What to see in Alcudia (Mallorca), from Pollentia to the medieval city

Mallorca It is an island full of interesting places, so many that it is practically impossible to see them all in a single trip to this corner of the islands. Balearics.

I have to say that, among the places visited on my last trip, my great discovery has been Alcudia, and I say discovery because I was not aware of its appeal.

It is likely that the image of the Alcudia beach, a wonderful sandy area surrounded by hotels and apartments, would have confused me.

This beach is an excellent place to rest and enjoy, but it is not what we usually consider a place to visit.

However, just two kilometers inland we find the historic center of Alcudia very well protected by its medieval walls.

Where to park in Alcudia

And we can now assure that Alcudia It is one of the destinations to take into account in a tourism trip to the island of Mallorca, especially if we are considering a long tour of the island, either with our own vehicle or with a rented car arriving.

If we come by car, it is good for us to know that right next to the walls, next to the st james church, we find a large public parking.

There are others near the walled city, but this one is the most convenient.

Curiosities history of Alcudia

Furthermore, very close is the tourist office and the taxi rank, so we can consider it a good place to start a tour of the historic center of Alcudia.

Also next to the parking lot we find the entrance to the Pollentia archaeological site, remains of the most important Roman city in Mallorca.

These well-preserved remains are visible since the medieval Alcudia It was built right next to but not on top of the Roman city.

On the other hand, the very name of Alcudia makes us think that in this place there must also have been a population in Muslim times, so this area has been inhabited at different times in history.

The predilection of so many cultures for this location is largely explained by geography.

Alcudia is located on the isthmus of the small peninsula that ends in the Cabo del Pinar.

This peninsula separates the Pollensa Bay from that of Alcudia, so it has always been an appropriate place for a population from where the entire area could be controlled.

We can remember that the word alcudia, of Arabic origin, refers to a height or promontory.

La medieval Alcudia arose from the 13th century, after the incorporation by Jaume i from the island to the Crown of Aragon. The conquering king divided the island into eight parts, keeping four for himself.

The bays were vulnerable places to pirate attacks, so in the 26th century it was decided to protect the population with a wall. It once had XNUMX towers along its two-kilometer perimeter.

Although part of it was demolished in the 19th century to encourage the growth of the city, a good part is still preserved.

The wall had three main gates and some smaller gates.

In the 16th century, Alcudia played an important role during the German War.

Here the Mallorcan nobles, supporters of the King Charles I, when the Germans dominated the entire island for a few years.

This loyalty to the king earned him great privileges in later times.

The best things to see and do when visiting Alcudia

The prosperity of those times is reflected in the splendor of some buildings that we will find on our walk, whether the church of Sant Jaume and a series of stately mansions.

The first vision we can have of the crenellated walls and palms that grow in front is very attractive.

Church of Sant Jaume in Alcudia

Looking to the left we will see the mass of the aforementioned church of Sant Jaume, which is really part of the wall. It may be the beginning of our visit.

Although the original church was Gothic style and from the same era as the walls, about 150 years ago it completely collapsed.

What we see now is a reconstruction, imitating said Gothic style.

One of the details that stands out the most is the large rose window of the main façade through which the interior is illuminated.

From here, the best thing to do is to walk calmly, allowing yourself to be surprised by the corners that we discover at random; There are some specific buildings of interest, but we are sure to find them if we wander around for a while.

Stately houses in Alcudia

In this walk we will see that the large mansions with much more modest houses.

But since everything is so well cared for, the whole is very harmonious and attractive.

It is worth highlighting some of these stately mansions, such as Ca'n Canta, in the major street, and where you have to look at the finely carved windows.

Instead, Ca'n Domenech, in the Albellons street, has the façade without decoration.

At Carrer d'en Serra find Ca'n Fondo y Ca'n Torró, one next to the other, and in fact they share the patio.

It should be noted that in the latter there is the municipal library and it is free access. It is only closed on Mondays and weekend afternoons.

Surely at some point we also went through the Town Hall, At the end of major street.

Very close, for the Constitution Plaza We will see several restaurants and cafes with terraces on the street.

As we walk through the streets we will see that the stately homes and commercial premises disappear and the atmosphere is much calmer.

And from time to time we will find old houses converted into very attractive small hotels.

Monumental doors in the wall of Alcudia

Depending on where we walk, we will reach the Porta del Moll or Gate of Mallorca, the two monumental doors that remain from the wall.

The part of the wall where we started the visit can only be admired from below, but in the northern part of the walled area it is possible to access the upper part.

It is a very pleasant walk to cover a good stretch of the wall and reach several towers enjoying the view of some streets of the old town and a good view of the surroundings.

From this walk it is possible to observe the remains of the Renaissance wall which was built around the medieval period.

Taking advantage of part of a bastion of this wall, a bullring.

Roman site of Pollentia

If we return to the starting point of the tour, we will see, as has already been said before, that right next to the parking lot is the Pollentia site, which was the most important Roman city in the Balearic Islands.

It is thought that pollentia It was founded in the year 70 BC and lived a couple of centuries of a certain splendor since the area it occupied was considerable.

The layout of the streets of the residential area can be perfectly observed, with some well-preserved houses, and part of the forum.

Right next to the church of Sant Jaume, inside the historic center, the small Monogràfic Museum of Pol-lèntia It exhibits many pieces found at the site.

The same entrance works for both places.

If you have time, you can advance about 500 meters in the direction Port d'Alcudia and look for the Roman Theatre which was excavated in the rock taking advantage of a unevenness in the terrain.

Map: how to get to Alcudia in Mallorca

Alcudia It is located northeast of the Majorca island, 46 minutes from the capital Palma.