Discovering Mallorca: The walled wonder of Alcúdia

The Mallorca winter has been pretty comfortable so far. With barely three days of rain, temperatures in the teens, and sunshine pretty much every day, few can complain about the 2016 winter, although residents everywhere are looking a little worried about the sheer lack of rain, especially if this coming summer is as dry and hot as the last. Nonetheless, winter is winter when all is said and done, and even when we stroll out into a crisp sunny day, I still reminisce about the days of the summer and early autumn, when our coats remained out of sight, and trousers too had an only infrequent airing.

In the midst of these remembrances, one such special sunny day (some time at the beginning of October when my mother was in town) came to mind, and I realised that until now, it had gone unreported on The Daily Norm, such was the shockingly busy month which followed with a house move followed by a manic season of multiple Christmas decorations. Driving to the North of the island, the day afforded us yet another new discovery on this island of plenty, as we headed to the town and municipality of Alcúdia.

The old town of Alcúdia 

As with much of the island, Alcúdia has become synonymous with its long stretch of shallow sandy beaches, which predictably attracted an influx of tourism and the accompanying construction of endless 1970s hotels, a sight which, while improved by the sparkle of the cerulean Mediterranean sea, is not the most aesthetically pleasing.

However, head inland, and you reach the real Alcúdia, and there, behind a circle of painstakingly restored medieval walls, you find an arabic citadel perfectly brought back to life. With its narrow streets filled with little shops pouring out onto the streets, and small scenic squares bustling with a range of popular restaurants, it is no wonder that the town has become a favourite of tourists hanging out on the north of the island, making it second only to Palma as the island’s most beautiful historical town.

Nearby beaches and the port

As I sit now in my cosy apartment, breathing is the perfumed scent of the hyacinths imported into our home from the nearby flower market on La Ramblas, I’m dreaming of those summer days when we can wonder freely, without coats, and with the air flowing around our knees. Something tells me the time is close at hand. And in the meantime I leave you with my photos of Alcúdia, and the memories of the pleasantly warm first encounter of this magical town.

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