Petra

The municipality is flat, extensive, and agricultural, with gentle elevations to the south where the hill of Bonany rises. The landscape is dryland: cereals, almond trees, carob trees, fig trees, and vineyards, with stone huts and possessions scattered throughout the countryside. Petra is part of the wine-producing area of the east and the plain, with wineries in the municipality.

The village retains an old town of sandstone, with straight streets, two-storey houses, and a notable convent complex, that of Sant Bernardí, as well as the birthplace and museum dedicated to Juníper Serra, which receive continuous visits. At the top of the hill, the sanctuary of Bonany is the reference point of the municipality and one of the most well-known viewpoints of the plain. At the end of the 20th century, the current municipality of Ariany was segregated from the term of Petra, which until then was one of its population entities.

There is a main settlement, the village of Petra, and the choice is made within it. The old town, around the convent and the church, is where the most characterful housing is found: stone houses between party walls, of two or three storeys, with a patio or yard, often retaining traditional elements. It is also the part that requires the most attention in terms of conservation and renovation conditions.

The 19th-century extensions of recent decades offer detached houses with plots, terraced houses, and some blocks of apartments, which are more comfortable and have parking, driving most local transactions. And the rural area, which is large, concentrates fincas and country houses with land, from small huts to estates with main houses; this is where the most expensive product is found and what attracts buyers from outside the area.

Petra manages everyday life well: local shops, supermarkets, a weekly market, health centre, pharmacy, school, library, and sports facilities, as well as a strong associative life and festivals. For secondary schools, regional hospital, large shopping centres, and administration, Manacor is nearby; Inca and Palma are within a reasonable distance.

Tourist seasonality is low, though not non-existent: the village receives visitors for its Franciscan heritage, but it is not a seasonal destination and does not empty in winter. It has a permanent population and the same life throughout the year, which is what those moving to the Pla usually seek.

There is no coast. The nearest beaches are in the east, in the area of Son Servera and Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, or towards the southeast near Felanitx, all within a driving distance of twenty to thirty-five minutes. This is an acceptable distance, although it is not a coastal municipality.

What is nearby is flat and has paths: excellent terrain for road cycling and walking, with very little traffic. The ascent to the sanctuary of Bonany is the classic excursion of the municipality, short and with views over the entire plain. Culturally, the Franciscan complex, the birthplace and museum of Juníper Serra, the convent, and the calendar of festivals —with the fair and patron saint festivities as key moments— provide real substance to a village of this size.

Petra has a train station on the line that connects the plain with Manacor and, via Inca, with Palma. This is an uncommon advantage among the villages of the Pla and allows access to the capital without a car, although with a longer travel time than from Raiguer. By road, the connection to Manacor is short and to Palma reasonable, via conventional routes.

The bus completes the connection with neighbouring municipalities with frequencies typical of the interior. Within the village, everything is within walking distance and parking is convenient. For the countryside, the coast, and the industrial estates of Manacor, a car is necessary.

Three blocks. In the old town, stone village houses between party walls, with patios, ranging from modest housing to houses with semi-circular portals and elements of certain quality; a good portion requires renovation. In the extensions, there are terraced houses, detached houses with plots, and apartments from recent builds. And in the countryside, rural estates with houses or land, which is the product that concentrates demand from outside.

New builds are scarce and limited to plots within urban land. In rural areas, the general limitations of Mallorca apply, and, as in all of the Pla, it is common to find old buildings with unclear urban planning situations. Verifying it before purchasing is especially important here, as is checking water, sewage, and electricity in the fincas.

Demand mixes local buyers and those from neighbouring villages, people who work in Manacor or Palma and seek more house for less money, and international buyers focused mainly on rural estates and the stone houses in the old town. The combination of heritage, train access, and interior prices has maintained stable interest.

The published volume is small but there is usually something available: Petra is not one of the municipalities in the Pla where months pass without offers. Long-term residential rentals are scarce and competitive, with local demand. Tourist rentals are subject to regional and municipal regulations that have changed several times, especially restrictive in rural land; it is advisable to confirm this for the specific property before relying on it.

It suits those who want a characterful stone house in the interior of Mallorca without paying mountain prices, those seeking a finca with land in the plain, and those who work in Manacor or need to go to Palma frequently and value having a train. It is also suitable for families, due to the amenities of the village and the tranquil atmosphere.

It is advisable to consider the distance to the sea —which exists, although it is manageable—, the condition and cost of renovating the old houses in the old town, the urban planning situation, and the utilities of the buildings in rural areas, the heat of the plain in summer, and a slower appreciation compared to coastal or mountainous areas. In return, it is one of the villages in the Pla that offers the most for what they cost.