Creu des carrer de Son Massanet

Creu des carrer de Son Massanet is a stone wayside cross on the outskirts of Campanet, a small town in the north of Mallorca, the Balearic Islands. This is not a church or chapel — it's a small piece of open-air religious heritage, one of many stone crosses raised across Mallorca over the centuries to mark village boundaries, watch over travelers, and commemorate significant spots along old roads.

What exactly is this monument?

The cross dates back to 1629 and originally stood at the corner of what are now Carrer Llorenç Riber and Carrer de Son Massanet, right in the heart of Campanet. In the 1970s, as the town's street layout changed, it was relocated to its current position along the old road linking Campanet to the neighboring village of Búger. Locally it's sometimes known as "Creu Nova" (New Cross), despite a history stretching back nearly 400 years.

Its form follows a pattern typical of Mallorcan street crosses: a carved stone shaft rising from a stepped base and topped with a cross, often with modest decorative carving. These monuments served both a devotional and a practical purpose — marking processional routes, offering wayside stopping points for prayer, and acting as landmarks for travelers moving between villages.

How do you get there?

The cross stands along the old track connecting Campanet to Búger, on the eastern edge of town. Campanet sits in northern Mallorca, just off the Ma-13 road that links Inca with Pollença and Alcúdia, roughly a 40-minute drive from Palma. The easiest way to reach it is by car or bicycle — the terrain is flat and the area is popular with cyclists exploring the island's interior. Regional buses from Inca and Palma also serve the town itself.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The cross itself is a small, quiet stop on a walk or bike ride, but Campanet has more to offer close by. The town is best known for the nearby Coves de Campanet, a scenic karst cave system with stalactite and stalagmite formations, one of the more notable attractions in this part of the island. It's also worth wandering through Campanet's old town, with its typical Mallorcan stone houses and narrow lanes, and stopping at the parish church in the town center.

The area also makes a good base for trips into the Serra de Tramuntana, the UNESCO-listed mountain range offering scenic hiking trails and terraced olive groves.

When's the best time to visit?

Spring (April to June) and early autumn (September–October) are the best times to explore this part of Mallorca, with pleasant temperatures for walking or cycling and noticeably fewer crowds than in peak summer. Midday heat can be intense in summer, so it's worth planning a visit for the morning or late afternoon.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a church? No. It's a freestanding stone cross set beside a road — a small open-air religious monument, not a building.

How old is the cross? It dates from 1629, though it has stood in its current location only since it was moved there in the 1970s.

Why was the cross moved? It originally stood at a street corner in central Campanet and was relocated to the town's outskirts, along the old road to Búger, likely as part of changes to the local street layout.

Is it worth a dedicated trip? On its own, the cross is a brief stop, but it pairs well with a visit to the nearby Coves de Campanet caves and a walk through the old town — together they make for a pleasant half-day outing in this part of the island.