Santa Eulàlia d’Alaior

The story here runs underground. Beneath a baroque parish church lie bunkers where Alaior sheltered from air raids during the Spanish Civil War, and they turn a visit to a town church into a piece of twentieth-century history.

Upstairs, the church is a quiet stone interior you can walk round at your own pace. The carved main doorway is the thing to stop for outside. Inside, the stone keeps the air cool and calm even when the streets of the old town are bright with midday sun.

It is also a working parish church. On Sunday the nave belongs to the local congregation, and a Mass here shows the building doing the job it was built for.

• It is a working parish church: services come first, so plan a sightseeing visit around Mass.
• The entrance is wheelchair accessible.
• There are no public toilets or drinking fountains nearby. Sort out both before you come.
• The closest car park, about 100 m away, is private. Use the free one about 160 m away.

The church stands in the upper part of Alaior's old town, and the last stretch is on foot through its narrow streets whichever way you come.

By car, a free car park lies about 160 m from the church. There is a closer one, about 100 m away, but it is private, so do not plan on it.

By bus, two stops serve this side of town: Alaior - Poliesportiu, about 440 m away, and Alaior - Centre, about 460 m away. From either, you finish the approach on foot through the town.

Best: a weekday outside service times.

Avoid: Sunday morning for a sightseeing visit.

On weekdays the nave is quiet enough for a slow self-guided look, while Sunday morning belongs to the parish and its Mass. On a hot summer afternoon the thick stone walls make the interior one of the cooler places in town.

Santa Eulàlia is a consecrated Catholic church in regular parish use. Dress modestly, with shoulders covered, and keep your voice down inside. During Mass, stay at the back or come back later: walking round the nave or taking photographs while a service is under way is not appropriate.