Son Esteve is also known by the Arabic name of Alcaniç. According to experts, it could describe a hostel or inn (stemming from Al-jana) or perhaps churches (stemming from al-kna’is or hanisa). The present houses are located on a plain in the south-west sector of the Serra de Garrafa. They overlook the natural entrance to the valley of Andratx through coll Andritxol, dominating much of the central sector of the Vall d’Andratx. The historical documentation relating to the possessió houses of Son Esteve is rather extensive. The first documentation comes from the transfer of the Alcaniç Arab farmstead to Joan Salvià, consisting of Son Jofre de la Torre, Son Simó de la Costa, Son Xina, Son Prim, Andritxol, Son Armand and Son Esteve. The “qanats” or irrigation systems and water tank from the “clastra” or central courtyard are all that remain from the former Muslim farmstead.
The farmstead was divided into various sheds in 1372, one of them giving rise to the current possessió. In 1520, it was acquired by Bartomeu Esteve, which is where its name comes from, and he added the third floor to the majestic defensive tower, after reaching an agreement with the Bishop of Barcelona, feudatory of the land since 1229.
In the 17th century, there was documentary evidence of the houses (grande and for dining), the high tower, the tafona and botiga, all together. In the 18th century, it had houses and a tafona. Cereals, carob trees and vineyards were grown. Towards the mid-18th century, Son Esteve then passed on to the Santanders, Grandes de España (Grandees of Spain) and prominent landowners of the time, and was under the name of Ramon Santander in 1865.
Jaume Roca Bauçà (entrepreneur, playwright and head of the Andratx Republican Party) bought the estate from the previous landlord mentioned above for 30,000 pesetas in 1898. In the 1930s, the landlord was Bernat Jofre Roca, nephew of Jaume Roca, a Republican politician who became the mayor of Palma in 1932. At present, it continues in the hands of the same family, functioning as agrotourism accommodation.
The current structures refurbished in the late 20th century and in the early part of this century correspond to a group of possessió houses with an almost rectangular polygonal ground plan. It is structured towards a central clastra, around which most of the volumes with two or three floors and gable roofs with Arabic tiling are distributed. It stands out due to the preservation of many of the unique elements of the possessió houses in Andratx, together with its defensive nature, given by the magnificent defensive tower finished in the 15th century, the implementation order of which dates back to the late 13th century. It has an almost untouched internal structure and the remains of some frescoes, dating back to the 18th century.
The main facade, facing northwest, shows three distinct blocks. On the one hand, the main houses, on the left, with an elevation of three floors divided as follows: two windows on the ground floor, where the workers’ facilities and “cortera” or warehouse were found. The first floor was the usual residence of the “senyors” or landlords with a French-style balcony window. On the upper floor or “golfes”, there were two long windows. Then the portal forà (main entrance) had one floor only, with an upper terrace right in the centre. Finally, the defensive tower had a square ground plan. Opening in the centre of this facade is the main gran portal entrance with a round arch, of modern construction and crowned by the coat of arms of the Crown of Aragon, added by Mr. Pere Jofre i Bosch, father of the current landlord.