Please help salvage our holiday - Mallorca…

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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.

You put it much more bluntly than me!

However it wasn't all clientele and that's what I think was hard.

There were many like me who wouldn't dream of behaving as they did and it was witnessing that - and worse still knowing everyone assumed this was what Brits abroad were all like! - that I hated the most.

The actual hotel was fantastic for children and families.

Did you just go to the beach bit directly 5 mins down from the hotel? Closest to the port? If you walk down the beach for a bit it's pretty nice, I didn't think it was dirty or anything.

@ThickCutSteakChips yes. It was really hot (obvs) so we just walked along briefly. We will walk much further next time!

You’ll just have to embrace it, set the alarm for 7am and grab a sun lounger by the pool, get one of those lovely bottle openers a previous poster mentioned - your less than amazing holiday will hopefully be a crazy memory one day… We had a truly awful holiday in France once. We rented a villa through an agency, it looked absolutely gorgeous both in the photos and in person. Until we realised it was all a facade 😂 the owner had very cleverly decorated the place with farrow and ball paint and nice furniture but it was all done on the cheap. It was full of rats, we could hear them scuttling around at night, none of the bed linen was clean, the beds had clearly been slept in before they were made, so we had to start our holiday by doing several loads of laundry, it was awful. The boiler broke. The oven was filthy. The place was freezing. And so on. It was a nightmare from start to finish, at some point we just had to laugh about it

Go to the far north/east end of the beach, near the port. Less tacky, nice sand, and a few good tapas bars around the port where locals go, not just Brits abroad. Alcudia old town is lovely, similar to Pollensa old town, and good for a wander and/or a meal.

@Catcatcat12 Ha- we had a similar situation with a very old house we rented in Bruges!! Freezing cold, bed collapsed and you had to climb through a loft hatch to the biggest bedroom, a weird hall that looked like a bus station waiting room and dingy cold bathrooms- hadn't been cleaned from last group of people and an unhelpful owner- this was for New Year!!! We haven't rented a house anywhere since!!

Ah - yes walk further down the beach and it's much nicer. Trees at the back giving shade particularly in the afternoon.

From where you are a taxi up to Alcudia old town will be less than 10€. Lovely in the evening.

Our hotel had alot of other European guests not just British - it was picked by chance and good luck.

I don know where you are as my sister arrived in Alcudia yesterday and the beach and pool are empty, Ive seen the photos! Said its lovely and peaceful and they have no plans or need to venture anywhere else. Appart from the Pirate show which is £90 each but the ten year old will love it.

im always grateful just to be away from work tbh. Theres always nice bits to these rowdy places, Playa las Americas is another such place but theres plenty of nice quiet spots and good restaurants. Surely it about what makes the dc happy?

@EachandEveryone I’m all ears to hear where your sister says is quiet! Actually the beach wasn’t too busy. It’s the hotel that’s crackers. There’s a thunder storm at the moment but in a few short hours they’ll all be putting their towels out. Crackers.

Alcudia old town is much nicer. We regularly go to Puerto Pollensa great restaurants, beach and a nice long walk around the bay. Pollensa old town inland is lovely they have a weekly market and you can walk up the steps for thr view. All very accessible from where you are.

I stopped here a few years ago and it’s lovely. The food was top notch and you can order off an al carte menu for your lunch as part of the all inclusive. They were very strict on not reserving sunbeds and any that were had the lifeguard removing the towels! It’s very clean and the staff were lovely. It’s the complete opposite to Club Mac. I should know as (unfortunately) I’ve also stopped there!

Sounds just like us.
Places we have been that tick those boxes.
Costa Adeje Tenerife.
Corralejo Fuertaventura
Puerto Del Carmen Lanzarote

We have had holidays at CalaD ‘Or many times from when the children were toddlers and who are now in their 20s . We absolutely love it there …in fact am going again mid September with my children and grandchild.
The beaches are pretty,prefer coves to large beaches,great snorkelling,boat trips to different bays,fabulous marina and a variety of different shops and restaurants at all the different areas .
It really is lovely there.

Don’t get the bus to Formentor.. it has beautiful views and the bus ride up the mountain is interesting lol but there is nothing there! Just a cafe then bus home again.. my teens moaned the whole time.

head to Puerto Pollensa, beaches are gorgeous, lovely restaurants, much more classy than Alcudia. Busses run regularly and only a couple of euros each. The old town in Alcudia is ok. Soller beautiful too but more of a journey.

we always go to Puerto Pollensa and have done since the kids were small but one year we went to an AI in Alcudia. I hated it too. However the kids loved it and I always say if they’re happy, I’m happy. X

You must must must MUST go to Deia. One of the best places of our life. MUST.

Yes, if you don't 't want to drive the bus is the answer. It's really cheap and you can go to Peurto Pollensa and C'an Picafort. That'll be two days taken care of. The beach at PP is lovely, there's the Pine Walk, lots of shops and cafes.

I think Deia is massively overrated. Don't really know what the fuss is about. Admittedly I went quite a few years ago now but friends who went recently said the same.

I'm sorry you aren't enjoying your holiday OP but thank you so much for this thread as all the information posted has been really useful .

We are going to Puerto Pollensa at the end of September - not been before so will take note of some of the trips . We have car hire from the airport but like the sound of the boat trips . We are staying in a small rental apartment about one street back from the beach , very close to the port. No idea if that's the nice end or the tacky end !

Sounds like we have picked the right resort anyway - I thought Alcudia and Puerto Pollensa were meant to be quite similar .

@Play8063 Deia is beautifully set but is essentially 1 straggle st of restaurants. Valdemossa is lovely too and a bit more to it.

My lovely discovery in Majorca this year is Sant Elm. Beautiful little town, gorgeous beach, lovely restaurants - just the other side of Andraitx . Not much accommodation though- but the big aparthotel in town is nice (we popped in) - very few Brits as no packages!!! You need a car

Hi @Adelaida1982
You have posted your question on a chat thread about holidays . You need to start your own thread - perhaps under the conception topic .

I'll see if MNHQ can move it for you .

Muro beach is lovely. Quiet, shallow and no floating sun lotion scum.

I thought the same, but you need to bear in mind the OP doesn't have a hire car. Much as the buses are excellent, it's no fun spending a holiday on bus after bus when there are some decent enough options close by.

Interesting thread. Sorry your hotel and resort isn't up to scratch OP.
I've booked Majorca for next summer and wasn't sure if I'd made a good choice or not as haven't been there in 30 years.
Seems my choice is a decent one ☝️ and as DC now a bit older we will explore a bit more than usual which is one of the reasons I want to go to Majorca.
Club Mac is my idea of hell and it's places like that, that put me off going to Majorca for so long.

@PrinnyPree we have just come back from Alcudia and actually loved it. The weather was nice, beach clean and spacious, plenty of sun beds to rent, warm and clear water shallow enough for kids, lots of shops with beach essentials and Lidl to top up whatever you fancy. We’re with teen DD but actually commented how good this place would be for small kids.
We were a bit down from OP’s place but still a lot of tacky shops, however we’ve bought a ball, a fridge magnet and a few packs of juice and were happy enough, I was not there for shopping anyway. We were on the beach most of the time. It really depends what’s you are after. There were mosquitoes though in the evening so be prepared.

Don't bother with the Hydropark in Alcudia. We went last week. It's really expensive for what you get and is pretty rubbish. Massive queues too.

We go to Pollenca & Puerto Pollenca a lot. It's really lovely. Way nicer than Alcudia