Raixa, Manor estate in Bunyola, Spain

Raixa is a manor estate in Bunyola with a stone mansion, central courtyard, and gardens arranged in tiers down the southern slopes of Sa Muntanyeta mountain. The buildings and grounds blend residential spaces with working agricultural areas across multiple garden levels, from the Orange Tree Garden to the Gallery Garden with fountains and the Entrance Garden featuring a decorative pool.

Raixa is documented from the 13th century: after the 1229 conquest of Mallorca, James I of Aragon gave it to Count Ponç IV of Empúries on 11 May 1234. It passed through the Santmartí and Safortesa families before the Despuig counts of Montenegro acquired it in 1620. Cardinal Antoni Despuig i Dameto (1745–1813) remodelled the houses and gardens in an Italianate, classicising style and founded an archaeological museum there, completed in 1826.

The name Raixa probably comes from Arabic raʃʃ, 'to sprinkle or irrigate', though the water jets and fountains date from the 18th century, not Islamic times. The Despuig counts of Montenegro kept a chapel and painting collections in the houses, and Cardinal Antoni Despuig formed an archaeological museum there, completed in 1826. The estate has appeared in three films, including Muerte bajo el sol (1982) and Bearn (1983).

You can explore the grounds on foot as pathways connect the different garden levels and make all areas accessible to visitors. Some paths are steep or uneven, so wear comfortable shoes and watch for irregular surfaces as you move between levels.

The safareig, or water tank, is considered the largest on Mallorca, measuring about 100 by 17 metres with a depth of 7 metres. It sits in the upper garden, where the slope was levelled to hold it, and is fed by the estate's springs. The reservoir is not dated to 1753 in the sources; the fountains and water jets belong to the 18th century.