Aucanada

Aucanada Beach; flee the bustle of Alcudia beach here

Services and features

Description

Alcanada (or Aucanada in Majorcan) is a gravel and pebble beach located in the bay of Alcudia, in the north of Mallorca. It is located on the southern side of the Cap des Pinar peninsula, and an urbanization of the same name has grown along it. The beach is about 700 m long and up to 20 wide, and is known above all for the large pine trees that reach the shore and provide natural shade for a large part of the beach.

It is a very popular destination for families as the water is calm and very shallow

Although the beach is pebble, the submerged part is sandy, with very fine sand that is pleasant to walk on. It is also common to find remains of seaweed and posidonia, but the waters are clear, turquoise in color, and protected from the strongest winds in the area. For this reason it is perfect to go with children.

It does not have specific access for people with reduced mobility, and due to the roots of the pine trees, access can be somewhat complicated, although there are parts of the beach without vegetation and close to the access from the parking lot.

Being a very popular destination among the locals, together with the presence of tourists, especially on weekends the beach can be somewhat crowded, since the typical thing is to come with tables and chairs to spend the whole day.

It is also a good anchoring point for offering good protection against the prevailing winds in the area.

How to get to Aucanada beach

Open route in GPS

Access to Alcanada is easy as it is well signposted. We can go to both Alcudia and Puerto de Alcudia, in any case we must reach one of the two roundabouts that connect both centers. From there we simply must follow the road signs that indicate the way to Alcanada.

When we have passed the commercial port we will be in the Alcanada urbanization. All you have to do is go straight on until you reach a large car park. In the unlikely event that it is full, you can park in the streets of the urbanization. It is also a good beach where you can go by bike as there is a specific parking area for them.

If we opt for public transport, in the summer months line 356A connects Alcanada beach with Alcudia and Puerto de Alcudia, where there are connections with the rest of the island. So we can take line 351 that connects Palma with Playa de Muro passing through Alcudia and Puerto de Alcudia. Another option is the direct line from the airport, line A32, which goes to Playa de Muro and Can Picafort and also stops in Alcudia and Puerto de Alcudia.

From Puerto de Pollensa on one side or Can Picafort on the other, we can use line 352 that runs through much of the north of Mallorca. In the summer months, line 353, which runs from Can Picafort to Formentor, and line 354, to Puerto de Sóller, also serve to connect with Alcudia and Puerto de Alcudia. From the tourist center of Cala Ratjada we can take line 446. And from Portocristo, 445, which passes through some of the coastal towns in the Manacor region, and also reaches Artá.

Alcanada beach is a good place to anchor, except if the wind blows from the southeast. It is convenient to anchor in front of the central section of the beach, where there is a sandy bottom at 1.5 m. It is not possible to navigate between the beach and the island of Alcanada since the bottom is only 0.5 m at many points. To the southeast of the same island there is a rock of about 300 m to just 1.4 m.

Services

Alcanada beach does not have any services for bathers. There is no rental of sunbeds or umbrellas (the pine trees make them quite unnecessary) and there is no lifeguard service. There are also no showers or toilets.

There are several bars and restaurants near the beginning of the beach, at its end closest to the urbanization. There are also some shops and supermarkets.

Activities

Alcanada Beach is a perfect place for a quiet swim. The depth is perfect for taking a few good strokes and then stopping and relaxing our feet on the fine sand at the bottom.

The island of Alcanada, with its lighthouse, which is just 150 m from the beach, can be reached very easily. In fact, it is possible to get there on foot if you know the underwater path where you walk.

The clarity of its waters, despite finding some floating remains of algae or posidonia, makes them ideal for snorkelling, especially the part of Alcanada island that faces the open sea. This area is also very good for diving as it is somewhat deeper.

For hikers, the Cap des Pinar peninsula where Alcanada is located offers some magnificent routes

Of course, they can be of some difficulty. A very typical excursion is to get to the Coll Baix beach. If we are fond of caving this route can be extended a little more to Cova Tancada. You have to proceed with caution and if you want to go more than the entrance you must have experience and have the right equipment.

Somewhat longer but without excessive difficulty is the route to the La Victoria hostel. If we want to climb the Talaia d’Alcúdia leaving from Alcanada and returning to it, we can follow this route. At the top of this peak are the foundations of an old watchtower built in 1567 and destroyed in 1936. In addition to having a spectacular view over the bays of Alcudia and Pollensa, on clear days the neighboring island of Menorca can be seen. If we have camped here we will be able to see the sun rise from behind the smallest of the Balearic Islands (in fact the cape at the foot of this elevation is called Cap de Menorca).

Another faster way to get to Coll Baix from Alcanada is by canoe, but we will have to bring our own as there are no facilities to rent them in Alcanada. In Puerto de Alcudia it is possible to rent to explore that part of the bay.

We have already commented that Alcanada is a perfect beach to reach by bicycle

The paths that run through Cap del Pinar are perfect for putting our mountain bike skills to the test. For example, this route runs through half the peninsula with somewhat difficult but fun sections. This other takes us a little further inland but has very interesting points along the way.

For those curious about the history of Mallorca, this area has a good number of places to visit.

Next to the same urbanization of Alcanada we will have seen the Torre Major, a defense tower built between 1599 and 1602 that came to have four cannons to protect this part of the Bay of Alcudia.

Next to one of the roundabouts that leads to Alcanada there is a part of the ruins of the city of Pollentia, which was the Roman capital of Mallorca. The size of the city was such that it had two ports, one on each side of Cap del Pinar.

If we have not brought our food, the closest options are the restaurant on the golf course that is next to the beach, or one of the bars or restaurants in the urbanization.

Lodging

In the same urbanization of Alcanada there are several hotels of three and four stars and an aparthotel. There is also a good offer of tourist apartments, chalets and luxury villas.

In case of not finding anything that suits our tastes or budget within 3 km is Puerto de Alcudia, which has a wide variety of offer that surely adjusts to all needs and budgets.

Take a look at Aucanada beach in 360º

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Calas in the north area of Mallorca

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