Understand
[edit]When the Roman Empire crumbled, their town of Pollentia was repeatedly attacked, until it was abandoned for a better-defended site 10 km inland: this is the present town of Pollença. The only habitation near the ruins was a Moorish farmstead on the hill above, al-kudja in Arabic. In 1229 Jaume I of Aragon muscled in on the territory, and from 1298 Jaume II built the walled town of Alcúdia.
Not much happened for the next 700 years, so it remained a small town and port unspoilt by industry. A few tourists arrived from the 1920s but the big boom, as elsewhere on Mallorca, was from the 1970s. A rash of hotels spread along the beach but didn't invade the old town, while the port acquired a leisure marina. There are bars a-plenty but Alcúdia never wanted the frenetic clubbing scene of Magaluf. It's a relaxing place popular with young families and with pensioners.
Get in
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Alcúdia is 55 km northeast of Palma via Ma-13, a good highway.
TIB Bus 302 runs from Palma de Mallorca every 20-30 min, taking an hour via Inca and Sa Pobla. It continues to the port, beach strip and Can Picafort, but you may not ride it just for that section.
Bus 322 runs from Pollença every 25 min to Port de Pollença, Alcúdia town centre, port and beach. Bus 324 runs from Can Picafort every 15 min, and Bus 325 hourly from Cala Rajada via Can Picafort.
Bus 315 runs every 50 min from Sa Pobla, taking an hour via Can Picafort, the beach and port to Alcúdia town centre.
Bus 231 runs from Sóller March-Oct four times a day, taking two hours via Mirador de ses Barques, Escorca, Lluc, and the town and port of Pollença.
1 Port de Alcúdia has daily Balearia car ferries from Barcelona. The quickest takes only 3 hr 30 min and is the most expensive; other sailings take 6-7 hours and may be on a triangular route via Menorca.
Menorca Lines sail daily in the morning from Alcúdia to Ciutadella on Menorca, taking 75 min. They return in the evening so a day-trip is possible in that direction.
Get around
[edit]Local buses include 322 from Pollença, 324 from Can Picafort and 325 from Cala Rajada, as above. Bus 323 also shuttles every 50 min between Alcúdia, the port, and Alcanada east on the headland. You may not use Bus 302 from Palma for local short hops.
Over a dozen places offer car hire or bicycle hire. The narrow old town streets are pedestrianised.
Taxi firms here are mostly in the business of airport transfers not short rides.
See
[edit]- A total solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 Aug 2026, starting at 20:31 and lasting 90 seconds. The chances of a clear sky are 65%, but you need to move north to the hilltops and coast beyond Port de Pollença to get a clear view to the horizon, as the sun will be setting over the sea. 15 minutes later, sunset ends the show.
- City walls encircle the old town, with a free walkway Camí de Ronda open 24 hours. Built 1298 to 1362, they're best preserved to the north and west, where two of the four city gates also survive. An outer wall was added in the 16th century but later demolished.
- 1 Church of Sant Jaume, Plaça de Jaume Ques, ☏ +34 971 548665. Church founded in 1302 and incorporated into the city walls, so it doubled as a watchtower. It was undermined by floods in 1870 and collapsed, and re-built in 1890s neo-gothic. The museum displays religious art.
- 2 Bull ring (Plaça de Toros). This was built in the 1920s but no longer has bullfights. It's occasionally open for cultural events.
- 3 Porta del Moll is one of the surviving city gates, two towers about an entrance through the walls.
- 4 Roman Pollentia, Av Prínceps d'Espanya, ☏ +34 971 547004. May-Oct M-F 08:30-19:30, Sa Su 08:30-14:00. A Roman camp here was rebuilt as a civilian town from 70 BC, when this was Mallorca's main port for trade with Rome and the east Med, while Palma was the port for North Africa and Spain. There's a residential area, necropolis and small amphitheatre. Enter from the north through the town walls. Adult €4, conc or child €2.50.
- Museu Monogràfic next to the Church of Sant Jaume displays findings from Roman Pollentia.
- 5 Municipal Cemetery is a riot of florid funerary monuments. It's open daily 08:00-18:00.
- 6 Alcanada Lighthouse was completed in 1861 and automated in 1960. It's on an islet 150 m out, within swimming or SUP distance.
