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| Alcanada, Alcudia, Mallorca - our home for 2 weeks |
Mallorca has something for all tastes - amazing beaches, crystal clear waters, the historic city of Palma, interesting villages, nerve-racking drives, the beautiful Serra deTramuntana mountain range, nightlife and those amazing markets!
Villages/Towns of Mallorca
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| Pollencs Sunday Market - Decisions, Decisions? |
Pollenca
Sunday Markets - not all are equal but the one in Pollenca is top class. The avenues are thronged with people, the veggie market offers amazing produce and there are a myriad of stalls selling all manner of goods. The pathways are full of pavement cafes, so packed that we were unable to find even a tiny table for 2! The goods on offer range from very kitch to amazing!
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| Pollensa Sunday Market, Mallorca |
The narrow streets give a glimpse of life in this city - we passed many doors standing wide open.
Nobody appears to be afraid of burglars and maybe many folk were waiting for Sunday visitors or just allowing some fresh air to blow through? Obviously, safety is not a concern which is a major plus.
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| Calvari Steps, Pollensa, Mallorca |
A serious test of fitness is the walk up the Calvari steps . The original count was 365 = 1 year but in actual fact there are about 411 if one starts at the Plaza below. Quite a feat - we saw many, half my age, stopping to gasp for breath. One young lady had such a tortured look on her face that I really felt sorry for her! The houses along the steps are rather special - a great place to live! The view from the church, Calvario Chapel, is well worth the strenuous effort.
We were warned about slick pickpocket people on Calvari steps so take care! Huffing and puffing uphill tends to take ones mind off such things; as you focus on just getting up your feet onto the next step.
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| Salt Flats, Mallorca |
We somehow managed to go in the wrong direction of our planned trip one day, so decided to just carry on with our "Mystery Day Tour". The first turn-off was to the The Salt Flats of Mallorca where the huge stack of salt looks like an iceberg and made me feel that we had perhaps been transported to the Artic! Wishful thinking?
"Around 15,000 tonnes of salt is harvested each year in the south east of Mallorca, in Salines de Colonia Saint Jordi.
Man-made salt lakes are formed by pumping sea water from Es
Trenc (purified en-route) where salt crusts in hot and windy
conditions. Some of these crusts are used to make gourmet salt, a
growing business as demand for high quality, natural ingredients
increases.
These crusts are skimmed by hand, dried and prepared for sale. Known
as ‘Flor de Sal' (sea blossom salt), this is not your ordinary table
salt. It has higher concentrations of magnesium, potassium, calcium and
micro nutrients which makes it better for human health". (Courtesy "See Mallorca.com)
Our next stop on our mystery tour was Colonia de Sant Jordi. Originally an agricultural and fishing village, it now welcomes tourists. Many of the apartment blocks were all shut tight in May. Can this town really survive on a few months of summer? The area near the harbour and beach was fairly busy. One can do a long walk here if you head to the next beach which is very long.
Final stop for the day was the Norwegian look alike -
Cala Figuera, known locally as "Little Venice". Such a beautiful spot - if I spoke Spanish and could afford a house plus boat, I would move here!! A magical place.
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| Cala Figuera, Mallorca |
Quaint houses and many boat sheds help this village to retain its feel of a fishing village.
Photographers have a 15 point trail to follow - well worth it to absorb the beauty of this special place.
It varied between cloudy, a shower and some sunshine so the photos have a mix of all these elements.
There are loads of cafes and I would highly recommend this spot for any keen photographer.
Valdemossa dates back to the 14th century and seems to keep going on the back if Chopin's 4 month stay in this town while he was suffering from TB. He wrote various Preludes and had his piano sent to him from Paris. His mistress, George Sand accompanied him. This lady was notorious as she wore trousers, smoked cigars and was "living in sin" !The town has very many pavement cafes to choose from so, if you are interested in Chopin's music, it's worth a visit although the entrance fees are rather a rip-off.
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| Chopin, Valdemossa, Mallorca |
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| Chopin, Valdemossa, Mallorca |
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| Deia, Mallorca |
Deia - this delightful, peaceful mountain town lies in the shadow of Teix Mountain. I loved the walls of the ochre coloured houses with their interesting shutters. We spotted a meter man on his scooter taking readings from the Electricity boxes in the walls. Lovely job in good weather!
