10 top things to do in Alcúdia Old Town, Mallorca
This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support!
Let’s explore the best things to do in Alcúdia Old Town, Mallorca – a picturesque medieval town with narrow cobblestone streets, lively squares, and historic buildings all enclosed by well-preserved medieval walls and massive stone gates.
Alcúdia Old Town is located in the north of Mallorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands nestled in the Mediterranean Sea. Alcúdia sits one mile inland from its port town Port d’Alcudia. Years ago people moved to live away from the shore due to pirate attacks.
We have visited Alcúdia Old Town many times and each time we discovered something new about this charming place. In this blog post, you will find the top things to do in Alcúdia Old Town with descriptions, photos, and locations on the map. Happy travels!
Read more » Charming Pollença: 10 things to do in Pollença, Mallorca
1. Walk through the medieval gates of Alcudia Old Town!
Alcúdia Old Town has been an important town on the island since the Middle Ages. However, today Alcudia area is a popular destination for visitors to the island with many of them staying in Alcudia’s port city – Port de Alcudia – to enjoy the sandy beach.
However, there’s a lot to see in the inland village, too!
In order to even get inside the Old Town of Alcudia you need to find one of the entrance gates. The whole old town is surrounded by 14th-century medieval stone walls so you need to head to the gates first.
There are two imposing stone gates that are must-see in Alcúdia. One of them is Porta de Mallorca in the western part of the old town. The gate is a well-preserved remnant of Alcudia’s defensive structures built to protect Alcúdia from pirate attacks.
But you must walk through both of the gates!
The other must-see gate is Porta del Moll on the eastern side of the old town. It served as a crucial entry point into the fortified town and features two large square towers that once housed guards and served as lookout points.
Location: Porta de Mallorca – Porta del Moll
2. Cross the old town along the main street – Calle Major!
Alcúdia Old Town is very walkable with all the historic sights and must-see places in the near distance. But there is one specific street in Alcúdia that you have to see and it is Calle Major – the backbone of the old town.
Calle Major is the main street in Alcúdia Old Town and connects the two most impressive imposing medieval entrances – Porta de Mallorca and Porta del Moll. The street changes its name to Carrer del Moll near Porta del Moll gate.
The street is dotted with boutique shops, candy stores, souvenir spots, cafes, restaurants, and charming architecture. You will also find the main square of Alcúdia right on this street.
Walking all the wall from one end to the other along Calle Major is one of the must-do things in Alcúdia. This is the best shopping street and the best place to feel and experience the essence of this medieval town.
Location: Calle Major
3. Grab a glass of sangria at Plaça de la Constitució!
Plaça de la Constitució is the heartbeat and the main square in Alcúdia Old Town located on the same main street – Calle Major.
The picturesque square is surrounded by historic buildings, cafes, and restaurants and has been a central meeting point in Alcudia for centuries. The perfect place to grab a glass of tinto de verano and people-watch!
Plaça de la Constitució serves as a stage for community activities, including local festivals, live music performances, and cultural events throughout the year but on market days, the square is filled with market street stalls.
The square is lined with inviting cafes and restaurants so choose a spot and relax for a bit. I especially loved the traditional Mallorcan architecture surrounding the square with stone facades, wooden shutters, and iron balconies. Super charming!
Location: Plaça de la Constitució
4. Explore the most beautiful streets in Alcúdia!
Alcúdia Old Town is the quintessential charming town with cobblestone streets, narrow passages filled with pots of flowers, honey-colored houses with arch-shaped entrances, pastel-colored walls, wooden doors, beautiful courtyards, etc.
One of my favourite things to do in Alcúdia was to explore the little side streets away from the typical tourist areas to find the most beautiful streets in Alcúdia. Among my favorites was Carrer Nou street right next to the city walls.
The charming streets of Alcúdia are great places for photos. One of the cutest ones is Carrer de la Quartera next door to the Plaça de la Constitució square. It surprised me with its beautiful scenery with the whole street lined with flower pots and plants.
These narrow side streets are also a great option to hide away from the crowds as well as find some shade from the summer sun.
Another street that probably was my favorite of all was Carrer de la Roca. It is a long and wide street in the heart of Alcúdia Old Town beautifully decorated with pots of flowers and plants.
Pay attention to the entrances of houses and buildings! It looked like homeowners had a bit of a competition among themselves trying to make their entrances more beautiful than others. There are plenty of options for nice photos here.
Location: Carrer Nou – Carrer de la Quartera – Carrer de la Roca
5. Walk around the Medieval Walls of Alcúdia!
Did you know that you can actually climb up to the medieval walls surrounding the Old Town of Alcúdia and walk around the town? Well, you can’t walk all the way around the town but a big chunk of the wall is walkable.
The Medieval Wall of Alcúdia was constructed in the 14th century under the reign of King Jaume II of Mallorca to protect the town from pirate attacks. The walls stretch for over 1.5 kilometers and include several imposing gates and towers.
There are two places that I know of where you can climb up to the wall. One of them is close to the Porta de Mallorca gate. Just turn left if you enter the town through Mallorca Gate and a few meters later there will be stairs inside one of the towers.
The second spot to climb up to the walls is next to Porta de Vila Roja – the northern gate of the old town. The walkable part of the wall stretches from the Porta de Vila Roja gate to the Porta de Mallorca gate.
Walking the medieval wall in Alcúdia was one of my highlights and favorite things to do in Alcúdia. You get fantastic views over the rooftops of the old town and the surrounding area. But it gets busy later in the day!
Location: Medieval Wall of Alcúdia
6. Go for unique local tapas in Alcúdia!
Alcúdia Old Town has some great local restaurants of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine. As I said, we have visited Alcúdia many times so we got to try multiple tapas spots in the Old Town.
Some of the best Spanish restaurants to go for tapas in Alcúdia are Merlet (my favorite tapas restaurant with unique tapas), Restaurant Celler Ca’n Costa Alcúdia (go for their assortment of tapas!), and Restaurante Bodega Ca’n Pantina.
Location: Merlet – Restaurant Celler Ca’n Costa Alcúdia – Restaurante Bodega Ca’n Pantina
7. Stop by Sant Jaume d’Alcúdia Church!
Sant Jaume d’Alcúdia Church is one of the most impressive historic landmarks in Alcúdia. It is a gorgeous Gothic church that dates back to the 13th century when it was built in honor of Saint James.
The church boasts robust stone walls and a striking bell tower. We also peeked inside and were stunned by high vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, and a beautifully adorned gilded altar.
The church isn’t open daily. You have to check their working hours at the entrance or online. We went there on Sunday and there was an event happening inside. So we could take a quick look at how it looks.
Although we could enter for free, from what I’ve read there is a small entrance fee if you wish to visit the interior. The church also houses several notable artworks and ancient artefacts, including sculptures and paintings you can see during the visit.
Location: Sant Jaume d’Alcúdia
8. Explore the ancient Roman city – Pollentia!
Situated just steps outside the medieval walls of Alcúdia Old Town is Pollentia – ruins of an ancient Roman city founded more than 2 thousand years ago. At that time, Pollentia was the most important Roman city on the island of Mallorca.
Today you can explore the archaeological site featuring the remnants of residential areas, a forum, and a Roman theater. My favorite place here was the theater, carved into a natural hillside (photo above).
Now if you are short on time, I don’t think this place is worth your time. The territory is rather large and there’s not much left of the city, obviously. But if you are into such things, this is a cool place to visit in Alcúdia.
Location: Ruines Romanes de Pollentia
9. Find the best ice cream in Alcúdia!
My guess is you will be visiting Alcúdia Old Town during the summer months so I have to remind you to keep yourself cool! No doubt one of the top things to do in Alcudia is to find the best ice cream and enjoy it while strolling around the old town.
There are multiple ice cream shops along the main street in Alcúdia – Calle Major. We saw a lot of them near Plaça de la Constitució but they seemed too touristy for us. If you truly want the best ice cream in Alcúdia then go to Helados Ecologicos Xibiu.
They are located just a short walk from the main street and offer organic ice creams with natural flavors. I opted for an ice cream inside a bubble waffle cone. They also give crunchy edible spoons which is a plus. It was truly delicious!
Location: Helados Ecologicos Xibiu
10. Visit the legendary Alcúdia Market!
One of the must-do things to do in Alcúdia is visit the legendary Alcúdia Market which takes place weekly on Tuesdays and Sundays. The main market spot is Plaça Carles V square but there will be hustle and bustle all around the Old Town.
Alcúdia Market is one of the largest and most popular weekly markets on the island of Mallorca. So be sure to arrive early to experience it to the fullest. The market is open usually from 8:30 AM til 1:30 PM.
Alcúdia Market features a wide array of stalls offering products and goods like cheeses, cured meats, handmade crafts, clothing, and souvenirs as well as intricate jewelry, leather goods, and traditional Mallorcan pottery.
Experiencing traditional local markets in Mallorca is one of the bucket list things to do on the island. We have also visited many markets over here and bought caramelized nuts, pastries, dresses, fresh fruit, etc.
Location: Mercat d’Alcúdia
Happy exploring!
We loved exploring authentic Alcúdia in the north of Mallorca with its narrow medieval streets, charming squares, ancient Roman ruins, and medieval stone walls surrounding the old town. Alcúdia sits just a 40-minute drive from the capital of Mallorca.
We have visited the island of Mallorca around five times and each time we discovered something new be it charming villages, stunning beaches, or epic landscapes in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I hope you enjoy your time in the turquoise waters, narrow streets, and picturesque villages of Mallorca as much as we did and I hope you get some travel inspiration from this blog post! Happy exploring!
PIN FOR LATER!
