Sant Llorenç des Cardassar municipality covers 82.1 square kilometres and has 8,700 inhabitants. It is located to the northeast of Majorca (Spain).
The municipality is made up of the two inland towns of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar (3,000 inhabitants) and Son Carrió (1,000), as well as the tourist enclaves of S´Illot, Sa Coma and Cala Millor on the coast.
Sant Llorenç municipality has over 70 archaeological settlements catalogued between cave dwellings and burial caves to remains of talaiot structures, such as the one in S´Illot. The Palaeochristian basilica of Son Peretó, dating to the Roman era, is well worth a mention. Moorish domination left behind relics and place names and, after Majorca was conquered by the Catalan King Jaime I, who converted the island to Christianity, the papal bull of Innocent IV (1248) mentions the parish of Santa Maria del Bellver, where Sant Llorenç was paid tribute. For many years, the municipality was known as Santa Maria de Bellver or Bellver, although it also appeared documented as Sant Llorenç de Bellver (1349) and Sant Llorenç des Cardassar (1519). Around 1612, the island was faced with coastal insecurity and constant attacks, and the Great General Council ordered the Punta de n´Amer Fortress or Punta Amer Castle be built on top of an old fortification in 1617, being finished at the end of the 17th century.
The area did not become independent until 1892, being part of Manacor municipality up to that point.
With regards to the growth of Son Carrió during the second half of the 19th century, a major subdivision of land took place near the old Son Tovell oratory. Between 1885 and 1893, the posessions (country estates) of Son Tovell, Sa Gruta, Es Rafal de sa Riba, Son Berga, Es Molinet and Es Boscarró - amongst others - were established. In 1879, the town of Sant Miquel, as Son Carrió was then known, had three main streets and four intersections that were similar to the ones we see today. The construction of the new parish church - designed by Antoni Maria Alcover and finished in 1907 - is an important landmark, as is the Franciscan nuns moving here in 1899.
The economy has changed from the primary to the tertiary sector - now the main sector in the area - in only a few years. Needlework and a small carpentry industry, alongside some farm stores, mixed with agriculture until the arrival of tourism changed the landscape in the 60s. In 1948, the subdivision of Ca n´Amer de S´Illot was authorised and rapidly led to the development of tourist areas. In 1959, S´Illot began to be built. Son Moro (Cala Millor) began to be subdivided in 1965, the year when Cala Millor and S´Illot already jointly housed 19 hotels with 1,414 beds.
Tourism, construction and associated activities have been the main economic force in the area, having adapted itself to the new changes and created required infrastructure. In 1999, Sa Màniga Auditorium was opened in Cala Millor to complement the selection of leisure activities and accommodation in the area.