The English poet Robert Graves (1895 - 1985) lived here for many years of his life, first with his mistress, Laura Riding and later with his 2nd wife. It became known as a foreign artists colony and must have been a peaceful haven at that time. Robert Graves is buried in the local church and his home is now a museum. The rich and famous have also visited here - persons such as Richard Branson, Princess Diana & Andrew Lloyd Webber. Apparently, a large proportion of residents here are wealthy expats.
As with most of Mallorca, cyclists are everywhere and make it impossible on some of the narrow roads, especially when they ride abreast. Be careful!
Alcudia Old Town
Alcudia Old Town is surrounded by 14th century walls and it was originally a Phoenician settlement.
The first human settlement in Alcúdia dates back to 2000-1300 BC
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| Alcudia Old Town, Mallorca |
Apparently,
pirates were frequent in the Mediterranean area in the 16th century,
coming from Africa to steal and plunder. So the fishermen kept their
boats at the coast but lived inland where they were better able to
protect themselves. Walk the walls to try and imagine life so long ago.
The Port of Alcudia was developed much later, mainly for tourism, being closer to the beaches.
The
market in Alcudia Old Town was extremely busy with throngs of people.
Mainly clothing, however, the veggie section offered huge tomatoes and
delicious fruit.
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| Alcudia Old Town Market, Mallorca |
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| Palma, Mallorca |
Palma - the old town of Palma is a must see. We visited the Palace first as it was raining. Palau de L'Almudaina which means "citadel". The royal residence was built after 1309
using the walls of an Arab fortress. The Gothic cathedral (La Seu) is most impressive and the main work lasted nearly 400 years. Can anybody imagine how many generations of folk were involved in this massive and beautiful project? It is best to explore Palma on foot and really enjoy the vibe, the shops, and the restaurants.
Caves of Mallorca
Our visit to
Porto Christo was specifically to explore the caves
( Las Cueves del Drach)
Although
one is herded in very large groups into these caves, they remain
spectacular and the classical concert with musicians sitting on a boat
was truly special. Lake Martel is considered one of the largest
underground lakes in the world. No flash photography is allowed. We
emerged to thunder and lightning which seemed a fitting end to a magical
experience! The boat marina at Porto Christo is large and there are
numerous restaurants lining the harbour and beach. Lovely for swimming
with clear water.
Caves de Arta
Mallorca has many caves - this one was very different to Coves del Drach. Amazing stalactites and stalagmites. These are mush smaller caves with a beautiful sound and light show. Lots of steps (over 400) but railings assist so it's really quite easy, even for the elderly.
The temperature stays at a constant 18 degrees all year round.
Two thousand Arabs were found hiding here, with their cattle, by Jaume 1. The caves are also reported to have given shelter to hermits, pirates and smugglers.
Jules Verne is said to have written his "Journey to the Centre of the earth" after his visit here.
The height reached 45 m at one point - truly amazing. In 1896 Martel rediscovered the caves - can you imagine crawling into such a dark and eerie space??
Coves de Campanet
There are signs
of the existence of an indigenous, carnivorous, blind beetle in these
caves. A farmer discovered the caves in 1945 by descending through a
tiny gap.
The cave area covers 3200 sq. m and water was dripping although there had been no rain.
The tour is approx. 40 mins
Although
the caves are very beautiful the walking is not easy due to very dim
lighting, no railings and slippery areas.The guide was very pleasant but
no photography is allowed and it was our least favourite of the 3 caves
visited.
Must see places (in my book!)
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| Soller to Palma, Mallorca |
Train from Soller to Palma and back (or in reverse)
This is truly a "Must do" when in Mallorca
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This narrow gauge railway line was opened in 1912 and it was originally built to transport fruit to Palma from Soller as the journey by road took an entire day. Rolling and clanking extremely loudly, the train passes through a number of very dark tunnels, farmland and the peaks and valleys of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. There is a stop at Bunyola, a small town in the lush valley.
We did the return from Soller/Palma/Soller (2 hours in total) and then caught the tram to Port de Soller.
There is a full day parking in Soller fairly close to the Railway station but nothing seems to be sign posted in Mallorca! All other parking in Blue Bays is max. 2 hours and the fines are rather heavy. Soller has cute shops and cafes - we enjoyed tea and milk tart prior to our train ride! This tiny cafe was bustling with a queue right out of the door. The elderly gent was run off his feet trying to serve everybody. Obviously a favourite in Soller.
