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- Destinations
- Europe
- Spain
- Mallorca
- Santa Ponsa
Santa Ponsa
Santa Ponsa (or Santa Ponca) today bears little resemblance to
the fishing village it once was. Just under half an hour away from
Palma and about three miles (5km) south of Magalluf on the south
west coast, Santa Ponsa is famous not only as a popular Mallorcan
holiday resort, but as the landing point of King Jaime I in 1229
when he came to take the island from the Moors. A stone cross at
the resort's marina marks the event. As with most Mallorcan holiday
resorts, Santa Ponsa is highly developed and tends to be lively and
busy, with an active nightlife and excellent beach culture.
Santa Ponsa is the principal beach, which is supplemented with
imported sand, while the more sheltered Calo d'en Pellicer is
slightly smaller and closer to the marine club. The third, more
exclusive beach is Castellot. The water at all three beaches is
warm and clear, and offers safe swimming. A pedestrian promenade,
with shade provided by pine trees, runs in front of the Santa Ponsa
beach and there are the usual beachfront restaurants, bars, shops
and cafés. Over the years, Santa Ponsa has developed a Celtic
flavour, with a number of Scottish and Irish themed pubs and bars,
but it remains popular with a range of visitors of different
ages.
Information & Facts
Activities
There is plenty to keep holidaymakers amused and occupied when
stepping off the beach. Santa Ponsa boasts three golf courses, as
well as tennis, watersports, diving, horse riding, and sports
grounds for skateboarding and football. There are regular bus
services to neighbouring towns and resorts, and excursions to local
attractions. There are also regular boat trips along the coastline
and these usually stop so that passengers can enjoy a dip in the
sea. A nearby popular attraction is Aqualand in Magalluf. The
biggest fiesta on the island takes place in Santa Ponsa in
September and runs for 10 days. The Fiesta of Rei en Jaume
commemorates the landing and defeating of the Moors by Jaime I, and
the festival culminates in a mock battle between the Christians and
the Moors.
Language
Spanish is the official language, but English is widely
understood in areas frequented by tourists. Catalan, Galician and
Basque are spoken in the relevant areas.
Money
Spain's official currency is the Euro (EUR). One Euro is divided
into 100 cents. Money can be exchanged at bureaux de change and
major hotels, but banks give the best rates. All major credit cards
and travellers cheques are widely accepted at most hotels,
restaurants, and shops. ATMs are widespread and are generally the
cheapest and most convenient method of obtaining money.
Negatives
The beaches can get very crowded in season and parking can be at
a premium; this is not the place to come for peace and quiet.
Night Life
There is a varied nightlife at the holiday resort of Santa
Ponsa, with karaoke bars, theme pubs, live music venues, and
several clubs and discos. Although not on the same scale as Palma
or Magalluf, there is still a lot on offer besides hotel
entertainment.
Restaurants
No.8 Bar & Grill, Meson del Rey, Jardin de Jade and Rhein
Restaurant are among the top-rated restaurants for holidaymakers in
Santa Ponsa. There are a large number of different restaurants
offering local cuisine, Indian, Chinese, