Finca in Ruberts: Quiet hamlet in the municipality of Sencelles

Finca in Ruberts: small hamlet in the municipality of Sencelles

Anyone interested in a holiday home in Ruberts, Mallorca, will find one of the smallest places on the island: a llogaret, a tiny hamlet belonging to the municipality of Sencelles and located in the Pla de Mallorca, the flat to gently rolling landscape of the island's interior. The centre of Ruberts and the municipal centre of Sencelles are 7.6 km apart as the crow flies, a distance that shows how independent this small spot remains within the municipality.

The centre of Ruberts is formed by Plaça de Ruberts and the church of Mare de Déu del Carme, which together make up the most compact residential area of the locality. Around the Plaça and the church, Ruberts shows its quietest side, while the edge of the hamlet offers a more open transition to the surrounding landscape, noticeably more rural and spacious. An official local route of 0.5 km, easy to walk, leads precisely through this small arrangement of lanes and squares and quickly makes it clear that there is no extensive sightseeing programme here, but rather a place that can be taken in within a short time. Those who wish can combine a walk with a stop at the square before the path leads back out into the open countryside.

Outside festival days, when no public event brings the square to life, Ruberts feels much quieter, almost self-contained – a place where enduring rural life, on its small scale, sets the tone. For anyone seeking a finca in Ruberts as a holiday residence, that is precisely the appeal: no distractions, no bustle, but a retreat in the midst of the Pla de Mallorca, from which the island's quiet sides can be discovered.

Getting to Ruberts

Those wishing to rent a finca in Ruberts will find the small village in the centre of the island, away from the coastal roads and without the bustle that arises elsewhere at weekends. From the centre of Palma, the route follows the Ma-13, which leads inland and makes the journey from the city to rural Sencelles straightforward. Around 23 km separate Ruberts from the centre of Palma, a distance that clearly sets the village apart from the activity of the capital while keeping it close enough to reach the airport and city life without much difficulty.

Ruberts can also be reached from Palma Airport via the Ma-30 and the Ma-13, two roads that lead the way to the Pla de Mallorca. The exact length of this route is not specified, but the transition remains noticeable: those who land in the late afternoon, when the light over the fields turns golden, experience the shift from the bustle of the airport to the quiet of the Pla particularly clearly.

Within the hamlet itself, several stops along Carrer Alcúdia and Carrer Palma ensure that visitors can arrive without their own vehicle or continue their journey from Ruberts. The municipal centre of Sencelles is 7.6 km away as the crow flies, an indication of how independently the small llogaret is situated within its municipality, without directly bordering its main town. This distance from the municipal administration especially emphasises the secluded character that a stay in Ruberts promises.

Nearest beaches in the wider area

Anyone renting a holiday apartment in Ruberts stays inland on the Pla de Mallorca – the coast is therefore not just around the corner, but a drive away. The nearest documented beach in the wider area is primarily Cala Gamba, at 16,4 km as the crow flies between the town centres. According to the Balearic beach catalogue, Cala Gamba is 25 m wide, a size that is quite sufficient for a short afternoon by the water. Can Repic, at 17,2 km as the crow flies, is also among the nearest documented beaches in the wider area; the Balearic beach catalogue lists it under the name L'Horta and describes calm, very gently shelving water – a characteristic that is especially suitable for an easy entry into the sea. Both beaches clearly belong to the wider area around Ruberts and are not beaches of the locality itself.

Those heading towards the south coast instead will find Can Curt, another nearest beach in the wider area, at 17,0 km as the crow flies between the centres. Can Curt lies on Mallorca's south coast near Colònia de Sant Jordi – scenically a very different picture from the coves near Palma, more open and with the typical light of the south. Peñon, 16,9 km away as the crow flies, is also part of this southern option; according to the Mallorca Tourist Guide, there is no lifeguard there, a detail that is important for independently assessing water conditions. All distances given are straight-line distances between the town centres and say nothing about the actual driving distance.

For a day by the sea, it is worth setting off early, if only so that the return trip inland does not fall in the afternoon heat – especially outside the high season, this makes it possible to experience one cove or another much more peacefully. From a finca in Ruberts, such a trip to the coast can be easily combined with a quiet day in the locality itself, enjoying the tranquillity of the Pla de Mallorca before heading back to the water.

Can Ribes: a farm estate to visit

Anyone strolling through Ruberts will find Can Ribes, a destination wholly devoted to the rural past of the Pla de Mallorca. The walk itself is short, but that does not matter, as this is less about length than impression: old trees, sparse soil, and the feeling that little has changed for generations.

