Santa Ponça & Palmanova

Santa Ponça and Palmanova are the mainstream holiday resorts on Mallorca's southwest coast — and they make no secret of it. Large hotels, all-inclusive resorts, souvenir shops, international restaurants, and a well-oiled tourist machinery. This may sound off-putting at first, but it certainly has its place: anyone looking for a straightforward, well-organized beach holiday — especially with family — will be well catered for here.

Santa Ponça has a long, wide sandy beach (about 500 m), gently sloping into the water and awarded the Blue Flag. Behind it stretches a pedestrian zone with shops, restaurants, and bars. The town has a large British community — fish & chips and full English breakfast are part of the cityscape. In the hinterland, there are three golf courses (Golf Santa Ponça I, II, and III), which are among the most played on the island. Green fee from about 60 €.

Historically, Santa Ponça is significant: Here, in 1229, King Jaume I of Aragon landed with his army to reconquer Mallorca from the Moors. A cross on the headland (Creu de Santa Ponça) commemorates this event. Every September, the landing is reenacted with a historical festival.

Palmanova, just 3 kilometers east, is similarly structured but slightly more compact and internationally mixed. Three sandy beaches (Son Maties, Palmanova, and Es Carregador) seamlessly merge into almost 1 kilometer of beach. The beach promenade between Palmanova and Magaluf has been extensively renovated in recent years: wide promenade, palm trees, modern lighting.

Both places offer an excellent infrastructure: supermarkets (Mercadona, Eroski), pharmacies, medical centers with German-speaking staff, bike rentals, diving schools, water parks (Western Water Park in Magaluf, about 30 € entry). For families with children, the overall package is hard to beat.

Honest assessment: Santa Ponça and Palmanova are not places for individual travelers seeking authentic Mallorca. Everything here is geared towards tourism, and the Mallorcan identity takes a back seat. But they are safe, clean, family-friendly, and affordable — and sometimes that's exactly what's needed. The proximity to Palma (20 min. by bus) allows for a trip to the real city at any time.