12 towns, 25 years: giants parade through Santa Ponça

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• The 25th Trobada de Gegants brought giant figures from 12 municipalities together in Santa Ponça on Saturday 29 August, according to Ultima Hora.
• Open-Meteo forecasts an overcast Saturday across the Balearics, with 31 degrees in Palma and no rain expected on Mallorca.
• Es Diari reports that car traffic on Menorca's Me-1 road fell this July, with vehicle entries at the port of Ciutadella down 12 percent.
• Palma's local police arrested a 46-year-old woman accused of breaking into and occupying a family's camper van and changing its lock, Diario de Mallorca reports.
• Mallorca's Enric Mas took over the lead of La Vuelta a España after a heavy crash forced out Tadej Pogačar, according to Ultima Hora and Es Diari.

Today's essentials

12 towns, 25 years: giants parade through Santa Ponça. Twelve municipalities sent their giant figures to Santa Ponça on Saturday 29 August for the 25th Trobada de Gegants, the centrepiece opening of Calvià's Festes del Rei en Jaume, according to Ultima Hora.

Ultima Hora reports that this year's edition marked the 25th anniversary of the gathering, with the parade setting off from the Plaza de la Pinada, heading down the Avenida Jaume I, then passing the tourist office and the Calle Balneari in the heart of Santa Ponça. Around 30 children from the local caparrots group, the small-headed figures known as Els Germans Montcada, walked alongside the towering giants.

Calvià's own delegation is worth knowing if you want to spot the local characters. It includes the Christian couple Rei Jaume I and Violant d'Hongria, the Arab couple Abù Yahyà and Fàtima, and the solo giant Tio Pep de sa Pipa. According to the GegantCat register, the Rei Jaume I figure stands 4 metres tall and weighs 40 kilos, while Violant d'Hongria reaches 3.5 metres and 30 kilos. The same source notes the figures were carved by the Montuïri sculptor Vicente Alberola, with costumes made by Enric de las Heras.

There were guests from further afield too. Salou, Calvià's twin town in Catalonia since 2018 (the two are linked by James I setting sail from Salou to conquer Mallorca), came as guest of honour with its own historic Rei Jaume I and Violant d'Hongria giants, its fisherman couple Ramon and Maria del Mar, and the harlequins El Pepot and la Nena. The Catalan town of Fondarella brought its giants Pau and Treva, created in 2020.

The Trobada is only the warm-up. The Festes del Rei en Jaume run in Santa Ponça from 26 August to 6 September, commemorating the 797th anniversary of James I's troops landing on Mallorca, per the Ajuntament de Calvià. The action centres on two easy-to-find spots: the Creu de Santa Ponça, the cross that hosted the opening ceremony on 27 August, and the beach of Santa Ponça, where the big set pieces play out.

What this changes for you: if you missed the giants, the best days are still ahead and they are free and outdoors. Local reports point to the Nit de Foc, the fire parade of the Dimonis de Calvià through Santa Ponça, on 1 September; the re-enactment of the Christian landing and the closing battle on the beach of Santa Ponça on 5 September; and a fireworks finale over the bay of Santa Ponça at dusk on 6 September. Santa Ponça sits in Calvià, on Mallorca's southwest coast, an easy drive or bus ride from Palma, so it is a straightforward evening out for anyone based on the island.

Weather today

An overcast, dry Saturday across the islands. Expect a grey but rain-free day, with Palma between 23 and 31 degrees under cloudy skies and only a light breeze, according to Open-Meteo.

In Palma, Open-Meteo puts the low at 23 degrees and the high at 31, with fully overcast skies, no rain (0 percent) and wind up to 13 km/h: warm and muggy rather than sunny, so a light layer for the evening festivities is enough. The rest of Mallorca is much the same, with Sóller ranging from 23 to 30 degrees, cloud cover and calm winds up to 11 km/h.

Over on the other islands, Ciutadella sits between 24 and 30 degrees, still cloudy but with a slightly higher chance of a passing shower (8 percent) and a firmer breeze up to 21 km/h. Nothing to change your plans over, though keep a hat and water handy if you are following the outdoor events.

Transport & traffic

• Menorca traffic eases in first month of peak season. Car traffic on Menorca's main Me-1 road fell this July, with vehicle entries through the port of Ciutadella down 12 percent, according to Es Diari. Es Diari reports that all three counting stations on the Me-1 recorded lower vehicle intensity during the first month of high season, in what the paper frames as the last summer without a cap on cars on the island. For anyone driving on Menorca, that points to marginally lighter roads and slightly easier parking around Ciutadella this July than in recent peak seasons, though August pressure and any future vehicle-limit rules remain the bigger question for residents planning trips.
• Colombia's consulate assists victims of fatal road crash. The Consulate of Colombia in Palma has offered assistance and support to Colombian nationals affected by the fatal traffic accident of 27 August on Menorca's main road, according to Es Diari. Es Diari reports that the consulate issued a statement pledging help and accompaniment to the Colombian citizens caught up in the crash on the carretera general. For the community, it means an official point of contact for consular support around the injured, a reminder of how quickly a single accident on Menorca's main artery can ripple across the island.

Local news to know

• Woman arrested for occupying a Palma camper van. Palma's local police arrested a 46-year-old woman accused of forcing entry into and occupying a camper van used as a second home by a family, catching her as she changed the lock, according to Diario de Mallorca.
• Enric Mas inherits the Vuelta lead after Pogačar crash. Mallorca's Enric Mas became the new leader of La Vuelta a España after a dramatic crash forced Tadej Pogačar out, in a day both bitter and unforgettable for Balearic cycling, according to Ultima Hora and Es Diari.
• BiciPalma passes 53,000 users. Palma's public bike-share scheme BiciPalma has reached 53,000 users, growing its active membership, stations and available bikes since 2023, according to Diario de Mallorca.
• Vuelta stage 8 ran from Puçol to Xeraco. Diario de Ibiza published a gallery of stage 8 of La Vuelta a España, raced between Puçol and Xeraco.

Tonight and tomorrow, the Balearic Islands

• Ibiza chases Ecovidrio's green flag this summer. Ibiza's town hall and more than 846 hospitality venues in the city are taking part this summer in the seventh Movimiento Banderas Verdes run by Ecovidrio, according to Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera. The scheme rewards bars and restaurants for their glass-recycling efforts, so choosing a participating venue in the city this summer is an easy way to back the campaign.
• Rodrigo Cuevas turns Ibiza into a folk cabaret. Rodrigo Cuevas played the Nits de Tanit series on Friday, turning his Ibiza debut into a show of folklore, humour and irreverence rather than a conventional concert, according to Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera. If the Nits de Tanit cycle is still running, it is worth checking the remaining line-up for a night that leans as much on stagecraft as on music.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow