Secrets of Jewish Majorca - Full Day Experience

About this tour

Explore Majorca's hidden Jewish heritage across six hours, tracing the island's medieval role as a centre for Jewish scholarship and mapmaking. Learn how the community survived the Inquisition by operating in secret, maintaining faith through coded symbols and concealed home synagogues. Walk through old quarters, examine historical sites, and uncover the ingenious ways Crypto-Jews preserved their identity under Catholic rule. A layered look at resilience and cultural survival on a Spanish island.

Highlights

• Medieval Jewish mapmaking contributions to European navigation
• Hidden home synagogues and domestic religious spaces
• Coded symbols used by Crypto-Jews to identify one another
• Inquisition-era forced conversions and underground communities
• Preserved quarters and historical sites across Palma
• Stories of cultural survival and secret faith practices
• Island's pivotal role in Jewish diaspora history

What to expect

You'll move through Palma's older streets with a guide who contextualises the physical spaces where Jewish and Crypto-Jewish life unfolded. Expect to see courtyards, former residential areas, and sites tied to the community's documented history—the guide will point out architectural details and explain how families managed religious observance in private whilst appearing outwardly Catholic. The tour balances walking with standing discussions at key locations. You'll hear specific accounts of the Inquisition's impact and methods people used to communicate faith discreetly. No heavy lifting required; the pace suits mixed fitness levels.

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