Puerto Pollensa; a jewel in the north of Mallorca
The weather in Puerto Pollensa
Description
Puerto Pollensa is a town in the north of Mallorca located in the municipality of Pollensa, in the bay of the same name. It has a population of around 7,000 inhabitants and is one of the main tourist enclaves on the Mallorcan coast. Close to Puerto Pollensa is the emblematic site of Formentor, its mythical hotel and its famous lighthouse.
Originally a small fishing village, in the second half of the 20th century it became a world-famous tourist destination, partly due to the time spent here by Agatha Christie, who even made it the setting for one of her crime and mystery stories: Problem at Pollensa Bay (1935).
Puerto Pollensa is a popular destination for families and affluent tourists
It has several sandy beaches in a usually peaceful bay, which makes it perfect for children. It also has a marina, and a good number of leisure and catering establishments.
Its hotels are of a high standard, with the Hotel Formentor, a pioneer of luxury tourism in Mallorca at the beginning of the 20th century, standing out
However, there is also a wide range of luxury villas and chalets in discreet and peaceful surroundings in the surrounding area.
It also stands out as a cycle tourism destination
Most of the hotels have bicycle storage services, and there are a good number of businesses dedicated to the rental, maintenance and repair of bicycles. The roads around Puerto Pollensa have good shoulders or bicycle lanes for the safe practice of this sport, and in the town itself there are many stretches for the exclusive use of pedestrians and cyclists.
And how could it be otherwise, in Puerto de Pollensa there are also facilities for the practice of different nautical sports, including the rental of equipment
It has diving, windsurfing, paddle surfing, kitesurfing, canoeing, etc. schools. The waters between Puerto Pollensa and Alcudia (which share this bay) are perfect for the enjoyment of these sports, with calmer areas, and others where the wind blows strongly to propel windsurfers and kitesurfers.
Just a few kilometres from Puerto Pollensa you can enjoy the magnificent coves of the Formentor peninsula and its practically unspoilt natural environment: Formentor beach, Cala Murta or Cala Figuera, to mention just a few.
How to get to Puerto Pollensa
Puerto Pollensa is well communicated by road and public transport with the rest of the island, despite being in a somewhat isolated corner for a long time.
How to get to Puerto Pollensa by car
- From Palma or the south of Mallorca we will follow the central motorway Ma-13, leaving it at exit 40 in the direction of Pollensa. Continue along the Ma-2200 road, which goes around Pollensa, and just follow the signs to Puerto Pollensa.
- Alternatively, you can continue along the Ma-13 to Alcudia, and from there follow the Ma-2220 along the coast to Puerto Pollensa.
- From the northern part of the island, take the Ma-12 road, which goes from Artà to Puerto Pollensa and passes through Can Picafort, Playa de Muro and Puerto de Alcudia. Following the signs to Alcudia, continue along the Ma-2220, which will take you to Puerto Pollensa.
How to get to Puerto Pollensa by public transport
- From Palma: line 301
- From the bay of Alcudia (Alcudia, Playa de Muro, Can Picafort): line 322
- From Alcudia (only in summer): line 334, which goes to the lighthouse of Formentor
How to get to Puerto Pollensa by boat
Puerto Pollensa has a good marina, the Real Club Náutico de Puerto de Pollensa. It has 96 moorings for boats up to 25 m in length. In the area between the marina and Punta de s’Avançada, protected from the tramuntana and other strong winds, there are buoys for controlled anchoring. From 2022 there will be between 150 and 200 points available.
In the rest of the bay it is possible to anchor on sand, but one should avoid anchoring in areas covered by posidonia. However, the shelter is not so good, and especially when the tramuntana blows, it is dangerous to drop anchor here.
Activities
As a mainly summer tourist destination, Puerto Pollensa stands out for its beaches
In different sectors we can find sandy beaches, pebbles or even rocks, we only have to walk a few hundred metres to find the one we like the most.
On its more than 2 km of beach, not counting the entire coastline between Puerto Pollensa and Alcudia, we can practice different water sports
The calm waters near Albercutx beach are perfect for paddle surfing. In the more open area you can windsurf and kitesurf. There are facilities where you can rent the necessary equipment and even hire instructors to get you started in these sports.
In the marina you can book tours of the bay of Pollensa, hire a boat and organise diving trips in the nearby waters
Both the bay itself (with its sandy and seaweed bottoms on which a good number of shipwrecks lie) and the rugged headlands that flank it offer a beautiful panorama both on land and underwater.
