Gangster Granny, Sant Antoni, and Winter Life in Sóller

Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Mallorca Mallorca Podcast. This week, Soller Shirley joins Vicki in the studio for a wide-ranging winter chat, starting with festive downtime, sea walks, and why the quiet season can be the most grounding time to live in Mallorca.

From there, we dive into one of the island’s most loved winter traditions, Sant Antoni in Sóller, from bonfires and barbecues to demonis, the blessing of the animals, and the surprisingly surreal horse races that take place right in the middle of town.

Along the way, the conversation moves into something deeper too, the difference between the postcard version of Mallorca and the year-round reality, the cost of living, subsidies, and the voices we do not always hear, especially from the immigrant communities who keep the island running.

And yes, there’s a delicious detour into Bhukkad Boca, the new Punjabi and South African-inspired neighbourhood bar in Palma.

What you’ll hear about

1. The joy of the “between Christmas and New Year” quiet days
2. Winter rituals, sea walks, slow season routines, and the comfort of familiarity
3. Why Repic and Port de Sóller feel like a safe place
4. What belonging really means when you live here year-round
5. Sant Antoni in Sóller, what happens, when, and where
6. Bonfires, demonis, barbecues, and why it still feels joyful and free
7. The blessing of the animals (and why you should wear red)
8. Horse races in the town car park, and how surreal that feels
9. The bus culture of fiestas (and why younger locals love it)
10. Cost of living, subsidies, and what a “voucher world” looks like
11. A personal story that brings the conversation back to gratitude and perspective
12. Desi pubs in the UK, and how communities reshape culture over time
13. Bhukkad Boca in Palma, a new opening with big neighbourhood energy

Places and mentions

1. Sóller
2. Port de Sóller
3. Repic
4. La Huerta (Sóller)
5. Sant Antoni (Mallorca)
6. Sant Sebastià (Palma)
7. Bhukkad Boca (Son Armadams, Palma)
8. Merchants (Palma)
9. Tom Brown’s (Palmanova)

Quote highlights

1. “I love that week where you don’t know what day it is, you can just mooch about in your pyjamas.”
2. “The sea is definitely my safe place.”
3. “Everywhere you go in the next ten days, you’ll find a celebration of some kind.”
4. “It’s not spicy, it’s spiced up.”
5. “Mallorca has so many layers, the holiday version, the resident version, the international version, the working version.”

If you loved this episode…

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the Mallorca Mallorca Podcast wherever you listen, and share this episode with a friend who loves Mallorca in the quieter season.

And if you’re spending January on the island, this is your sign to get out and experience the winter fiestas, even if you watch from a safe distance with a warm drink in hand.