History enthusiasts will love Majorca. While you’re staying at Club MAC Alcudia, a standout family holiday resort in the Majorcan port town of Alcudia, you can check out a range of historical attractions, such as the popular Royal Carthusian Monastery.
Explore the past
As information site Beautiful Majorca explains, the largest Balearic Island has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. It hosted a number of diverse civilisations, from the Romans and the Vandals, to the Byzantines, the Umayyad dynasty and the Kingdom of Aragon, before becoming part of first the Spanish Empire and then modern Spain.
All the civilisations that have called Majorca home have left their mark on the Island, providing with a number of great sites to discover when you holiday in the Balearics. If you want to stay close to Alcudia while you’re holidaying at our resort, you can check out attractions such as the ruins of the Roman town of Pollentia, or the historic old town. If you feel like going further afield, you may want to take the trip out to Palma to visit the Royal Palace of Almudaina, one of the city’s best sites.
Royal Carthusian Monastery
You could also take some time to stop by the Royal Carthusian Monastery. Located in Valldemossa, just an hour’s drive from Alcudia, the Royal Carthusian Monastery was originally founded to serve as a royal residence for iconic Majorcan King Jaume II’s son Sancho. It was donated to the Catholic Carthusian Order of monks in 1399, who used it as a monastery for centuries.
The Royal Carthusian Monastery gradually became famous throughout the continent. Notably, it played host to the iconic Polish compose Frederic Chopin and the celebrated French writer George Sand in the winter of 1838 to 1839. Secularized in 1839, the building now serves as one of Majorca’s most iconic cultural museums, showcasing the island’s rich history and heritage.
Visit the monastery
Visiting the monastery won’t disappoint you. Spend your day wandering down its famous white-arched corridors. These corridors lead to ‘cells’ that feature museums on various themes, including the building’s most famous inhabitants.
The monastery also has a library, where monks received their only human contact during a half-hour weekly meeting. You’ll also find a modern art museum, featuring works from famous Spanish artists like Juli Ramos and Pablo Picasso. The Royal Carthusian Monastery is open from 9:30 am to 7 pm during the busy summer season, between April and September.
Opening times vary in other months, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm (January and December), 5:30 pm (February and November), and 6 pm (March and October). You can buy tickets for 8.50€, or reduced prices for students (6€), seniors (7€), groups of more than four people (7.50€), and children aged 10 to 14 years (4€). You can purchase tickets online or at the ticket office.
