditionally, August is the month for relaxation and time off from work in most of Europe, but this year, many will be preoccupied by what is happening all around us. The war has impacted our lives in many ways, both indirectly and directly, but even before the outbreak, there were major events affecting the way we view travelling. People were becoming more aware of climate change and wanting to make conscious choices of where to go and how to engage with the local culture.
Before the pandemic, Mallorca had for many become a symbol of everything that is problematic with mass-tourism. In 1955, the first charter travel from Stockholm to Palma was arranged. The trip lasted 16 days and became the start of democratization of travelling. For centuries, travelling for leisure had been an exclusive activity, reserved for the wealthy elite.
Almost 70% of travellers state that it is important that their trip benefits the local community, and they also want to know that they money they spend go to local communities rather than multinational corporations and chains. Three quarters of travellers are now looking for authentic experiences, representative of the local culture.
In this article, we are introducing one such place, formerly an old convent but transformed into a modest but beautiful small hotel, located almost in the middle of Mallorca.
Getting there
The drive to Santuari di Cura from Palma feels like leaving the outside world behind. After passing through the small village of Randa, you begin the dwindling ascent up the mountain Puig de Randa. The higher you go, the fewer houses you see and soon there is only nature around you, while the four corners of the Mallorca gradually become visible below and all around the mountain.
The drive lasts approximately five to ten minutes, before you enter the gate of the sanctuary, on which the words “Dear child, welcomes the Mother of God which is our blessing and health” are inscribed, a quote by Catalan philosopher Ramon Llull.
A place of enlightenment
In 1274, Ramon Llull received his divine enlightenment in a cave at this spot, which would become the starting point of his life’s mission to introduce a new world order, developed according to an innovative philosophical system, conceived as a type of universal logic.
In recent years, he has been recognized as precursor of the computer. In the years that followed after his vision, the mountain top consolidated its position as a place of contemplation among those seeking spiritual enlightenment.
Llull’s followers were particularly drawn here, and soon established a hermitage and place of learning. In 1394, the Bishop of Mallorca testified that hermits resided permanently in these surroundings. Through the centuries, the Santuario de Cure has combined a threefold dimension: Marian devotion, Llullian philosophy, and a general quest for knowledge.
Today, the sanctuary contains a number of buildings and monuments, including a small museum and a chapel, as well as a small garden, in which a statue of St. Francis of Assisi has been placed. The religious from Cura were known to live a simple and humble life, turning away from a material lifestyle to instead celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of this sacred mountain.
New beginnings
After almost a century of neglect, the buildings were restored in 1913, and the guestrooms were added in 1947. Since 2014, the establishment is run by a local family, offering both rest for the night, no-thrills meals in the restaurant as well as the traditional Randa liqueur, still produced according to the recipe developed by the brothers of the monastery.
The lodgings are modest and without extravagance, more of a hostel than a hotel, but the beautiful scenery, breathtaking views and vibrant metaphysical energy of the site add qualities difficult to find anywhere else on the island.
This is a place for those seeking reflection, solitude and to reconnect with nature, rather than a five star-hotel experience.
Puig de Randa, S/N, 07629
Randa
Mallorca