An afternoon excursion took us to Parc Natural de S'Alberfera.
Declared a National Park in 1988, this is a huge wetland - the most important in the Balearic Island. With over 200 species of birds and many pathways, it is an oasis in the busy town of Port Alcudia.
This area attracts many nature lovers and we met a lovely gent from Glasgow who has visited the area many times. Although was did not see many birds, there were some serious photographers ensconced in the numerous bird hides with their huge lenses. OK - I admit to being a tad jealous!
Cap de Formentor
This peninsula lies at the Northern end of the Serra de Tramuntana. A 20 km long headland of steep cliffs, the final stretch of road is winding and torturous, given the volume of traffic! Our first stop was Mirador des Colomer where there is a path to a magnificent viewpoints high above the sea.
We also did the steep, winding road on the other side. An abandoned building had the most incredible views and one has to wonder why anybody would want to leave such a tranquil spot.
After all the walking. we then stopped for a swim at Platja de Formentor - the beach is very narrow but we managed a lovely swim.Then on to Cap de Formentor - what a nightmare - narrow road, too much traffic and idiots blocking the road. James got very stressed!
It would make sense for officials to have some sort of control from the start of the uphill section so as to make the experience more pleasant for all tourists. A "Stop and Go" or even a small shuttle bus to the top?? It really was most unpleasant and nowhere to turn around until the small parking area at the lighthouse (which was also packed)
The views were actually better from the Mirador des Colomer......but you will see the lighthouse on Cap Formentor and be at the northern end of the island!
Capdepera
The medieval fortress of Capdepera towers above the town. Built in the 14th century to defend the coast against pirates, it offers views of the town and their terracotta roofs. At the highest point stands the church of Nostra Senyora d' Esperanca.
Beaches of Mallorca:
Mallorca has nearly 80 beaches so it is impossible to see then all during a 3 week stay!
Our favourites:
Alcudia Beach
This beach is lovely - wonderful for families and couples. Given the
huge amount of people, it remains peaceful.The water is crystal clear
and very safe. One has to walk far out to get into deeper water. High and low tide
similar. fairly reasonable and it makes for a great day out.
Cala Torte
This beautiful beach is near Capdepera - an amazing swim! As there are no beach loungers folk bring their own umbrellas. As with most spots in Mallorca, the parking was crazy!
Can Picafort
Here there are some rather strange statues. The boardwalk
is long - restaurant after restaurant. Lovely beach and loads of beach
chairs. We are at a very good restaurant "Dom Denis" - good paella and tapas and excellent service.
Cloudy day.
Son Serra de Marina
We paid a short visit to Son Serra de Marina - a holiday village with a small marina. Beautiful views but the beach was rather rocky.
Bay of Palma - Platja de Palma & S'Arenal
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| Playja de Palma, Mallorca |
Feeling
the need for a long walk, we headed towards the bay of Palma.This is a
huge stretch of beach stretching from S'Arenal to Can Pastilla and the
boardwalk just seems to go on forever! The beachside Bars are numbered
from 1 - 15 and there were many beer drinking Germans all around. This
section does not appear to be too family friendly!
The
hundreds of beach chairs are decked in bright colours and more were
being delivered in preparation for season. With so many hotels, loads of
shops plus many pavement cafes it certainly caters for the masses.
There was a strong police presence and we even witnessed an arrest! Who knows
what for?
The Beach vendors sell brightly coloured hats and
sunglasses! One party of jolly German tourists bought bright, lime green hats
and were sporting them in the beach bar to much hilarity.
The boardwalk truly does stretch forever and makes for some good exercise. Bicycles are for hire if you are feeling lazy!
Port of Soller
This beach boasts stunning views of the nearby mountains and harbour and can be reach by tram from Soller. The parking garage is for 2 hours only so the tram is a better option.
There were no beach loungers/umbrellas and the waters are clear. The beach is flanked by numerous restaurants, some very reasonable and good, others a total rip off. Try and check on Trip Advisor before choosing one.
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| Port de Soller, Mallorca |
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| Our favourite walk - Alcanada, near Alcudia, Mallorca |
© Judelle Drake
For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa
www.bradclin.com
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