Visiting Old Towns

It was time to set our course west and leave Menorca behind as we headed back to Mallorca, a passage of around 36 nautical miles. With 10 knots of wind from the north, we hoisted the sails, looking forward to another day of sailing.

Once we rounded the southern tip of Menorca, passing the lighthouse marking the corner of the island, the wind picked up to around 15 knots. Unfortunately, it also veered more to the west, meaning we were sailing very close to the wind and gradually being pushed a little off course. The swell had also increased, but we were making good progress and it was still relatively comfortable sailing.

The wind speed was very changeable during the afternoon. It would strengthen, then drop away again, so we found ourselves reefing and shaking out the sails several times. Just a few miles from Mallorca, the wind disappeared completely, we needed to get back on course anyway, so the sails came down and we motored the remainder of the way.

On arrival at Port de Pollença, we anchored in the clear blue water, roughly the same spot as on our previous visit. The bay is lined with beaches, backed by pine covered hills with the Tramuntana mountains rising in the distance. There was more unsettled and stormy weather on its way and we hoped that this anchorage would provide us protection from the worst of it. That evening, we had a very colourful sky.

It was much quieter along the pine walk with fewer holidaymakers about, making it a particularly pleasant stroll in to town from the dinghy dock. The days between the storms were still very warm and it was nice to stop at the waterfront cafes along the way for a coffee or ice cream.

With the families now gone we noticed quite a few groups of cyclists around town, I have never seen so much middle aged Lycra. It seems this corner of Mallorca is particularly well regarded amongst the cycling community. Once here in Port de Pollenca they are very well catered for by something like 20 dedicated bike shops tucked away in the back streets and offering a vast selection of the latest gear, holiday rentals and repairs.

The dinghy sailors were also out in force, taking full advantage of the breezy conditions as they zipped back and forth across the bay.

The local market was a convenient place to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables, along with some of Mallorca’s local specialities. It was great to browse the stalls and pick up a few treats. I may have got a little distracted by the handbags, but I don’t think buying two new ones is excessive… is it? After all, it’s important to support the local economy!

We ended up staying here for a while to wait for the bad weather to pass. This gave us the opportunity to explore some of the places we had missed during our previous visit.

Pollença town lies about 6 km inland from Port de Pollença. We hadn’t had time to visit last time, so we took the opportunity to catch the bus inland and explore the old town.

Set among the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains, Pollença has a long history dating back to Roman times, although much of its present character developed during the medieval period and later centuries. Unlike the modern holiday atmosphere of the port, the old town has narrow cobbled streets, traditional stone houses and charming squares.

Our first stop was the peaceful Joan March Gardens, a small park enclosed by towering cypress trees. Among the greenery stood an old stone tower, the Torre Desbrull, a surviving remnant of a medieval manor house. The gardens also contained sculptures, including a statue commemorating Joan Mas, a local hero remembered for defending the town against a pirate attack in 1550.

We wandered through the narrow streets, admiring the traditional buildings and attractive doorways.

The streets eventually led us to the main square, Plaça Major, the heart of the town. Here, cafés and restaurants surround the square, with the parish church of Our Lady of the Angels standing at one end. The church dates back to the 13th century, when the Knights Templar established a presence here, although the building has undergone many alterations over the following years.

One of Pollença’s most famous landmarks is the Calvari Steps, a long stone staircase of 365 steps leading uphill to a small chapel, the Oratori del Calvari. The number of steps is traditionally said to represent the days of the year. To the sides of the steps were cypress trees and old houses, some of which had set up little shops which gave a great excuse to stop for a few minutes, and take a breath.

The climb is quite a workout, but we made our way to the top, where the little chapel stands overlooking the town.

The effort was rewarded with lovely views across the rooftops of Pollença and out towards the surrounding countryside, mountains and back down to the sea.

After our descent, and a well earned ice cream, we visited the Pollença Museum, housed in a former Dominican convent. The building dates back to the 16th century, when the Dominican friars established their convent here. Today, it houses a collection of paintings, sculptures and other works of mainly modern art.

After a lovely morning exploring, we got the bus on to Alcúdia old town. The history of Alcúdia stretches back over 2,000 years. Just outside the town lie the remains of the Roman city of Pollentia, which was founded following the Roman conquest of Mallorca in 123 BC and became one of the island’s most important settlements.

The present old town of Alcúdia developed much later, during medieval times. Its position closer to the coast made it vulnerable to attacks by pirates, leading to the construction of defensive walls around the medieval settlement.

Parts of the walls and their towers have survived remarkably well allowing you to walk along with views of the town, it gives a real sense of what life here must have been like centuries ago.

We passed through ancient gateways, which once controlled access to the fortified town, and wandered through the narrow streets with old stone buildings, little plazas and traditional architecture.

After a day exploring the two historic towns, we caught the bus back to the port and returned to Ziggy, anchored in the bay.

During our time here we had been well sheltered from the worst of the storms by the surrounding hills and mountains, so we were quite comfortable on board, watching the flashes of lightning illuminating the sky, thankfully most of it stayed behind the hills.

With the weather finally looking a little more settled, we sat beneath the glow of a full moon and began planning the next leg of our journey.