Magaluf Excursions: Spanish Village

The name leaves little room for confusion or quandary. This tourist attraction is a “Spanish Village” also known as The Pueblo Espanol. It’s located a short distance from Magaluf in the thriving region of Palma. The charming village is an authentic recreation of a Spanish village. And here, you can see people re-enact the daily chores of an actual villager’s life. Potters, glass blowers, artisans and craftsmen are seen toiling away through the day, as they probably would in an actual village.

Besides the recreated village life, The Pueblo Espanol boasts of a series of reproduced buildings that represent the extensive styles of architecture found all across Spain. It even offers recreations of renowned buildings from Toledo and Madrid. And also has its own version of the Alhambra Palace in Granada as well as the Banys Àrabs in Cordoba. So you might be correct in thinking that Spanish “village” is a bit of a misnomer. However, this is what the place has been called since it opened way back in the 1967. Creating Pueblo Espanol was the idea of Fernando Chueca Goitia, an architect who specialized in restoring historic buildings. It was built with the purpose of recreating smaller versions of some of Spain’s most famous buildings, which it has achieved very successfully.

Many of the houses in the village contain quaint cafes and souvenir shops, which sell local art, jewellery and other goods. Till recently, this was a good place for small-time artisans to deal with customers directly and sell their products. However, the village recently changed ownership and is now called the Nuevo Pueblo Español. The theme-based quality of the place, complete with fully-functional ateliers, leather workers etc., has now been replaced by more commercial attractions. While the recreated buildings still stand proud, the place is teeming with bars, discs, lounges and food joints. Reminds you of a historic version of Magaluf, actually.