We wanted to give you a history of the area. Alcudia today is one of the most beautiful parts of Mallorca and is the biggest tourist area in the north of the island.
If you’ve been to us before, you know about the nearby beautiful sandy beaches of Playa d’Alcudia, but you may not know the fascinating history of this gorgeous area of Mallorca.
A short guide to the history of Alcudia
We’re going right back to the start with our quick history of Alcudia, which has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. However, it wasn’t until the Romans arrived on our shores that Alcudia became historically significant. They captured Mallorca by landing on the beaches near Club MAC in 123BC, before establishing the capital of the island, Palma.
Mallorca’s second major town was called Pollentia, which overlooked Alcudia and Pollenca bays. When Rome fell, Pollentia became the target for Vandals originally from present day Poland and pirate invasions. Eventually the city was abandoned, and its people moved somewhere more protected, which became the town of Pollenca. Pollentia itself was left to fall into abandoned ruins.
In 1015, Mallorca was invaded by the Moors from North Africa and the island was then ruled as the Taifa of Denia. A taifa is an independent principality ruled by Islam. Sometime after this invasion, a farm was built near ancient Pollentia and it was named Alcudia (in Arabic Alcudia means ‘on the hill’).
Establishing the Old Town of Alcudia
In the early 13th century, King James 1 of Aragon ousted the Moors from Mallorca, and his son James II of Aragon bought Alcudia farmstead and founded the town we know and love today. A square, the church and a graveyard were all built in Alcudia in 1298 and the walls around the town were completed in 1362.
During the 16th century Alcudia was attacked by pirates a number of times and the population dropped sharply. Fears that Alcudia would be abandoned completely disappeared in 1779 when the harbour was constructed to support the town. This boosted the economy and saved Alcudia, although it remained relatively poor.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that tourists began visiting Alcudia, but only in very small numbers. Fifty years later it became clear that Alcudia would become hugely popular with the new wave of tourists, and by 1985 the old harbour in Port d’Alcudia was redeveloped into a major resort. Club MAC was built during the construction boom and is now in its 49th year.
Alcudia is a popular tourist destination today
While holidaymakers come to Alcudia its beautiful beach, the Hidropark, resorts like Club MAC and long, hot summer days, there is plenty of the area’s history to discover while you’re here. The Old Town is a beautifully preserved village and is now one of the most frequently visited on the island. You can follow the 14th century walls around the Old Town and visit the remains of the nearby Roman town of Pollentia.
The Old Town is where you’ll find the local market on Tuesdays and Sundays, and plenty of restaurants and bistros with traditional food on offer. Over in Port d’Alcudia there are plenty of restaurants around the marina. For more on what there is to do and see in Alcudia, see the official guide here.
We look forward to welcoming you back when we can so you can discover the history of Alcudia for yourself.
