Ermita de Santa Magdalena
A narrow road spirals 304 metres up the Puig d'Inca to a tiny whitewashed hermitage that has stood since the 14th century, rewarding the short drive or energetic hike with arguably the finest panoramic view of central Mallorca available without a helicopter. On a clear winter day you can trace the entire spine of the Serra de Tramuntana from Formentor to Andratx.
The Hermitage and Its History
The Ermita de Santa Magdalena was founded by Augustinian hermits in 1348 and the current chapel, though rebuilt several times, retains its original austere Mallorcan Gothic stonework and a small side altar with a venerated carved figure of Mary Magdalene. A handful of monks still maintain the site, and the bell rings for a simple Sunday mass that visitors are welcome to attend quietly.
The annual Romeria de Santa Magdalena pilgrimage on the Sunday after Easter sees hundreds of Inca residents walk up the hill in traditional dress — a deeply local spectacle that few tourists ever witness.
The View and the Walk
From the stone terrace beside the chapel you can see Inca spread below, the flat agricultural plain stretching east toward Alcúdia, and on exceptionally clear mornings the faint outline of Menorca on the horizon. A picnic table under the pines is one of the most peaceful lunch spots in all of Mallorca.
The signed hiking trail from Inca's Plaça de l'Àngel takes about 45 minutes uphill; the road is driveable but narrow, with a small car park near the summit. Both options are worthwhile — the trail passes old terraced fields and carob trees that tell their own quiet story.
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