Nothing like a cool breeze on a hot day. But sometimes there is not even a breeze. And the air is stuck in the streets. What helps to survive the summer in the city is an abanico. The fan is an accessory with a long tradition in Spain. However, it were the Japanese who invented the folding fan, or sensu in Japanese, in the 7th century. Legend hast it that a farmer designed the first folding fan after observing how a bat’s wings folded and unfolded.

But you’re not just fanning yourself. Playing with the fan is also a game of looks and gestures. Like a language that only the initiated understand. 

In past centuries, the lady with the fan fanned the desire of her admirers. Today, international designers have rediscovered the fancy tradition and introduced their own interpretations. But the shapes and colors are more varied than ever before. For more than 200 years fans have been manufactured exclusively in Valencia.

The more classic models you find at Paraguas, one of Palma’s emblematic stores. Just like Casa Juliá which offers not only hats and caps of all kinds but also fans for cool heads.

La Morenita has complimented the fan with a chain and made it the it-piece at numerous events. In Palma you can find her models at Óptica Toscana, among others.

You’ll also find a large choice of fans on the markets around the island. Anna got hers at the mercado in Santanyí. And is self-confidently demonstrating that tradition is not a question of age.