If you like inland activities, you can go hiking or even mountain climbing on some of the steep walls near Puerto Pollensa
These are just some of the possibilities to enjoy your surroundings:
- Route 1: round trip route between Puerto Pollensa and Cala Bóquer, 5 km
- Route 2: excursion to the Serra de la Punta with departure and return in Puerto Pollensa, 8 km
- Route 3: excursion to the Serra de l’Albercutx, 9 km
- Route 4: route from Puerto Pollensa to Cala Carbó and Cala Molins, in Cala San Vicente, 9 km
- Route 5: demanding mountain route through the Cavall Bernat mountain range, 9 km
We have already seen that Puerto de Pollensa is an excellent destination for lovers of cycle touring, both mountain biking and road cycling
These are just some of the routes to and from this locality:
- Route 1: tour of the coves of Formentor (Formentor beach, Cala Murta and Cala Figuera), 38 km
- Route 2: route from Puerto Pollensa to Alcudia and the peninsula of Cap des Pinar, 38 km
Nature lovers should not miss a visit to the nature reserve of La Gola, a small wetland located next to Puerto de Pollensa
Here, despite its size, a great diversity of fauna and flora can be observed. Nearby is also the nature reserve of s’Albufereta. With a surface area of more than 200 hectares, it has bird watching points and several routes for walking and cycling to get to know this important wetland.
Puerto de Pollensa also has a good number of commercial establishments
If you are staying in flats or holiday rentals, there are supermarkets and other establishments where you can stock up. But you will also find top brand fashion shops, craft shops and the usual souvenir shops.
Nor should we forget the traditional Wednesday market
In addition to the stalls selling clothes, handicrafts and souvenirs, there are also stalls of farmers selling products from the Pollensa market garden.
Accommodation in Puerto Pollensa
In Puerto Pollensa, finding the ideal accommodation for your getaway is part of the travel experience
From charming boutique hotels in the heart of town to luxury beachfront resorts with spectacular views, this Mallorca destination has something to suit all tastes and budgets. Whether you’re looking for a romantic hideaway for a couple’s getaway or a spacious place for a family holiday, the accommodation in Puerto Pollensa offers the comfort and hospitality you need to make the most of this beautiful part of the island.
History
Although the lands of the municipality of Pollensa have been populated since ancient times, the history of Puerto de Pollensa is very recent
Inland, between Pollensa, Puerto de Pollensa and Cala San Vicente, stood the pre-Roman city of Bocchoris, which has now completely disappeared. With the foundation of Pollentia by the Romans in the 2nd century BC (in the current location of Alcudia), this city and its surrounding lands were abandoned.
After the abandonment of Pollentia in the 6th century, the population spread throughout the region, with the appearance of farmhouses and possessions
The economy was entirely subsistence farming, and fishing was rarely practised. With the Christian conquest of 1229, the same pattern of life continued. Attacks by pirates and corsairs meant that the coast was essentially uninhabited until well into the 18th century.
At the beginning of the 19th century there were only a handful of fishermen’s huts, and the first quay was not built until 1829
Until then, the boats used were mainly small boats and llaüts with a shallow draft that required practically no port facilities. In 1860, the first inhabitants were registered in Puerto Pollensa: barely ten people. In 1865 a customs office was installed and commercial activity returned to these waters after almost 1400 years.
Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the beauty of the surroundings and its tranquillity attracted the first high-class tourists fleeing from the war in Europe and the problems that followed
In this context, the first luxury establishments appeared, such as the Hotel Formentor, inaugurated in 1929. In Puerto Pollensa, as well as in the nearby Cala San Vicente, many artists settled here and contributed to the town’s worldwide fame.
The Civil War brought all development in the area to a halt
In 1937 the Hotel Mar i Cel was expropriated to become the residence for officers and pilots of the seaplane base established in 1935. After the war, the years of hunger and international isolation. In the 1950s, tourism returned to Mallorca, and with greater force in the areas where it had begun several decades earlier, such as Puerto Pollensa.
Emblematic establishments were built in the 50s and 60s, as Puerto de Pollensa grew in size and population
It has established itself as a tourist destination mainly for the British market, both for families and retirees, who in many cases end up settling here. But unlike other areas, Puerto Pollensa has tried to avoid the overcrowding of large hotels, opting for fewer but higher quality places. There has also been a proliferation of holiday rentals, villas and luxury villas, so that any visitor to Puerto Pollensa can find the accommodation that best suits their tastes and budget.
