Alcúdia is one of the few places in Mallorca where you can spend the morning inside a 14th-century town wall and the afternoon on a beach more than three kilometres long without getting into the car. Beneath it all lies a Roman city dating back more than two thousand years.
This guide covers the old town, beaches and port, the natural park next door, the best day trips from Alcúdia with realistic driving times, and what to do when the weather does not cooperate.
The essentials
🏰Alcúdia lies at the northern end of Mallorca, about 55 kilometres from Palma and around 50 minutes by car along the Ma-13. It is really two places: the walled old town inland and Port d’Alcúdia, two kilometres away beside the beach. You can see the old town in half a day; add the beach, port and Roman site and the area can fill two long days. It is also one of the island’s best bases, with almost everything less than an hour away.
The old town and its walls
The first thing you see on arrival is the wall, and it is not decorative. King Jaume II ordered its construction in the 14th century to protect residents from attacks by sea. It still encloses almost the entire old town.
Two gates lead inside. The Porta del Moll, also known as Porta de Xara, has two square towers and appears in nearly every photograph. At the other end is the Porta de Sant Sebastià. Several sections of the parapet are open to walkers, which is the best way to understand the size of the town the walls once defended.
Inside, the streets are narrow and cobbled, lined with houses built from golden stone. The main building is the Sant Jaume church, founded in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 19th after part of the structure collapsed.
The old town is compact and takes about an hour to walk around at an easy pace. The pleasure lies in wandering without a map and stopping in one of the inner squares, which remain shaded at midday.
Pollentia, the Roman city most visitors miss
This is what makes Alcúdia genuinely unusual, and many people miss it simply because they do not know it is there.
Just outside the old town, a five-minute walk away, stands Pollentia, the Roman city founded around 123 BC when Rome conquered the Balearic Islands. It served as the island’s Roman capital for centuries, and Alcúdia literally grew over it.
Three areas survive. The forum was the city’s political and religious centre. The residential district of Sa Portellacontains houses named after objects found inside, including Casa dels Dos Tresors and Casa del Cap de Bronze. Then there is the Roman theatre, cut directly into the rock, with one unusual distinction: it is the smallest known Roman theatre in Hispania.
An interpretation centre displays finds from the excavations. Visiting conditions change by season, so check directly at the site.
For children aged seven or eight and over, the theatre works particularly well. It is small, easy to understand at a glance and visitors can go down to the seating area.
The beaches
Alcúdia Beach is the main attraction: more than three kilometres of fine sand around the bay, with water that deepens so gradually you can walk a long way before losing your footing. It is one of Mallorca’s longest beaches and, thanks to that gentle seabed, one of the island’s best for swimming with young children. All the main services are available, and the flat promenade is easy with a pushchair.
For somewhere quieter, try Alcanada on the far side of the port, looking towards a small island and its lighthouse. The beach mixes pebbles and sand, is smaller and has far fewer services, but the water is just as clear and it often empties in the afternoon. Our full island lighthouse route is in the lighthouses of Mallorca.
If you do not mind walking, Coll Baix lies on the northern face of the peninsula: a pebble beach at the bottom of a descent, surrounded by hills and with no services at all. Bring water and closed shoes.
Our family selection appears in the best beaches in Mallorca for children.
The port
Port d’Alcúdia is two kilometres from the old town and acts as the area’s second centre, with a long seafront, restaurants and the departure point for almost every activity on the water.
Boat trips leave from here to explore the bay and the north coast, many stopping for swims in coves that no road reaches. Family-friendly options are listed in boat trips in Mallorca.
It is also a commercial port. Ferries leave for Ciutadella in Menorca if you want to add a day on the neighbouring island.
s’Albufera, the wetland next door
A few minutes away by car is the Parc Natural de s’Albufera de Mallorca, the largest wetland in the Balearic Islands. More than 1,700 hectares of lagoons, canals and reed beds support over 300 recorded bird species.
You can explore it on foot or by bicycle along flat, clearly marked paths, with hides placed around the reserve. Admission is free, although you need to collect a visitor permit at the reception centre.
It works better with children than it may sound. The ground is flat, herons and flamingos are visible, and a pair of binoculars turns the walk into a search. We cover it fully in s’Albufera Natural Park.
Market on Tuesdays and Sundays
The Alcúdia market takes over the old-town streets on Tuesday and Sunday mornings. It is one of the island’s larger markets, selling local produce, fruit, crafts and plenty aimed at visitors.
If your free day falls on either one, begin at the market and save the beach for the afternoon. The stalls give the old town a different atmosphere, and everything is packed away by midday.
Day trips from Alcúdia
Alcúdia is an excellent base, and this is what guides often fail to make clear: almost the whole island lies less than an hour away. These are the easiest trips, with realistic driving times.
- Cap de Formentor — 30 minutes. The road runs through a series of viewpoints to the lighthouse at Mallorca’s northern tip. It fills half a day and is the most spectacular trip from Alcúdia. Car access is restricted during the high season, so check before leaving.
- Pollença and the Calvari — 15 minutes. Climb 365 steps to the chapel and explore an old town with more local life than Alcúdia.
- Dinosaurland and the Cuevas dels Hams — 50 minutes. Cross the island to the east coast. It is one of the most rewarding full-day plans for families and is covered in detail below.
- Sa Calobra and the Torrent de Pareis — just over an hour. The road with thirteen hairpin bends is spectacular and tiring. It is not a trip for anyone in a hurry or prone to travel sickness.