- 7 Museu sa Bassa Blanca (Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation), C del Collbaix, ☏ +34 971 546915. W-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 10:00-15:00. Art museum with a notable "Nins" gallery (portraits of children by Old Masters), Socrates gallery exploring relativistic space-time, and modern sculpture park. Adult €7, conc or child €5.
- 8 Ermita de la Victoria was built as a watchtower in 1679 and is now a baroque church. You can drive here or take various hiking or cycling trails onto the forested headland. There's a restaurant adjacent.
- 9 Talaia d'Alcúdia is the peak on the headland. The simplest ascent is from L'Ermita and might take 30 minutes.
- 10 End Point is the evocative name of the tip of Alcanada peninsula. Just north, tiny Zero Island is probably so named to prevent visitors wasting their time reaching it.
- 11 Gran Irland strange to say is not a Dublin-themed pub, but an islet in the lagoon reached by a causeway from the west. Wear scruffy old trainers, as the water laps over the causeway. Visitors often find it smelly and trash-strewn.
- 12 Parc Natural de s'Albufera (Bus to Playa de Muro). Daily 09:00-17:00. Wetland wildlife reserve, with bird hides and hiking trails. Some trails are lengthy so it's worth bringing a bike. Free.
Do
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- Alcúdia beach is a sandy bay 14 km long stretching to C'an Picafort, with Playa de Muro midway. The shore elsewhere is rocky.
- Golf: Alcanada GC is a parkland course on the road to the lighthouse. White tees 6559 m, par 72.
- Football: UD Alcúdia play soccer in Tercera División – Group 11, the fifth tier. They play at Els Arcs, capacity 1750. For a top tier game head into Palma.
- Boat trips: a dozen agencies around the marina offer dolphin-watching, sunset cruises and the like.
Events
[edit]- Fira de la Sípia is a seafood festival in mid-April.
- Ironman Triathlon is held between Alcúdia and Palma in May.
- Festival of St Jaume is over nine days in July. The apostle James the Great was martyred in 44 AD, with his pattern day taken as 25 July in western Christendom. He's the patron saint of Spain, where he's called Santiago, from Sancti Iacobi the church or sanctuary of Saint James. The town is decorated and there are various concerts, theatre, exhibitions, religious ceremonies and fireworks.
- Triennial of Holy Christ is a religious procession where the population parades barefoot through town in silence. In 1507, goes the legend, an image of Christ sweated blood and water to relieve a drought, as apparently a simple downpour was beyond his divine powers. It's on 26 July in 2025 then in 2028 and so on.
- Alcúdia Jazz Festival is held in September.
- Agricultural fair is in early October
Buy
[edit]- Lidl is the main supermarket, at the roundabout 500 m from the beach, open daily 09:00-22:00.
- Alcúdia Market is held next to Porta del Moll Su & Tu 08:30-13:30.
Eat
[edit]About 20 restaurants in the old town centre, a similar number in Port d'Alcúdia around the marina, and a dozen or so further south along Playa de Muro. Many close down out of season.
Drink
[edit]No free-standing pubs in the old town centre, but a dozen at the port and more down the beach strip.
Sleep
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- Most hotels are in Port d'Alcúdia and Platja d'Alcúdia along the 14-km-long beach that stretches all the way to Can Picafort.
- Inmood Aucanada is blighted in 2024 by nearby construction work.
- 1 Mar Hotel Alcanada, Plaça Pompeu Fabra 7, ☏ +34 971 260444. Clean well-run hotel east of harbour near golf course. B&B double €160.
- Mariner Club and Botel Alcudiamar are on the harbour pier.
- Alcudia Port Suites are by the harbour.
- 2 Eix Alcudia Hotel, C de Teodor Canet 43, ☏ +34 971 546044. Pleasant hotel 200 m north of harbour. B&B double €120.
- 3 Globales Condes, Av de la Platja 4, ☏ +34 971 545920. Clean inexpensive apartment hotel a block back from the beach. B&B double €200.
- Bahía de Alcudia, Av de la Platja 6 (next to Globales Condes), ☏ +34 971 545800. Good scores for comfort and service at this value-for-money hotel. B&B double €200.
