Banishing the rainy day blues in Majorca
AH, MAJORCA: The sun, the sea, the sand, and the suntan — all of the things that I missed out on after a weekend away on the Spanish island.
“You’re seeing it at the worst time,” our tour guide tells us as we, the Irish with our coats on, look out at the rain, wondering whether we’ve just gone to another part of Ireland. “You can imagine what it’s like in the good weather,” she adds, thinking this will cheer us up.
It just happened to be a bad weather choice for that weekend, but it does beg the question, what do you do on a sun holiday when there’s no sun?
Majorca is the largest of the four main Balearic Islands off the Mediterranean Sea, though getting from Alcudia in the north of the island to one of the main tourist resorts such as Santa Ponsa or its main city Palma only takes around an hour of driving. A population of around 800,000-1m usually swells to 8m-10m during tourist/Leaving Cert season, pretty much now until September. It doesn’t quite have the reputation of nearby Ibiza, though thankfully, it doesn’t have their prices either; a beer on that island will cost you around €10, while in Majorca it’s around €3.
We stayed in Santa Ponsa, in the Iberostar Jardin del Sol suites. Recently renovated, it’s the height of luxury, with each plush room coming with a jacuzzi, and each balcony overlooking the Med. There are hammocks outside, a swimming pool, and hammocks over the swimming pool. It’s connected to the beach too, so you can go from bed to the sand.
However, my walk on the beach, with the threat of rain ever present, required a good deal of imagination to predict what it’s like on a good day.
Forget the pools of water that had gathered on the deck chairs that lie on almost every stretch of sand on the island.
And no, the parasols/canopies over each one aren’t there just in case it does rain — it’s to provide some shade from the sun!
I found myself wandering down the beach with about four others — we were all in it together on this mission, determined to make the most of it.
Santa Ponsa, as you’ve probably seen on certain late-night shows on 3e and Sky One, has got a bit of a reputation.
As we were travelling at the end of April, presumably 90% of the people who’ll be gracing the island over the next two months were studying for the Leaving Cert.
It’s not difficult to see why the resort is such a draw: It’s relatively small and easy to get around, with a beach usually no more than a glance out your window.
The pubs stay open until you start falling asleep and even when that happens, there are clubs to try and wake you back up.
Drinks are so much cheaper than back home that by the time you figure this out, it’s time for breakfast and you’re wondering what happened last night.
Magaluf is about 15 minutes from Santa Ponsa, so a night of debauchery is but 10km away.
For those not looking for a never-ending party, don’t expect to be overly entertained in Santa Ponsa. A walk around the place is about as exciting as it gets, and a climb up the more than 250 steps in the middle of the town presents a challenge, with bodies strewn halfway up.
At this point you’ll either push on, invariably doing your best Rocky impersonation, or decide, “Well, if they’re sitting down...”
There are myriad Irish and British pubs in Santa Ponsa. My favourite was the one advertising all satellite football ‘live’. There is a thriving Irish population on the island, some of whom have been here for decades, and some who you sense got out at just the right time a few years back. Needless to say, you don’t have to go far to find a familiar voice.
On our first day, we visit Puerto Pollensa on the way to Alcudia in the north, passing by rolling, lush greenery on the way (we’re definitely not in Ireland, no?). The port is a must for people who dream of a retirement on a boat in the sun. The yachts are gathered together like a field of sheep, each one glistening and identical to the next, bar the names, which don’t require originality; ‘Lady Kathleen’, My Nirvana’, and ‘Wow’, which sadly doesn’t live up to its title, were among the standouts.
Alcudia continues the theme, with a stretch of yachts, ships, boats, and anything else which can float on water that goes on and on. We’re pointed towards where the king of Spain will park his boat in August, as he always holidays in Majorca. Transport here is great, with lots of buses to the ports and plenty of cycling lanes. It’s probably the ideal place for a family getaway. There’s a bustling market on Sundays, where clothes, bags, and shoes mingle with strawberries and seafood. Although on this occasion, the most enticing products were the umbrellas.
The following morning, we head for Palma, travelling over hills and passing by countless bays. While obviously beautiful, it’s difficult to ignore the amount of giant cranes towering over the place. It’s a reminder of Spain’s more than 25% unemployment rate. We’re told that things aren’t as bad on the island as they are on the mainland. We pass by the king’s palace, where the likes of JFK, and Princess Diana and Prince Charles have stayed. !
Palma is the most picturesque of the towns and cities visited over the weekend, with the glorious La Seu cathedral looking down on its people. Dating back to the 13th century, Gaudi was called on as part of an ill-fated restoration project early in the last century. While the sight of a cathedral in a European city is de rigueur, La Seu does leave us breathless, despite the amount of cameraphones pointed at it from all comers. It’s as glorious as Notre Dame in Paris, and truly deserving of its lofty location. Encircling the cathedral are innumerable side streets, slight and with high buildings. Venetian in style, I could wander around here for hours, with the spires of the cathedral the North Star guiding us back. Below the Gothic spectacle lies the Parc de la Mer to lie by on a lazy day. Curiously this space was also occupied by a beer festival. It was still early, so I chose a coffee in a small café nearby over a pint of Murphys Red (not quite the same as back in Cork).
While we didn’t get the sun, we certainly tasted the food. In Santa Ponsa, the tiny El Ceibo is nestled opposite a British pub. Booking is essential, because once you get a hint of the smells, you’ll want to stay.
The sun shone as we made our way back to the airport, the first time we had seen it since we left Ireland three days previously. At the duty free, I overheard a woman, also set to return to Irish shores, telling the cashier: “We’ve been here for a week and we didn’t see the sun once.”
So it could’ve been worse.
Eoghan O’Sullivan travelled to Majorca courtesy of Sunway Holidays
We stayed in the four-star Iberostar Suite Hotel Jardin del Sol in Santa Ponsa. Sunway is operating a weekly flight from Dublin, Knock, and Kerry airports for the summer. Seven nights in the hotel on a B&B basis including flights, transfers, accommodation, 20kg baggage allowance, and taxes starts from €769pps. sunway.ie, or call Sunway on 01-2886828.
You can’t go too far wrong in most restaurants around Majorca. Just search for the seafood and/or the paella — oh the paella! — and you’ll be more than satisfied. (If you do choose to stay in the Jardin del Sol hotel, its lunch buffet is the definition of extensive, stretching about 50ft, the length of the dining room. and with far too many choices for one sitting. Although we did try...) Peppered around Majorca are a chain of cafés called Cappucino, where you can recharge and gorge. The one in Alcudia, on the seafront, is fantastic.
Palma is a haven for shoppers looking for designer labels. Best to head for the high street after you see the cathedral though. Inca is halfway between Alcudia and Santa Ponsa, so is worth the quick detour for the leather factories (everybody talks about the leather factories) and outlets like Camper. Don’t go on Sunday though. The town goes eerily quiet and everything is closed. There are also plenty of markets around the main towns on Majorca, usually on a Sunday. Haggling skills required.
Probably the most important decision you’ll be asking yourself beforehand. The beaches are all identical, but in a good way. There are over 100 deckchairs and parasols on pretty much every beach all the time. And unlike Ireland, stony beaches are not an issue: perfect white sand everywhere, gorgeous blue water, and views that never end — paradise on a nice day.
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