- Palma — 50 minutes. Cathedral, old town and Bellver Castle. It can be done without a car by travelling there and back by bus.
If you are planning the whole holiday, Mallorca in 4 days offers a practical route from the north.
Dinosaurland: a full-day trip from Alcúdia
Of all these excursions, this is the one that most reliably fills a day with children, so it deserves more detail.
The drive from Alcúdia is about 50 kilometres and takes roughly 50 minutes, crossing the centre of the island through Petra and Manacor to Porto Cristo. Allow a little longer in the high season. The roads are easy, and parking at the entrance is free.
At the other end is an outdoor trail among pine trees with more than 100 life-sized dinosaur models from around 40 species. Many are animatronic: sensors make them move, open their mouths and roar when somebody approaches. The largest is a 20-metre Titanosaur. A visit lasts around an hour and a half and includes the Explorer Zone, where children dig for fossils, and a live show with the Ranger.
Online tickets cost €18.50 for adults and €12.50 for children aged 3 to 12. Children under 3 enter free. Buying online saves €1 per ticket.
What turns the 50-minute drive into a full day is that the Cuevas dels Hams are on the same site, just a two-minute walk away. The combined Dinos & Caves ticket covers both attractions on the same day for €26 per adult and €20 per child online, compared with €37 for two separate adult tickets. Allow roughly three hours for the complete experience, including the short walk between attractions and a break to eat.
Leave Alcúdia in mid-morning and there is plenty of time for both visits, lunch nearby and the return journey in daylight.
🎟️Tickets at tickets.dinosaurland.es, with €1 off each ticket bought online. Full rates are in tickets, prices and how to book, and practical advice is in what to see and how to plan your visit.
What to do in Alcúdia when it rains
It does not happen often, but when it does, rain can disrupt the whole day because most activities around Alcúdia are outdoors.
The best answer is to spend half a day under cover. The Cuevas dels Hams are indoors and stay at 20°C throughout the year, so the weather outside makes no difference. Dinosaurland is on the same site, and the combined ticket fills the day with half of it under cover.
Closer to Alcúdia, the Sa Bassa Blanca Museum has an art collection and sculpture park, while Pollentia can still be visited under cloud. If you simply want to wait for the rain to pass, the port promenade has plenty of covered cafés.
Alcúdia with children
It is one of the island’s best places for young children, for practical reasons. The beach stays shallow for many metres, the promenade is long and flat, and all the important services sit beside the sand.
Add s’Albufera for a morning with binoculars, the Roman theatre for children old enough to ask questions, and day trips once the beach is no longer a novelty. Our full family guide is in Mallorca with children.
Getting there and getting around
From Palma, Alcúdia is about 55 kilometres along the Ma-13, or roughly 50 minutes by car. The journey from the airport takes almost the same time because you can join the motorway without crossing the city centre.
You can also get there without a car. TIB buses run between Palma and Alcúdia throughout the day. Routes and timetables change with the season, so check the TIB website before travelling.
Once there, the old town and port are two kilometres apart and connected on foot or by bicycle. For northern excursions such as Formentor and Sa Calobra, or for the east coast, a car saves a considerable amount of time.
Our northern Mallorca route lists the stops worth making.
Frequently asked questions about Alcúdia
What can you see in Alcúdia in one day?
Visit the old town with its 14th-century wall and Porta del Moll, explore the Roman city of Pollentia and spend the afternoon at the beach or along the port promenade. On Tuesday or Sunday, start at the market.
How long does it take to get from Palma to Alcúdia?
The journey is around 55 kilometres and takes roughly 50 minutes by car along the Ma-13. TIB buses run regularly, but seasonal timetables should be checked in advance.
What is Alcúdia Beach like?
It has more than three kilometres of fine sand and water that deepens very gradually, making it one of Mallorca’s best beaches for children. All the main services are available, along with a flat promenade.
What is Pollentia?
The Roman city over which Alcúdia grew, founded around 123 BC. The forum, a residential district and the smallest Roman theatre in Hispania survive. It lies five minutes on foot from the old town.
Which day trips can you take from Alcúdia?
Cap de Formentor is 30 minutes away, Pollença 15, Palma 50, and Dinosaurland with the Cuevas dels Hams about 50 minutes away on the east coast. Sa Calobra takes just over an hour along a demanding road.
How long does it take to get from Alcúdia to Dinosaurland?
About 50 kilometres and roughly 50 minutes by car through Petra and Manacor, a little longer in the high season. Parking at the entrance is free.
What can you do in Alcúdia when it rains?
Visit the Cuevas dels Hams, which are indoors and stay at the same temperature all year, with Dinosaurland on the same site to complete the day. Closer options include the Sa Bassa Blanca Museum and Pollentia.
Which days is the Alcúdia market held?
Tuesday and Sunday mornings in the old-town streets. It is one of Mallorca’s larger markets.
Is Alcúdia a good place to stay?
It is one of the island’s best bases if you do not want to change hotels: the north’s easiest family beach, a historic centre of its own and almost all of Mallorca less than an hour away by car.
Two thousand years on the same corner
What makes Alcúdia special is that one layer has not erased the next. The Romans built their capital here, the medieval town placed its wall beside it, and 20th-century tourism created the port two kilometres away without destroying either one.
You can have breakfast inside a 14th-century wall, eat lunch beside a Roman theatre and swim in the afternoon in the same bay all of them once saw. There are not many places where you can do all of that on foot.
