MallorcaDiscover the beauty of both the South West and North West of Mallorca, as well as Palma, one of Europe's up and coming City Break Destinations.
Camp De Mar, South West Mallorca
Possibly the biggest attraction of a holiday to Camp de Mar is the general lack of commercial development of the town, when compared to the rest of the south coast resorts. If needed, the nearest offices of the Majorca Tourist Information Service (OIT - Oficines d’Informacio Turistica de Mallorca) are to be found in nearby Paguera at:
Oficina d’Informació Turística de Peguera
Carrer de Ratolí, 1
Paguera
Telephone: +34 971 687 083
Fax: +34 971 685 468
Email: omtpaguera@calvia.com
For those on self catering breaks, the resort does have a fairly large Spar Supermarket at the top of hill for the everyday holiday essentials, and another somewhat smaller one on the beach at the front of the Hotel Playa, both of which stock readily recognisable UK branded goods.
Other than the above, the commercial centre of Camp de Mar is to be found on either side of the road running between the Hotels Playa and Club, where you will find a small Kiosk selling the usual selection of English language newspapers, a bank with ATM machine, and a couple of small souvenir shops.
For the more adventurous, a bus does run through the resort from Palma on its way to Andratx every hour, and a single into Palma will cost around 2.25€, which is about £1.70.
Aware of the business opportunities, the town is quite well served with taxis. A trip to either of the neighbouring resorts of Paguera for a greater selection of shops, bars and restaurants, or to Port Andratx, works out at around 5€ each way.
Every Wednesday at nearby Andratx, with the exception of public holidays and fiesta days, there’s a local street market with a good selection of locally produced fruit, vegetables and crafts on offer, but you’ll need to get there early and be prepared to haggle with the professionals to secure the best bargains.
The market place in Andratx is also the site of the annual "Fira Agricola y Ramadera" or Agricultural and Animal Fair, which takes place on the first Sunday of May each year, although for most visitors this is still a little early in the season.
A trip to Mallorca wouldn’t be the same if you missed one of the local Fiestas. The ones around Camp de Mar are:
29 June Sant Pere at Andratx.
16 July Verge Del Carme at Port d’Andratx.
August Fiesta de Mores y Cristians at Sant Elm.
28 August Sant Agusti in S’Arracó.
8 September Verge de la Trapa also at S’Arracó.
The south west of Mallorca has no less than 6 championship standard golf courses. A local organisation based in Magaluf called "Mallorca Golf Connection", can organise tee-off times, transport to and from the courses and discounted green fees. Contact details are:
Mallorca Golf Connection
Avenida Solivera 5
Local 17
07182
Magaluf
Calvia
Mallorca
Telephone: +34 971 221 973
Fax: +34 971 221 974
Web site: www.magoco.com
Majorca may not be the first place you think of to see fine examples of classic British sports cars. However, from time to time during the summer months The Classic Car Club of Port d’Andratx meet and show off their proud possessions to the crowds of admiring onlookers. For further information on the dates of forthcoming events please contact:
The Classic Car Club of Port d’Andratx
Calle Almirante Riera, 2
07157
Port d’Andratx
Telephone: +34 971 671 198
Fax: +34 971 673 113
Certainly well worth a mention here is the Dragonera Natural Park and the Dragonera Island, which is really a 6km long rock that is named because of its likeness to a dragon’s back rising out of the water. In 1987 this area of the island was designated a natural conservation area, and has since then enjoyed the protection of the Majorca Council from commercial development. Regular boat trips leave from the Camp de Mar to make the short trip out to Dragonera Island, where there is a small museum and evidence of a Roman settlement at the Cova de sa Font. Although at its nearest point the island is only 700 metres from the mainland, separated by the ‘Es Freu’ channel, private visits to the island are allowed but only with an official permit from the local council offices.