- Zafiro Tropic, C d'Anselm Turmeda 1 (block north of Viva Golf), ☏ +34 971 546606. Well equipped for sports and cyclists. B&B double €120.
- 4 Viva Golf, C d'Artà 13, ☏ +34 971 892426. Smart comfy hotel north end of bay. Adults only. B&B double €350.
- Alcudia Garden is apartments 200 m northeast of Viva Golf.
- 5 Bordoy Alcudia Bay, C de la Gavina 4, ☏ +34 971 891732. Clean comfy place 500 m from beach. B&B double €140.
- 6 BQ Delfín Azul, C de la Fotja 1, ☏ +34 971 891354. Clean inexpensive chain hotel near the beach. B&B double €100.
- Alcúdia Beach Aparthotel is 100 m south of Delfín Azul at Av de Nicolau Riera-Marsà 6.
- Sofia is quiet and relaxing, yet right on the beach at C de Minerva 19.
- 7 SeaClub Mediterranean, Av de Mèxic, ☏ +34 971 890177. Family-oriented resort hotel. B&B double €140.
- Viva Sunrise is opposite SeaClub at Av de Mèxic 7.
- Hotel Astoria Playa, C d l'Astoria 1 (200 m east of SeaClub), ☏ +34 971 890000. Big boxy adults-only hotel, scores well for comfort and service. B&B double €160.
- Iberostar Cuidad Blanca is on the beach opposite the Astoria.
- 8 Sol de Alcudia, C de la Tórtora, ☏ +34 971 892070. Apartment-hotel near the beach. B&B double €150.
- 9 BelleVue Club, Av Pere Mas i Reus, ☏ +34 971 892600. Big slabby resort hotel with lots of lads getting wasted. B&B double €400.
- Siesta Apartments are on the BelleVue complex.
- Solecito Apartments are on C Tucan by Club Mac.
- 10 Club Mac, C Tuca, ☏ +34 971 891600. Complex of 3 hotels (Jupiter, Saturno, Marte) with 9 pools, sports, entertainments, shops, bars and restaurants. 1 km from beach with shuttle bus.
- 11 Bellevue Lagomonte, C de L'Estany Petit 8, ☏ +34 971 892000. Good value family-friendly hotel. 1 km from beach but with a frequent free shuttle.
- 12 Alua Boccaccio, Av de Pere Mas i Reus 3, ☏ +34 912 186256. Hyatt chain hotel midway along the beach, with good dining and entertainment. B&B double €150.
- Innside is a Melia chain hotel opposite Alua Boccaccio.
- THB Bamboo, Av de Pere Mas i Reus 3A (next to Alua Boccaccio), ☏ +34 971 892460. New in 2024 and squeaky-clean. B&B double €180.
- 13 Viva Eden Lago, C de les Savines, ☏ +34 971 890126. Clean efficient hotel south end of the lagoon. B&B double €200.
- Grupotel Maritimo, C d'Artà 158 (100 m south of Viva Eden Lago), ☏ +34 971 890193. Slick hotel 200 m from beach. B&B double €150.
- Hotel Condesa is on the beach next to the Maritimo.
- 14 Las Gaviotas Suites Hotel, Av de s'Albufera 51, ☏ +34 971 890890, [email protected]. Mostly good reviews for these air-conditioned and fully equipped apartments and studios near Playa de Muro. B&B double €150.
- 15 Palace De Muro, Av Platjas de Muro, ☏ +34 971 894224. Mixed reviews, some rooms a bit worn. B&B double €200.
- 16 Hotel More, C de Tirant lo Blanc 8, ☏ +34 971 545505. Friendly inexpensive chain hotel on the north coast facing Pollensa Bay. B&B double €100.
- 17 Prinsotel Mal Pas, C Vell de la Victòria, ☏ +34 971 706076. Pleasant hotel in a restored mansion on the north coast. B&B double €140.
Connect
[edit]As of Aug 2024, Alcúdia and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers.
Go next
[edit]- Pollença nearby has a pleasant old centre and Sunday market.
- Palma de Mallorca the capital needs a couple of days to explore.
- Sóller on the north coast is best known for its century-old train and tram.
- Menorca is the next island east.