What to do in Alcúdia, Mallorca

What to do in Alcúdia? Alcúdia has been a firm family-favourite for holiday makers since the late nineteen sixties, which comes as no surprise due to the year-round sunshine, shallow beach waters, endless white sands and easy town-to-coast walking accessibility. What Alcudia has to offer as a holiday destination beyond the obvious, is simply colossal. They say on the Island, “Alcudia has it all!”

Alcudia is nestled between the mountains and coast on the northeast peninsular of Mallorca, the largest of the pine tree covered Balearic Islands, due east of the Spanish mainland. The name of the town ‘Alcudia’ honours its unrivalled position and is of Arabian heritage. Moorish inhabitants named the area Al-Kudja before 1200AD – the literal translation meaning ‘on the hill’ – and that’s exactly what it is!

Alcudia Old Town

The view from Alcudia old town doesn’t disappoint, as it stands proud looking in all directions, providing 360 degree views across the town and mountains on one side, and the other overlooking the Mediterranean ocean. The best place to take in this magnificent vista, is with an aperitif on the penthouse terrace of Fonda Llabres. Take a bottle of ice-cold deep pink Spanish rose and a large bowl of stone-in, salty green olives and head on up to the top deck. Don’t tell anyone though – this panorama is a locals-only secret – and rumor has it that when the skies are stormy, this place becomes electric.

Alcudia, like its neighbour Pollença, is split between its port and towns – old and new. Alcudia old town is hugged by elevated Roman walls which provide the perfect post-cocktail pre-dinner evening promenade, from where you can decide which of the many bustling cafes and restaurants you’ll choose to dine in.

If you are looking for something typically Mallorcan, do not miss an evening at Alcudias oldest restaurant Can Costas, which makes its home in a house dating back to 1584. If you are lucky, the oh so talented singing duo, Tuna, will sing for you as you take shots of Hierbas to wash down homemade cheese flan. That’s if you have room – Can Costas major on local produce, and when it’s in season they take pride in serving their speciality; honey baked cod which is accompanied by waxy buttered potatoes, a special and decadent luxury.

After the gastronomic full-feed you’ll need to take some exercise. Alcudia offers almost every type of activity adventure that you can think of. If you have the strength and courage, kite and wind surfing are on offer when the weather allows, but if neither weather nor stamina are on your side, take your sandals off and have a gentle paddle in the turquoise waters somewhere along the 22 miles of blissful white sandy coastline.

Cycling and bike hire in Mallorca

Alcudia has a serious soft spot for cyclists and is geared up year-round for both road and mountain biking. The famous Mallorca 312 sells out its 8000 available spots in hours, so no luck if you want to join the race peleton for 2023, you’ll have to get in line for 2024.

You are able to hire bikes in many locations in Alcudia, but there would be no better place than the Port Blue Hotel on the Bay of Pollença, who have their own bike ‘garage’ and whose mechanics will give you the inside track to the best cycle routes on the island. What’s more, their proximity to the sea guarantees all-round training for professional triathletes who combine swimming, cycling and running along the sweeping Pollença Bay!

The great news for cyclists, athletes (and everyone else) is that Port Blue has an incredible Spa to soothe sore muscles. Overlooking the bay with an inside and outside infinity pool, the Spa provides absolute peace for anyone seeking tranquility and solace. The Wimhoff style plunge-pool with body-temperature recovery is one of the the best of its kind, worldwide. With Turkish Baths and Saunas at all temperatures, this SPA offers a wonderful experience for athletes and pleasure seekers alike.

Back to Nature in Mallorca

For those mere mortals who don’t have the stamina for endurance cycling, Ironman competitions or surfing the waves with a sail, why not take a calming ‘back to nature’ walk with Ute Moser, resident of Alcudia for 30 years. Ute can take you to many idyllic spots to feel at one with nature and ‘hold space’ for your group. None more tranquil spot for breath work and a focus on gratitude for nature would be from the pines at the Iglesa Mare de Deu de la Victoria, it takes pole position for a serene contemplation. To book your private tour, find Ute here.

Another place that will help with the Zen, is Alcanada Golf Club. After 13 years of scrupulous planning and three years of seemingly endless development, Alcanada opened its doors in 2003. Since then, it has hosted many prestigious tournaments and rightly so, as it has a reputation synonymous with one of Spain’s finest golf experiences.

