North Mallorca – Pollensa & Alcudia

Pollensa, founded in the 13th century, is nestled below the foothills of the northern Tramuntana mountain range as it fades into coastal flatland. The town successfully repelled a string of onslaughts by pirates, the last of which in 1550 is celebrated today in enthusiastic street battles in August. Its pride & joy is its Via Crucis, a long, steep & beautiful stone stairway which ascends El Calvari (Cavalry Hill) to the north of the town centre.

Why buy property in North Mallorca?

• The wide bay of Pollensa is safe & shallow with a sandy strip along its entire length, ideal for families with young children & popular with windsurfers
• There are many child friendly apartment communities close to the port within easy reach of the beach
• The yachting scene in Puerto Pollensa is low key as only smaller boats with shallow draft can access the bay
• You are only 35 minutes from Palma due to the excellent motorway connection

What you should know about property in North Mallorca

• There are virtually no sea view properties surrounding Pollensa bay as the land beyond is flat. Front line sea view properties can be found only along the Pine Walk on the northern edge of the town. There are also a sprinkling of sea view properties in Cala Sant Vicente. There are panoramic views to the sea from properties high in La Font, above Pollensa town. Better seaviews can be found on the northern side of the Alcudia peninsula in Mal Pas & Bonaire
• Front line, sea view properties on the southern side of the Alcudia peninsula in Aucanada have the coast road in front of them
• Pollensa is a renowned area with the British for independent villa rental. If you are thinking of buying property as an investment with a view to renting out, make sure you are familiar with rental law & the appropriate licences
• Property in Formentor is not easily accessible so many villa owners find it easier to have small boats to run into Puerto Pollensa
• Make careful legal checks with the coastal authorities on any frontline property
• The Balearic government under the current Partido Popular is pushing through legislation which will allow private investment in the Cala Carbo area (Cala San Vicente) previously approved but stopped by the socialist coalition government in 2007 under pressure from environmental groups. It’s one of several projects to be unfrozen on the island in a bid to save a total of €917m in pending compensation claims from developers

Villas, fincas & apartments in Pollensa

Puerto Pollensa The seaside resort of Puerto Pollensa lies 6 km east of Pollensa town. Apartment communities pepper the areas directly behind the promenade. Bellresguard lies to the north, Siller & Gotmar are directly behind the port and Llenaire to the south.

Pollensa 6km west of the port, Pollensa town is a lively place with a spirited expatriate community. The central square has numerous outdoor cafes dominated by a 13th century church. The 365 step stairway north of the square leads to a chapel known as Calvary & is the setting for a dramatic, annual Easter parade. Stone houses, mainly from the 17th and 18th century line the twisting lanes

Val d’en Marc The road through this valley west of Pollensa town leads to Lluc and its famous monastery high in the Tramuntana mountains. A favoured area for fincas, especially south facing. To the north west lies Ternelles valley with a choice of country properties

Cala Sant Vicente Busy in the summer but deserted in winter, the cala comprises 3 sandy beaches, Cala Clara, Cala Molins & Cala Carbo

Formentor The bay of Formentor lies 10 minutes from Puerto Pollensa via a tortuous road, which can be exceptionally busy in the summer as sightseers travel up to the spectacular viewing points overlooking the Formentor peninsular. Only 14 front line, detached properties lie on the eastern edge of Formentor bay, whilst there are only 11 properties in south facing positions past the Formentor hotel. Founded in 1929, its landscaped gardens are pure joy. Renowned guests have included royalty, politicians & celebrities including Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers.

Villas, fincas & apartments in Alcudia

Puerto Alcudia There’s an attractive marina here & an annual sepia (cuttlefish) fair held every spring with a food market on the old pier. Most of Alcudia’s hotels are situated south of the port along the 14 km beach which stretches all the way to Can Picafort. There are all manner of watersports including kite surfing

Alcudia town Away from Alcudia’s hotels and contained core of eateries, bars & entertainment aimed at mass tourism, there are a few surprises. The walled, ancient town of Alcudia is full of character & has some first class restaurants. There are many rustic properties in Son Rotger, the flat countryside west of Alcudia town. Buyers should be aware of the marsh lands of Albufereta, a bird sanctuary, which can attract mosquitoes.

Mal Pas A peaceful area overlooking the tiny marina of Cocodrillo, Mal Pas has two wonderful beaches favoured by locals, Playa St Pere & Playa St Joan which borders on the Manresa estate.

Bonaire A residential area favoured by wealthy spaniards from the mainland, Bonaire is set on the hill of the northern Alcudia pensinsula. Detached villas have a splendid view of Pollensa bay with the sun setting over the peninsula of Formentor.

Alcanada A delightful area on the south side of the Alcudia pensinsula leading to the pristine Alcanada golf course, one of the few on the island with lovely sea views. Properties have views of Alcudia bay.

North Mallorca in 2015

Despite protests by environmental groups, the Son Bosc golf course will go ahead at Muro.

Construction work on the 8 million Euro Baywa solar park is complete. A total of 13,000 panels have been installed in Son Parera that will generate approx 2,5 Megawatts which is enough to cover half of the requirements of Muro.

Permission has finally been granted to the hotel group Barcelo to renovate Hotel Formentor. Work includes the addition of a spa in order for the hotel to operate as a 5 star establishment.

The coal fired power station in Alcudia, with its twin chimneys, is one of the most important examples of industrial architecture in the Balearics, inaugerated by General Franco in 1957. As coal shipments arrived by sea, its site is
frontline to the bay. Abandoned for more than ten years, it was slowly falling into decay. The project to clean and reconstruct part of the station as a working museum and to create a library and auditorium is still on hold due to lack of government funds.

The new passenger terminal in Alcudia port is fully operational. At a cost of some €13m, the project involved remodelling the western docks, reclaiming 25,000 sq metres from the sea and construction of elevated walkways. It will be able to serve up to 300,000 passengers a year and four vessels simultaneously. It currently acts as a base for maritime connections between Palma, Barcelona and Menorca. This year it will also be a stopover port for cruise ships travelling from Sete in France to Morocco.

Cap de Pinar, the tip of the Alcudia peninsula which belongs to the military, has finally been opened to the public in restricted daily groups. The protected area encompasses the beach, Cala Central and the lighthouse.

Sa Forteleza on the Punta de l’Avancada north of Puerto Pollensa remains in private hands. The 87,000 square metre estate boasting 8 buildings sold to a British banker for the reported sum of 40 million Euros.

Property prices in Pollensa & Alcudia

• As anywhere in the world, property prices in North Mallorca are dictated by a very large number of factors but primarily by supply. Vendor motivation in the second home market also plays a significant role in maintaining prices despite the current economic climate

• Disregard general press reports on pricing in Spain. Mallorca is 3,640 square kilometres (1,400 square miles) which is twice the area of Greater London with its 32 boroughs. It is half the size of the entire municipality of Stockholm and nearly 5 times the size of New York City. Therefore, prices in Mallorca can vary for the same type of property depending on exact location on the island