Please help salvage our holiday - Mallorca…

[user5587553798654345678]

I know IABU. I didn’t research properly (I thought I had, but clearly didn’t…)

We’re staying in Alcudia. I have name changed because outing. I have two children who are 7 and 11.

Our hotel is fine but I hadn’t realised how big it was, so it’s loud and although there are 846 pools (slight exaggeration) there are only two that are fun to play in

We walked to the beach today (5 min walk) and it was a bit grim. Lots of shops selling fake sunglasses etc, not very clean beach, just a bit… hmm…

I need to make a plan for the next 4 days. PLEASE HELP AND TELL ME WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO?!

1. I thought we could go into the old town of Alcudia - would love any recommendations
2. Is the Hidropark worth it?
3. Where can we find a beach that is clean and calm??
4. Anything else?

Before anyone tells me I’m a snob, yes probably I am a bit. We normally stay in much smaller and calmer hotels or rent a villa/house. We rarely come abroad so this is meant to be a real treat.

I will be so grateful for any good ideas so I can make a plan. Please don’t tell me to embrace the hotel aqua aerobics/disco/etc. It’s really, really not my thing (although v happy for my children to take part in anything they’d like to, but the childrens club seems aimed at younger ones really).

THANK YOU! And yes, I’m grateful to be on holiday but want to make it really great for my children and at the moment we’re all a bit underwhelmed.

Oops - I had a work call and the post moved on while I was tying my reply!

@Stillbloodyraining the pine walk! That’s what I remember from childhood!!

We’ve just had a fortnight in Playa de Muro which has the fab beach. Well it’s the same beach, just further along. It’s walkable, we walked from there to the port often, and the strip once (never again). We even walked back from Alcudia old town. Otherwise you can take the local bus. In my opinion. (Having walked the full stretch of the beach) the area around the Condesa hotel is nicest). Thee was also some nice places to eat there too.

Also check out no frills excursions online (as well as in resort), they do trips to the caves of Ham and Drach. We actually stayed in Porto Cristo previously so didn’t do a cave trip this time but we did the trip to Valdemossa and Soller which was stunning.

Also consider a trip to Formentor beach, there are boat trips from the jetty.

I originally thought you were at the big hotel Club Mac until you asked about hidropark because that use to be included in the price.

Now I'm thinking it's the other huge hotel with the bridge across the lake?

Yes - I've also made the same mistake!

But anyway - the market in the town is lovely and so is the port. There use to be a land train you could travel about easily on.

The beaches port end tend to be much quieter this time of year too - or use to be. We always travelled weds to weds over the BH as it was cheaper and the last few days were quieter!

The other option I guess depends on finances but could you ask holiday company about moving hotels and paying the difference or book yourself somewhere quieter?

We stayed in Santa Ponsa a few years after alcudia and loved it. So much for children to do and a nice bay and lots of quieter alcoves for swimming.

Yep Muro is the nicest bit of the beach OP - actually I remember that being really nice!!

To use the local bus tap you credit or debit card for each passenger as you get on AND again as you get off. There is a discount for buying 4 on the sane card, it's significantly cheaper than cash. Children pay on the bus. It was about £5 from Muro to Alcudia old town for 4.

@CeeceeBloomingdale you are a legend. Booked the Caves via no frills!

Muro beach.

Puerto Pollensa is much better.
But also try and get a car. Means you have so much more available to you and lots of quiet coves and beautiful beaches.

Drach's caves or Ham's caves+dinosaur land are both good.

Catch the bus to Palma and get the tren de soller across the mountains. Or stay and wander around Palma and see the cathedral, palace, Arab baths, etc.

Alcudia old town is more pleasant. There are Roman ruins if the DC want to have a look.

Basically there is loads to do that isn't staying in Puerto Alcudia!

Fab, have fun!

Puerto Pollenca has a nice beach, better if you go along near the Illa D’Or hotel. The other end is fry-ups and horrid tat shops.

Pollenca town is lovely, really nice in the evenings to sit out in the square for dinner.

Soller, and Port Soller both lovely, and Palma is fab, with great shops, but will be v hot for walking round.

If anyone wants a recommendation in that area we stayed at what was clubpollentia between Puerto pollensa and alcudua- great with a family as it has a nature reserve , great gardens and they can hire bikes and bike round it- was very 'Germanic' but good pools and kids clubs etc and bus across the road into town

What do you children enjoy op?

mine are similar ages and being in hotel pool i the sun whilst I chilled pool side was dreamy

then evening long walk

I have to go and chase my children out of the pool but THANK YOU for all the suggestions and please do keep them coming! Coach trip to the caves will be brilliant, we will walk or bus down the coast a bit to the nicer bit of the beach and we will bus to Pollença. Anyone been to the hidropark? Is it hideous? Do I have to pay just to watch?!?

Was also about to say Playa Da Muro. If you can get up to Cap d Formentor (beyond Pollensa) it is a nice view.

We stayed in Playa De Muro and walked into an old town can't remember the name but that was lovely. Visited a bull ring (didn't watch any bull fighting just visited the ring) that was €10 with a drink.

We also did a day trip to Katmandu Theme Park and all the kids loved that. It was a really good theme park which was in Magaluf. It was about €30 for an adult with lunch including coach there and back.

Definitely old town. Hire bikes early evening

So if you want to make it lovely for them…. Why not just let them swim and enjoy the sun?

But Playa De Muro itself was lovely.

We went to the caves a few years ago & it was pretty good I thought. I would think 7 &11 would be good ages and I think that was also a place with a nice sandy beach near.

Try to book some excursions or go on the bus to a different resort where the beach is cleaner and there are decent shops/facilities.

Port de Soller is very nice and there are other good places on the island but you may have to travel. Boat trips are also good and you can have nice scenic views on there and experiences.

Hope you have some nice days away!

Yes, hidropark is hideous. <Snob and don’t care!> And, yes, you’ll have to pay to watch!!

Car hire in Puerto Pollensa this summer was about €50 per day, IIRC. If you did get a car, I highly recommend Deia.

Port de Pollenca and Pollenca itself are much nicer than Alcudia. I’m assuming you don’t have a rental car (though they’re easy enough to book) so prob best to stick to buses and taxis in the north east of the island. If you can get out to Formentor there are some great views. I think there’s a lovely beach just over the hills from Pollenca - Boquer? There’s an interesting art gallery on Alcudia peninsula - Museo Sa Bassa Blanca (if I’ve spelled it correctly).

Thats exactly what I thought - pool and sun is enough, if its enough. 32 degrees isn't always a good heat to be enjoying excursions.