The 7 Best Things To Do To In Alcúdia
With beaches, countryside, ancient ruins and cultural attractions all within easy reach, it’s no surprise that Alcúdia is one of Mallorca’s most popular places to stay among visitors to the island. Not only is the town’s location a selling point, but there’s also lots to see and do without ever having to travel anywhere else, which is ideal if you’re only there for a couple of days.
You could talk about the range of different things to do in Alcúdia for hours, but in this post, we’ve condensed the list to bring you 7 of our top recommendations.
Explore the Old Town
One of the most famous attractions in Alcúdia is the Old Town. With its status as the best-preserved mediaeval town in Mallorca, it’s understandable why this spot gets so much attention from tourists.
Exploring Alcúdia’s Old Town is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours, particularly if you are travelling with children and want to teach them more about the history of the area. A highlight is definitely the city walls, which circle the entire Old Town and can be climbed in order to admire some pretty impressive views of both old and new Alcúdia.
Visit the Local Market
Two weekly markets take place in Alcúdia, which are a highlight for both locals and visitors to the town. Even if you’re not shopping with any particular item in mind, it’s still worth attending at least one of these to get a feel for the local culture and enjoy browsing the wide range of products on offer.
Markets in Alcúdia are held on Tuesday and Sunday each week, with stalls lining the Paseo Mare de Déu de la Victòria and the surrounding area. In the summer months, the market is huge to meet the demands of the peak season for tourism on the island, whereas if you visit Alcúdia in the winter you’ll see that the market is much smaller with less variety on offer.
Food, clothes, gifts and crafts are all for sale in these local markets, so whether you’re trying to buy souvenirs or just want to pick some ingredients up for lunch, you’ll surely be able to find something here.
Sample Mallorcan Food
When in Mallorca, it would be a shame not to sample the local dishes that originated from the island. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes in Alcúdia with a range of menus, and we strongly recommend that you branch out for at least one meal and give traditional ‘Mallorquin’ cuisine a try.
To begin with, try a ‘Coca Mallorquina’ which is a kind of pizza dish consisting of flatbread topped with different combinations of vegetables. ‘Arroz brut’ is Mallorca’s own special rice dish, ‘sopas Mallorquinas’ is a local kind of soup, and if you’re looking to satisfy a sugar craving then you need to try an ‘ensaimada’,
Sobrassada, a spreadable cured sausage meat, is used in dishes all around Spain but was actually created in Mallorca, so should definitely be sampled whilst you’re here. Botifarron is another signature ingredient that you’ll see a lot of, which is another kind of sausage that can be eaten as it comes, sliced and eaten with bread or fried.
Go Souvenir Shopping
We’ve already mentioned the weekly markets that take place in Alcúdia, but it’s also a great town for shops in general. The Old Town has got a good number of little stores and boutiques that sell lots of great souvenirs, along with artisan goods and handcrafted items ranging from jewellery to art.
In Puerto Alcúdia there’s a small shopping centre if you’d rather buy from more commercial stores, along with other larger shops in the main part of town.
Enjoy Some Sightseeing
Alcúdia is one of the best places to stay in Mallorca if you enjoy sightseeing on your holidays. It’s a historic town with plenty of stories behind many of the buildings and is also surrounded by beautiful scenery, which means there’s a great variety of views to enjoy as you explore.
The Old Town is obviously a sightseeing hotspot, with features like the city walls and impressive, towering gates leading to the centre of town featuring most prominent in visitor’s photographs. The Roman ruins of Pollentia are another fantastic place to visit for more historical sightseeing, with plenty of preserved remains illustrating the layout of a long-gone city.
You’ve also got more modern items to add to your itinerary like the Museo Sa Bassa Blanca, Museu Parroquial and Casa Museo, along with churches like the Església de Sant Jaume d’Alcúdia and Chapel of La Victoria.
Hit the Beach
Whilst the town of Alcúdia itself is in the middle of a peninsula in the north of Mallorca, it’s located pretty close to a range of beaches which means planning a trip to the coast is very easy if you’re staying nearby.
Alcúdia Beach in Port d’Alcúdia is the most popular spot; a 7 kilometre long stretch of sand that has plenty of room for visitors, even on the busiest days. The Playa de Muro is found further along the coast in Alcúdia Bay and is a similarly large beach that is backed by hotels and resorts and offers lots of space for guests to enjoy the clean, golden sand and warm blue water.
If you travel to the other side of the peninsula near Alcúdia, you’ll find smaller and more remote beaches such as Platja Es Morer Vermell and Platja de Sa Font de Sant Joan, which have fewer nearby facilities but are also likely to be less crowded.
Travel to the S’Albufera Nature Reserve
If you fancy immersing yourself in the great outdoors and want to take a day trip just outside of Alcúdia, you can travel to the nearby S’Albufera Nature Reserve. These wetlands are a protected area just off the coastal road leading to Port d’Alcudia and are a great place for a walk or bike ride if the weather is cool but sunny.
S’Albufera Nature Reserve is also a prime spot for birdwatching, with species including the long-eared owl, stonechats, herons and moustached warblers. There’s a visitors centre as well as plenty of clearly signposted paths, so this is a great place to visit for an afternoon no matter the size or age of your travelling party.
Summary
We’ve only really scratched the surface of what there is to do in Alcúdia on this list. Not only is there more to discover in the town, but its location means that trips to places like Pollensa and Puerto Pollensa are also really easy to plan and allow you to see more of Mallorca and its beautiful little towns and villages.
If you’re planning a visit to Alcúdia and are looking for somewhere to stay in the area, Vida Villas has a fantastic selection of accommodation to choose from. Browse our selection here, or get in touch and talk to our team about what you’re looking for.