Alcudia: Wall after wall

After renting a villa in the north of Mallorca, one of the first things that you must do is to visit Alcudia’s old town. Next you will find some of the main reasons to do so.

City of walls

First things first: we must highlight that surrounding the city walls, there are free parking areas. If you have a car during your holidays in Mallorca, you won’t need to leave it in your holiday villa.

With Mallorca’s geographical situation, Alcudia has been desired for its strategic position by different cultures throughout History ( Phoenicians, Romans, Muslims, etc.). For this reason, in the 13th century, king James II ordered to build its walls of 1,5 meters long and 6 meters high. An astonishing wall that we must visit during our trip in Mallorca.

Nowadays you can walk near most of these walls, even walk on them and visit two out of the three doors that were built in the beginning: Porta des Moll or de Xara and Porta de Mallorca. In Porta des Moll you can still see the original portcullis that would close the access to the town, while in the Porta de Mallorca, with a solid appearance, it is known by its door’s rounded arch.

Besides the external medieval wall, there was an interior wall of Renaissance style built by king Philip II in the 16th century. Unfortunately, it had to be demolished and now there are only some parts left standing. The most important part is es Baluard de Sant Ferran.

Saint James’ church

Like the walls, this church was also built by king James II. Because of its progressive wear, it fell down in 1870 and, some years after, a new one of neogothic style was rebuilt. The only thing left from the 13th century original church is the Saint Christ chapel. In any case, the actual church must be visited too: its rose window is amazing. Furthermore, it is the perfect place to shelter from the hot Majorcan summer.

Casals

Once inside the citadel, the best thing to do is to get lost in the streets, looking at the ancient houses and small palaces of the city.

One of the most important buildings is Can Torró. This old community centre from the 14th century is nowadays one of the best libraries in Mallorca.

Now you know a bit more of Alcudia’s history that you can discover just a few minutes away from your holiday villa in Alcudia. Enjoy it!