The newly built Centro Cultural at Andratx is one of Europe’s biggest private buildings for contemporary art. The Centre includes a 1500m2 "Kunsthalle" which holds 3 major exhibitions per year of both established and emerging young artists in contemporary art, as well as a large gallery, restaurant, bookshop and a number of artists´ studios. In the near future it is also planned that additional facilities will be added, including a ceramics and lithographic workshops. Contact details are:
Centro Cultural Andratx
07150
Andratx
Telephone: +34 971 137 770
Fax: +34 971 137 691
Web site: www.ccandratx.com
Wish you were here? Yes!
1: Coastal road to Port Andratx. Lots of new villa developments being built here
2: Shops and apartments.
3: Tennis courts
4: Club Camp de Mar Hotel RIU (Photo: Paul Rawson)
5: Villa Real Hotel (Photo: David Ward)
6: Playa Hotel Grupotel (Photo: David Ward)
7: Site of Royal Dorint Golf Hotel
8: Lido Palace Hotel
9: The Beach: Ambassador Restaurant (Photo: David Ward) to the rear and a Snack Bar on the sand.
10: The Island: Boat trips arrive/depart from here and there is a popular seafood restaurant. (Photo: Paul Rawson)
11: The Main Road: This leads to the nearby towns of Andratx and Paguera.
12: Peninsula Road: Up here are the villas of the rich and famous.
The unspoilt region of Pollenca
At the unspoilt northern tip of Mallorca lies the beautiful bay of Pollenca, with its long, sandy beach and open-air cafés, restaurants and excellent shops. A few miles inland, the atmospheric medieval town of Pollenca with its twisting narrow streets is also well worth exploring. Why not escape to Pollenca this year and let yourself in on one of Europe’s best-kept secrets?
Drive directly from Palma leaving behind the high-rise blocks of hotels and apartments with their thousands of tourists, and in approximately an hour you will discover this wonderful part of Mallorca.
Mountain peaks more reminiscent of Austria than Spain, hill-top villages, exquisite seascapes, fabulous sandy beaches and the small resorts of Cala San Vicente and Puerto Pollenca with its famous pine walk. You’ll find delightful pavement cafés, great shops and good restaurants and an excellent selection of water sports, golf courses, tennis courts, horse-riding and evening entertainment. Pollenca is also just a short drive through a mountain pass from the breathtakingly beautiful Formentor peninsula, a favourite holiday location for Europe’s rich and famous for generations. The views on this part of the island will stay with you forever.
Driving time from Palma airport is approximately 50 minutes.
Puerto Pollenca
Once a small fishing village and Pollenca’s harbour this is now a magnificent bay filled with yachts and fishing boats with a 1.5-mile seafront promenade. The views across the bay to rugged headlands are exceptionally beautiful. On the other side of the bay is the pine walk – a pretty promenade sheltered by pine trees stretching round the horseshoe bay.
Puerto Pollenca’s sandy beaches are divided by breakwaters and so are ideal for children.
There is a wide range of restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets, including several of the best fish restaurants on the island as well as a good variety of boutiques and shops.
There is a relaxed atmosphere here with no loud discos or nightclubs, although there are several English and Irish bars for entertainment in the evenings situated in the pretty square.
Famous visitors to Puerto Pollenca include novelist Agatha Christie who spent many holidays here.
Click here for our detailed guide to Pollenca.
Cala San Vicente
Cala San Vicente is one of the best-kept secrets on Mallorca. It’s a quiet and relaxed resort surrounded by mountains whose pine-covered slopes run down to the sea. The spectacular countryside here is ideal walking country, popular with ramblers and painters – there’s a wonderful coastal walk from here to Puerto Pollenca, ideal for an afternoon’s outing. The sparkling blue waters and sandy coves are very child-friendly. Cala San Vicente is an ideal place for a day at the beach. This resort is approximately three miles from Pollenca and five miles from Puerto Pollenca.
Pollenca
Pollenca is a peaceful and tranquil town that remains very typically Spanish. It’s four miles from the coast, nestling between two hills at the eastern end of the Tramuntana mountains. One of these hills is Puig de Maria with an 18th-century monastery perched on the summit – a walk to the top is well worth the effort for the spectacular views over Pollenca and down to the sea.
