What to See in Mallorca Spain

Mallorca’s Magical North Coast

Our final stop in Mallorca was the north coast. We based ourselves near Alcúdia and were very happy with the location.

Alcúdia and the various sites mentioned below are located in the northern part of Mallorca. The starred locations indicate our places of stay.

The old walled town of Alcúdia is at the base of a small peninsula that divides the northern coast into the Bay of Pollença and the Bay of Alcúdia. The peninsula itself has some lovely beaches (more on this below). On the eastern side are many hotels, modern shops and busier beaches, kind of like a Miami beach area. We decided to base ourselves on the quieter western side of Alcúdia, at the PortBlue Club Pollentia Resort. The resort is right across the coastal road following the bay of Pollença and is only a couple kilometers from Alcúdia.

The Port Blue Club Pollentia Resort & Spa pool.
Bay of Pollença, view from our hotel.

Alcúdia

Nothing like having medieval walled towns next to glorious beaches – my perfect combination! The late 13th century walled town of Alcúdia is really lovely and sits in a prime location, between two bays with picturesque coves and beaches close by. It’s no wonder this town was a target of pirates in the 16th century. You can spend the day at the beach and then wander into the old town for dinner. There is a large car park on the eastern side of the town walls.

Views of Alcúdia’s gates and walls.
Street views of Alcúdia.
You can walk a good portion of Alcúdia’s walls for views of the surrounding countryside and town.

Beaches and More Beaches

S’illot Beach is on the peninsula near Alcudia. Its pebbles make for a clean beach experience (no sand to get trapped in your clothes or towel!) and the little island is fun to snorkel around.
Sant Joan Beach on the left (near S’illot Beach above) and Formentor Beach on the right (at the far end of Bay of Pollença, near Mirador de Es Colomer).

Mirador de Es Colomer

A popular thing to do in the evening before the sun sets is to take a drive past the Bay of Pollença to the very northwest corner of the island for some spectacular views of the Bay of Pollença and Formentor area. We did this on a whim one evening and really enjoyed the amazing setting and views. The road is steep and narrow – be forewarned. Parking can be a bit of challenge, but be patient and you’ll find a spot. There is a lighthouse further out on the point, but the road to it was closed during our visit.

The dramatic views from Mirador de Es Colomer.
It’s hard to capture the height of the cliffs at Mirador de Es Colomer – it’s probably 1,000 feet straight down to the water.

The Ruins of Pollentia – A Roman City

Just outside the walls of Alcúdia are the ruins of the Roman town of Pollentia. Pollentia was the most important Roman settlement in the Balearic Islands and was founded around 121 B.C., a strategic location for a port city. It’s definitely worth a visit.

Views (above) of Pollentia Forum (main plaza) Ruins.
Left to Right: Pollentia’s theater, water drainage system and medieval-era necropolis.

Lluch Monastery

A little further from Alcudia south and west (about 30 km or 19 miles) is the 17th century Lluch Monastery, a major pilgrimage site and important religious sanctuary in Mallorca. We visited Lluch Monastery on our way back to the Palma airport as we were leaving Mallorca. It is located in the rugged Tramuntana Mountains. As the informational image notes below, the monastery receives more than a million visitors a year!

Here’s a short history of Lluch Monastery.
Exterior views of Lluch Monastery.
Interior views of Lluch Monastery.

The north coast of Mallorca really is magical – with its nice hotels, beautiful beaches, a medieval walled town, Roman city ruins, a historic pilgrimage site and dramatic coastline drive and views, I’m not sure how it gets any better than this for an independent tourist!

Visiting Mallorca’s Drach Caves

One of the most well-known tourist sites in Mallorca are the Drach Caves (Cuevas del Drach, or Caves of the Dragon), located on the eastern coast in the town of Porto Cristo (see my post here for information on nearby beautiful beaches). The caves are known for having one of the largest underground lakes in the world (Lake Martel).

The Drach Caves are located on Mallorca’s eastern coast near Porto Cristo. (The starred locations indicate where we stayed on the island).

Drach Caves

Given the caves’ popularity as a cruise shore excursion and for other tourists on the island, it would be wise to purchase your tickets in advance here. Bring a light jacket, the air can be very cool. I highly recommend getting in line early for your appointed entry time so you can be one of the first ones into the caves for the best photos and to be one of the first to get on your boat ride at the end. You may be with 200+ other people at your tour time. We were staying in Cala D’ Or, only 28 km (17 miles) south of Porto Cristo, a convenient spot for visiting this part of Mallorca.

The walking paths through the caves.
The astonishing formations created over millennia in the caves.
Small pools of crystal-clear water in the Drach Caves.

At the end of the walking tour of the caves, you are seated in stadium area by the underground freshwater lake (Lake Martel) – it is a spectacular setting. A boat with strings of lights appears from around a bend in the lake and live classical music is played (violin, flute & organ as I recall) as the boat sails past you in this unreal setting – kind of like “Phantom of the Opera”! Note: You are not allowed to take photos or video of the performance – they are very particular about this!

Following the performance, you have the opportunity to take a short rowboat ride to the exit path for your own “boating on the underground lake” experience. Or, if you wish, you can just walk on a path towards the exit if you’re in a hurry, since it takes a while to ferry 200-300 people by boat (there are multiple boats but each only holds about 10 people).

The underground lake and a boat taking passengers on a ride to the exit path at the end of the tour.

After your visit to the caves, if you want to make a day of it, there is a small cove for swimming next to the caves entrance. Bring your swimsuit (always good advice wherever you are on Mallorca!).

This lovely cove is just a short walk from the Drach Caves parking area.

Although the caves are very touristy, I highly recommend a visit. It’s not often you get to boat on a underground lake and watch a classical music performance in such an amazing setting.