Польенса

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking and cycling, and the sea is warm until October. July and August are hot and busy, with heavy traffic on the Formentor road. Winters are mild but can be wet, and some businesses at the port close.

The Pollença Music Festival (July and August) holds concerts in the cloister. The Moors and Christians festival (Moros i Cristians) on 2 August reenacts a battle in the streets.

• Calvari Steps is the Calvari, a stairway of 365 steps between cypress trees, leading to a small chapel with views over the town.
• The Plaça Major is the main square, with cafés and the Sunday market.
• Pont Romà is a Roman-style stone bridge over a dry riverbed on the edge of town.
• Museu Dionís Bennàssar is a museum of local art, in a former convent.
• The church of Nostra Senyora dels Àngels is the main parish church, in the old town.
• puig de Maria is a hill with a 14th-century sanctuary and a view of the bay, reached by a path and a road.
• Castell del Rei is a castle ruin on a hilltop over the north coast.
• Far de Formentor is a lighthouse at the end of the Formentor peninsula, on a cliff about 200 m above the sea.
• Es Colomer Viewpoint is a lookout tower with views of the coast and the cliffs, on the Formentor road.
• Formentor Beach and Cala Figuera are beaches on the Formentor peninsula.

• Climb the 365 steps of the Calvari at sunset.
• Go to the Sunday market in the Plaça Major.
• Drive or cycle the Formentor road to the lighthouse, stopping at viewpoints.
• Swim at a beach on the Formentor peninsula.
• Walk up to the Puig de Maria sanctuary.

• l'Alcúdia (about 12 km): a walled town on a wide bay.
• Cap de Formentor (about 20 km): a winding road with viewpoints, to the lighthouse.
• Cala Sant Vicenç (about 6 km): a group of coves.
• Palma (about 55 km): the capital of Mallorca.
• Sa Calobra and Torrent de Pareis (about 40 km by road): a canyon and a pebble beach in the Tramuntana.

Other places nearby:

• Mallorca: Mallorca, Palma, l'Alcúdia and Cala d'Or.

• By air: Palma airport is about 55 km away, about an hour by car.
• By bus: Public buses run from Palma, Alcúdia and Port de Pollença to the town. A bus links the old town and the port.
• By car: The Ma-13 road from Palma and the Ma-2200 from Alcúdia lead to the town.

• On foot: The old town is compact and walkable, with some steep streets. The port is about 6 km away.
• Bus: Local buses link the town, the port and the Formentor peninsula in summer.
• Cycling: The area is well known for road cycling, particularly the Formentor road.

• Is a car worth it?: Useful for Formentor and the coves. In summer, traffic and parking on the Formentor road are very busy, so go early.
• Parking: Paid parking is available near the old town. Check for current access rules for the Formentor road in summer.
• Roads: The Formentor road is narrow and winding, with tight bends and many cyclists.

Mallorcan cuisine is simple and island-based. Try pa amb oli (bread with oil and tomato), sobrassada (soft cured sausage), tumbet (a vegetable dish), frit (fried offal and vegetables) and fresh fish at the port. The ensaïmada, a spiral pastry, is the best-known sweet.

Local almonds and olives appear in many dishes.

Pollença is safe. In summer, use sun protection and drink water, particularly on the Calvari and at the beaches. Take care on the Formentor road, with sharp bends and cyclists. The cliffs at the lighthouse are high, so keep to the paths.

The area has been settled since the Bronze Age, and the Romans built a bridge and a nearby town, Pollentia, at Alcúdia. In 1550 pirates attacked Pollença, and the Moors and Christians festival commemorates the defence of the town against them.

In the 19th and 20th centuries artists and writers visited the area, and it became a retreat for painters and travellers. The Calvari steps were built in the 18th century.

Quick practical facts for Spain at a glance: