The morning sun has a special glow that is gentler and softer than the evening light. The sunrise seen from our hotel balcony most mornings was a beautiful scene with which to start the day. We were staying at the Pollensa Park Hotel in Puerto Pollensa on the northern coast of the Balearic island of Mallorca. It’s the perfect place for a family holiday, with a lovely sandy beach, gentle seas and plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes and hotels. The nearby mountains provide a stunning framework for the resort and beyond them is the most northerly point of the island, spectacular Formentor.
Pollensa Park
Walking along the promenade is one of the pleasures of the day … people playing Frisbee on the beach, children laughing with delight as they chase each other along the sand, swimmers lazily floating in the sea, joggers defying the heat, elderly couples sitting gazing out across the bay … At the other end of the prom from our hotel there were the most amazing sand sculptures; fairy-tale castles, fire-breathing dragons, scenes from Arabian nights. Made our attempts with a small bucket and spade look very amateurish.
The Puerto Pollensa market is bursting with local food; plump olives, colourful spices, Iberian ham, various pulses, juicy dates, fragrant herbs. One stand had a huge range of olive wood products – I bought a softly curved golden bowl and a set of long, elegant salad servers. Bright red and black flamenco dresses hung next to ethnic cotton trousers from Asia. We got a huge bag of enormous cherries to eat as we wandered around. One of the most curious sights were two guys who looked like Peruvian Indians playing haunting pan pipes and selling CDs to an eager crowd.
As well as being a great resort to stay in, there are many places to visit nearby. We had a fun day out at Alcudia Hidro Park, where the boys spent ages on the slides and in the wave pool. Another time we visited the famous Caves of Drach and the picturesque fishing village of Cala Figuera. The capital city, Palma, is only 45 minutes’ drive and is well worth a visit for the lovely architecture and Gaudi-inspired cathedral. My favourite beach was at Formentor – the drive there has one of the most spectacular view-points on the island.
This lovely island is a true Mediterranean gem and I am sure we will return to see more of it another time.
Zoe Dawes is the Quirky Traveller Editor for Wandering Educators.
All photos courtesy and copyright Zoe Dawes