Puerto Pollensa, Majorca

I've been visiting Majorca now for 4 years, graduating from package tours to organising it all myself. For 3 years we stayed on the eastern coast, at a resort called S’Illiot, half way between Porto Cristo to the south and Cala Millor to the north. During these 3 years we also relied on public transport.

However this year, we decided a change was in order, so decided to take a 10 day stay in Puerto Pollensa, in the far north east of the island. We also hired a car for the first time, so we could see more of the island this time.

The resort, in my opinion is an ideal base for a holiday, a lot of good restaurants, nice bars and a nice beach about 2km long, and about 50-100m wide in all for the sandy section to the south of the resort. Along the front is the usual combination of bars, tourist shops, supermarkets and restaurants. The main heart of the town is based in the main square when the majority of the best restaurants are based, but little bars can be found on may of the back streets.

For those who hanker for home based treats there is an English area about 1.5km south of centre (street opposite the only bar restaurant on beach), and most supermarkets stock English basics such as Heinz products and English tea. There are a couple of English bars near the town centre, as well as the usual selection of O’irish bars, of which there are 3 in the main square area.

If you come in the middle of July, you will catch the fiesta in the town, this mainly takes place in the market square with a week long market, musical or children's activities each night. It ends with the fire parade along the front, culminating with the excellent fireworks display on the beach. You can walk along with the parade either behind of in front, but beware if you walk in front of the firework jugglers, the devils with the tridents have no aversion to getting within a couple of foot of your trousers with some rather large fireworks on the ends of the forks, more than one person has had some major holes in clothing after this. In my opinion, may this carry on, its refreshing to escape the health and safety culture of this country.

The resort has excellent transport links to Palma Airport via Pollensa (50 minutes) or Alcudia (40 minutes). Easy access to the mountains via Lluc to the east (1hr, mainly due to twist nature of the roads), and to the east coast towns via the Alcudia – Arta road. It is also well served via buses to all neighbouring and not so neighbouring towns. No trains run this far east on the island, with the rail network being limited to the south east and south west corners of the island.

For those of you who like the beach front walks, it has the pine walk along the front, which can be 2.5km each way if you push it to its extreme. If you want something with a bit more of an effort you can do walks direct from the town centre to Cala Boquer via the rocky and beautiful Boquer Valley (6km return, 85m ascent each way), or to the excellent beach at Cala San Vicente (6km return, 100m ascent each way). If you travel a bit further a field, you are only ½ hour by car from the foot hills of the mountain range which runs up the north west coast of the island, where there are several 800m peaks to ascend, or an hour from Lluc which is a good base for walks up to the 1200m – 1400m peaks. I didn’t do any of these higher walks due to the heat and this being family holiday, but I did do the Boquer valley, and can well recommend it. Major walks are detailed on the AA Maps (Island Map 1) or North and Mountains Tour and Trail Guide, or one of several good walking guide books. The book I took was the Walking in Majorca guide by June Parker. The first map I mentioned is a great one for general navigation around the island as well.

There are a great selection of restaurants with all kinds of food, from fancy dining, majorcan cuisine, and tex mex to the usual burger / baguette / omelette / chips with everything places you get everywhere. There is also three Indian restaurants. There are also the obligatory Chinese buffet restaurants, of which there are also 3.

Typical prices range from 40 euro to 70 euro, this is for 2 adults mains, 1 childs meal, 1 pudding or starter, 1l sangria, 3 beers and a couple of fruit juices. We paid 40 euro at an “english bar” for a meal, typical tex-mex or majorcan cuisine will set you back 50-60 euro, and a fancier restaurant will be 70 euro. No service charge is generally added to bills, so tips are at your own discretion, generally this is 10%, but I varied between nothing and 15% depending upon service and quality of food.

A pint of local beer will cost 3-3.50 euro, 1l sangria 9-12 euro, magners bottle 4.50-5.50 euro, spirit and mixer 5-6.50 euro, bottle of house wine 9-14 euro.

A note here, and that is medicines are only available from pharmacies and thus are very expensive (2-3x UK price), so anything you think you need, take with you, or be willing to pay through the nose for it. This goes for all of the island, and not just this area.

This blog was kindly contributed by Sean Liquorish (that can't be his real name!), from an item published on his own blog, and expresses his opinions and viewpoint, and not those of Little Hotels. Thank you, Sean.

Choose a hotel in Puerto Pollensa: Galeon Suites Or in Pollensa itself: Son Sant Jordi Or just along the coast in Alcudia: Hotel Sant Jaume, Son Siurana

Sean has also contributed blogs about more places to visit in Mallorca.

12 Oct 2015, 16:30