Campos is an agricultural town on Mallorca's southern plain, surrounded by flat farmland and windmills. It doesn't feature in most guidebooks, and tourists pass through it on the way to Es Trenc beach without stopping. That anonymity keeps prices low and gives it a genuinely local feel. The Saturday morning market on the main square draws farmers and their families from the surrounding area. We'd suggest Campos for villa guests who want rural quiet, good value, and a short drive to the south coast beaches. It's not exciting, but it's comfortable and real.
Why Stay in Campos
- Value for money: Villa prices around Campos are noticeably lower than the coast or the Tramuntana. You get more space and more pool for your budget.
- Es Trenc access: The island's best beach is 15 minutes' drive south. Close enough for daily trips, far enough to avoid the resort premium.
- Saturday market: A proper local market with produce, flowers, cheese, and household goods. No tourist tat. The adjacent cafes fill up with locals having pa amb oli and coffee.
- Nothing much happens: That's the honest caveat. Campos is quiet. Very quiet. A few restaurants, a supermarket, and the market. Evenings are pool-and-barbecue affairs.
Things to Do in Campos
The Saturday market is the weekly highlight. Browse for local almonds, Mallorcan salt (the Salines d'Es Trenc salt is good), ensaimadas, and sobrassada. The church of Sant Julia dominates the main square and is worth a look inside.
Drive south to Es Trenc for the beach. Continue east to Colonia Sant Jordi for harbour restaurants and Cabrera boat trips. West along the coast, Sa Rapita is a quieter beach alternative with a low-key sailing club.
The Botanicactus garden (10 minutes south) is a cactus garden and botanical park. It's a bit quirky, but children enjoy the scale of the plants and the artificial lake. Entry around €10.
For a change of pace, Santanyi (15 minutes east) has a more polished town centre and a good Saturday market. Llucmajor (15 minutes north) is another market town with Wednesday and Sunday trading. Inland Mallorca is criss-crossed with quiet cycling roads; the flat terrain around Campos is some of the best on the island for road cycling. Expect to share the roads with serious cycling groups, particularly in spring. For a beach with more character, drive to Cala Pi (25 minutes), a narrow cove reached by a long staircase between cliffs.