Olive and carob trees shape the grounds, telling of agricultural continuity without turning the place into a museum. Sheep keep the grass short between the trunks, giving the site a well-kept yet unmanicured character, almost as if work had only just paused. Anyone hoping for historic furniture, a curated collection, or reconstructed utility rooms will be disappointed: no such visitor offering is documented for Can Ribes, nor is there a guided tour with historic inventory or a known exhibition. This is precisely what gives the place its unpretentious character: it presents itself as a living piece of agriculture rather than a staged backdrop.

Anyone interested in Can Ribes should keep the character of the place in mind: a short, unassuming walk through working agricultural land, not a curated museum with guided tours and historic furnishings. This very simplicity suits a stay in the Pla de Mallorca, where peace and rural life set the tone anyway, and a short detour to Can Ribes can easily fit into an otherwise quiet day.

Shopping and dining in the wider surrounding area

Those planning an excursion to the coast from Ruberts will find provisions not in the village itself, but in the coastal towns of the wider surrounding area. Cala Estancia, 16,4 km as the crow flies, in the wider surrounding area, offers small shops and supermarkets away from the strip of sand, where the essentials for a day at the beach can be bought.

There are also options for hunger after swimming, though likewise only in the wider surrounding area: At Cala Estancia, 16,4 km as the crow flies, in the wider surrounding area, there are restaurants, cafés and further options directly behind the beach. Those who continue instead towards Can Repic, 17,2 km as the crow flies, in the wider surrounding area, will find restaurants, bars and cafés there along the Passeig de sa Platja. At Peñon, 16,9 km as the crow flies, in the wider surrounding area, there is also a restaurant on a former quarry rock spur, which gives this stretch of coast its own character. Those who prefer it quieter will find public toilets in the area of the yacht club at Cala Gamba, 16,4 km as the crow flies, in the wider surrounding area, which is practical for a relaxed day by the water.

For everyday needs at the finca, it is advisable to plan to stock up in one of the villages of the municipality of Sencelles or while out and about, as the options described are on the coast and thus well outside Ruberts. Those who prefer a quiet evening on the finca terrace to the bustle along the promenade at least have an option in reserve with the offerings near Cala Estancia in the wider surrounding area whenever an excursion to the sea beckons.

Who Ruberts truly suits

Anyone forming an impression of Ruberts should know this: the place is a compact village centre with rural surroundings, not a holiday resort with an entertainment programme. That is precisely what makes it interesting for people seeking the real Mallorca among grain fields and stone walls, rather than the next excursion spot with a souvenir stand. The place is not suitable as a day trip in its own right, simply because it lacks the abundance of attractions needed to fill an entire day. But those already staying in the area or using a finca in Ruberts as a base will discover a spot that reveals itself more incidentally, between a walk to the church and a look at the surrounding fields.

For families with younger children, the short distances are a tangible advantage: 0.5 km will not overwhelm even little legs, so a walk around the village remains relaxed even with a pushchair or tired feet. No having to keep going for long, no distances that force an early end. Anyone looking for a quiet hour in the afternoon between two activities will find exactly that in Ruberts: a small, manageable circuit that can be comfortably completed on foot, without anyone whining or losing patience.

Ruberts is especially appealing to anyone who occasionally still needs to be reachable for work or regularly commutes to Palma. Occasional remote work is particularly easy to manage from here, and those wishing to combine a rural place to live with proximity to the capital will find Ruberts a suitable base for commuters. The village remains what it is: quiet, small, without hustle and bustle – a place where work and country life do not get in each other's way. For anyone renting a finca who values both peace and good connections, this very combination is the true value of Ruberts.

Practical everyday matters on site

Anyone living in Ruberts can get around even without their own car: there are bus access points around the settlement that connect Ruberts to the public transport network. This makes day trips easier without having to rely on a vehicle all the time, even though timetables in the rural Pla de Mallorca are naturally less frequent than in larger towns.

For anyone wishing to visit Palma, it is worth looking at the distance: the island capital is 23 km away, accessible via the Ma-13. This keeps Ruberts close enough to the city for an outing with a market, cathedral and harbour promenade, without being right in the middle of the bustle itself – an advantage for anyone who would rather return to the village's tranquillity in the evening.

The Can Ribes estate, which is used as a holiday finca, also shows how thoughtfully practical matters are handled here: parking is available, though access to it depends on the agreed arrangements. At Son Fiol, meanwhile, the admission conditions have not been definitively established, so it is possible to check access before setting off – a small but sensible step before heading out. It is precisely details like these that make a finca holiday in the interior so pleasantly uncomplicated: clear routes, short distances and a daily routine that can be shaped calmly and without haste.

Frequently asked questions