Pollenca itself is indisputably pretty. There are twisting medieval streets and pastel-painted houses in the centre and Moorish looking water mills on the outskirts. It’s also a haven for sleepy Mallorcan traditions – café life and the siesta roll on as they always have. Here the buildings lining the narrow streets are full of history with their ochre roofs, sun-baked walls and wooden shutters.
The heart of the old town is the central square, Plaça Major, where there are lots of café-bars and fine restaurants. It’s especially lively on market day, every Sunday morning, with stalls selling fruit, flowers, local crafts, clothes and household goods. Local cheeses and roasted almonds are particularly good buys.
Pollenca also has numerous galleries selling Mallorcan art and design, and a town museum with collections of Spanish Gothic art and contemporary art and ceramics.
The most famous walk in Pollenca is up the 365 steps of the tree-lined ‘Calvario’ – the Calvari Hill. There is a tiny church at the top with amazing views over the town and wooded valleys to the sea. And, according to tradition the punishing climb itself will absolve you of a year’s worth of sins.
Places of interest:
Palma
Palma de Mallorca is the capital of Mallorca island and of the Balearics as a whole. It’s a large, sophisticated and cosmopolitan city with three distinct areas: an old quarter, the new modern city, and the harbour and promenade area.
Palma Cathedral
The magnificent cathedral is known as ‘La Seu’. It combines an original Romanesque layout with medieval Gothic architecture and has ‘modernista’ interiors by the architect Antoni Gaudi.
Soller
The town of Soller is set in a valley of orange groves and is framed by the mountains of the Sierra de Tramuntana. The town’s port, Puerto de Soller, is 20 minutes away by an open San Francisco-style wooden train. It’s a three-mile journey by car.
The Caves of Drach
This complex of underground freshwater lakes and pools stretches for about a mile. A sound and light show across the water provides a memorable finale to each visit.
Inca
Inca is Mallorca’s third largest town and home to the leather industry. It hosts the oldest and most popular weekly market on the island, on Thursdays, selling everything from shoes to shaving brushes!
Activities
Golf
There are currently 12 courses on Mallorca. Pollenca’s beautiful golf course – Golf Pollenca – is two kilometres from the town. It was skillfully landscaped into the unspoilt Mallorcan countryside of Pollenca bay. Alcanada Golf, the brand new 18 hole course set amongst the impressive coastline is a fantastic challenge for all.
Horse Riding
There is a horse riding school on the outskirts of Pollenca and another at Formentor.
Walking
There are a number of delightful walks around Pollenca, from short and gentle strolls to harder day-long treks. Villaparade can arrange a series of well-established one-day walks for you, on routes between six and ten miles long. They’re carefully graded to suit most abilities and all the excursions include transport and a guide.
For more energetic walkers we can also arrange Mallorcan treks which have vehicle support and accommodation. Treks begin in the pretty and historic hill-top village of Valldemossa and end in Pollenca.
Cycling
A lot of keen cyclists come to Pollenca. Away from the mountains much of the surrounding area is very flat and there are also beautiful cycle routes along the coastline. You can pre-book bicycles with villaparade to be waiting in your villa when you arrive. See extras for prices
Birdwatching
Mallorca is rich in both native and migratory bird life. A great place to visit near Pollenca is the Parc Natural de S’Albufera, on the outskirts of Alcudia.
Watersports
Wind-surfing, sailing and water-skiing facilities, snorkelling and scuba-diving are all available in Puerto Pollenca. You can also charter sailing boats or just splash around in pedalos.
Festivals
There are a variety of historic and colourful festivals in and around Pollenca. The most important of the year is the week-long art and music fiesta La Patrona held at the end of July or the beginning of August. The central event is a mock battle between Moors and Christians which commemorates a real battle that took place in 1550 when Pollenca was attacked by 1500 north African pirate raiders. Today, the mock battle follows the route of the original battle along the streets of the old town. Pollenca people, dressed up in 16th-century costume, fight with wooden sticks and old farm implements and by the end of the evening the ‘pirates’ are defeated and driven away back to the sea.
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