However, for those who don’t golf, Alcanada has a big draw: it’s Santorini rivalling views and exquisite restaurant. Having an eye for beauty, owner Mr. Hans-Peter Porsche (yes of Porsche fame) could see this spot was absolutely the right place for Mallorca’s premier golfing facility. So if you are waiting for someone to finish a round, you wont be disappointed. The restaurant has incredible views across the Alcudia bay and the lighthouse is a spectacle to behold. Whilst gazing into the gentle oceans, don’t miss Mussels in white wine or the slow cooked pork belly – all washed down with the house Verdejo – for less than £30 you will be blown away with the quality of the food, the impeccable attentive service and mostly wowed by the view, which really is breath-taking.

Food and Drink

Food and drink is a lifestyle in Mallorca, and Alcudia is big into agrotourism which features heavily with olives and grape vines. If you’re hunkering after a little education with your local consumption, no better place to visit than the Olive groves at Olisolivellas who produce world class oil that they largely save for Mallorca, but do allow a little of what is spare, to be exported to Spain and Germany. Caution mosquitos here (well, in fact all over Mallorca!). Ensure you have mossie spray, as well as topical and oral antihistamines to ward off the critters and remedy bites and endless scratching!

If drinking oil isn’t your thing, you could make your way to the finca and vines at Son Simo Vell, who have possibly the smallest vineyard on the Island. Here at Son Simo Vell Ana-Maria will make sure you enjoy sniffing, swilling and tasting their punchy ‘Pecat’, which is lovingly made in small batches from a variety of native grapes including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The wine is stored in lightly toasted French oaked barrels for 18 months before it is bottled and ready for laying down, before selling to those who are lucky enough to get their hands on a bottle or three.

Sa Bassa Blanca Museum

Sometimes they say, ‘save the best till last’, but my advice is don’t. You may want to go twice! Alcudia is the municipality who have the kudos of housing Sa Bassa Blanca Museum (msbb). It’s hard to describe the brilliance and beauty of this stunning, spiritual, fun, modern-meets-historical cultural masterpiece. Sa Bassa Blanca is a magical wonderland that will leave you open mouthed and wowing as you move through different decades and global interpretations of art. A dialogue between cultures inside the house and the Sokrates room simply do not translate onto the page. Please, get on a plane and go to Mallorca and head directly to Alcudia, simply to experience this clever, other world spectacle. Oh. And don’t forget to pause there with a glass of Manzanilla. Quite simply, it’s a little piece of Heaven on earth.

Best time to travel to Alcudia

• Late Spring: adventure travel, cycling & trekking
• Summer: beach holidays & windsurfing
• Autumn & Winter: culture, shopping & eating

Where to stay in Alcudia

Port Blue Hotel on the Bay of Pollença: just 3 miles from Alcudia, this hotel offers extensive sports facilities, including 3 swimming pools, a tennis court and watersports centre.

Where to try typical Mallorcan cuisine & produce

• Restaurant: Can Costa Celler Restaurant, The Oldest Restaurant In Alcudia.
• Olive Oil Producers: Olisolivellas who produce world class oil
• Vinyard: Son Simo Vell, who have possibly the smallest vineyard on the Island.

For Culture & Nature

• Art: Sa Bassa Blanca Museum
• Walking tours: Ute Michaela Moser

Sporting Events

• IronMan
• Biking: Mallorca312
• Marathon: Palma de Mallorca marathon

Getting there

British Airways have daily flights year-round from London centric airports; London City, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead.

Ryanair offers good regional travel provision from Birmingham, Bournemouth, East Midlands & Leeds and from as little as £30 return including baggage .

Sarah-Jane

I am SJ. Marketeer, yogi, traveller, wine drinker and food enthusiast. My love of food and culture was sparked by formative adventures, which largely consisted of day-long ferry voyages to Cherbourg, and being taught how to ‘do it like the French do’; dipping croissants into hot chocolate, eating garlic laced snails and supping down fresh oysters.

Wherever the destination, I have a passion for experiencing what’s ‘local’, be it cuisine or culture, and enjoying both the simple and decadent. I hope you enjoy my contributions.

Follow me on Twitter @SarahJaneDyke