Alcúdia

A walled town between two bays

Alcúdia sits on the neck of land that separates the Bay of Pollença from the larger Bay of Alcúdia, a position that explains its long history: whoever held it watched over both anchorages. The old town is compact and largely pedestrian, with sandstone houses, carved doorways and small squares, enclosed by medieval walls that were later strengthened with bastions. Port d'Alcúdia, a couple of kilometres away on the bay, is a separate, newer world of marina, ferry terminal and holiday apartments, with ferries to Menorca.

Parts of the walls can be walked, and two main gates frame the old streets: the Porta del Moll, facing the harbour, and the Porta de Mallorca, facing inland. Just inside the wall line stands the parish church of Sant Jaume, rebuilt in the nineteenth century. Around 25 July the town celebrates its patron, Sant Jaume, with music, processions and fireworks; the guide to festivals and traditions explains the island calendar.

Pollentia, the Roman city

Just outside the walls lie the remains of Pollentia, the Roman city founded after the conquest of the Balearics in the second century BC. Paths lead through excavated streets, the outlines of houses and the forum, and on to a small theatre cut into the rock, close to the road towards the port. It is an open, quiet site, best early in the day or late in the afternoon, when the stones take on colour and the heat eases.

Finds from the excavations, from coins and pottery to sculpture and everyday objects, are shown in the small Pollentia museum inside the old town. Together, site and museum give a vivid sense of a busy provincial Roman town, and of how much of Mallorca's past lies just under the soil.

The bay, S'Albufera and the Victoria peninsula

The Bay of Alcúdia is the place for easy swimming: a long, gently shelving beach of pale sand that runs from Port d'Alcúdia past Platja de Muro, where the dunes and pines are protected and the mood is quieter. Children can wade out a long way. The bay opens to the east, so winds from that side bring waves; on most summer days it is calm. For more, see the guide to north coast beaches.

Behind the beach lies S'Albufera, the largest wetland in the Balearics and a natural park. Leave the car near the entrance on the coast road and walk or cycle in along level tracks between canals and reed beds, with hides looking over the lagoons. Herons, egrets, marsh harriers and, with luck, ospreys are part of the scene; spring and autumn migration bring the greatest variety.

North-east of the town, the Victoria peninsula is wilder country of pine, rock and sea views. A road climbs to the hermitage of La Victòria, a sanctuary church above the Bay of Pollença, where marked paths begin. The best known leads up to Penya Rotja, a rocky crest with an old lookout and views to Formentor; the last stretch is narrow and exposed, not for anyone uneasy with heights. Elsewhere on the peninsula, a forest track and a steep walk down lead to Coll Baix, a pebbly cove under steep, pine-covered slopes, wild and lovely on a calm day.

Markets and food

Alcúdia's market is one of the busiest in the north, held on Tuesday and Sunday mornings in the streets around the walls. Alongside the produce stalls there are cheeses, sobrassada, olives, local honey, baskets and a good deal of clothing. Go early, before the crowds, and combine it with a walk on the walls. The market days tool lists the other markets of the week.

Food here follows the island seasons: tumbet and frit mallorquí inland, fish and rice dishes by the port, ensaïmades and cocas from the bakeries of the old town. In the evening, the small squares inside the walls are the pleasant place to eat, calmer than the busy front at the port.

Arriving and parking

Alcúdia is about 45 minutes from Palma airport by the motorway, outside peak traffic, and the motorway runs almost to the edge of town. Large car parks lie just outside the walls; the old town itself is best on foot. On market days they fill early, so arrive in good time. Buses run along the bay to Platja de Muro and Can Picafort, and to Pollença and Palma; check the current timetable.

Combining Alcúdia with nearby places

Pollença is a short drive across the neck of the bay, and from its port the road to Cap de Formentor begins. Going the other way, the coast road runs south past S'Albufera to Can Picafort and on towards Artà and the wild Llevant. Inland, the old market town of Sineu makes an easy half-day trip on a Wednesday, its market day.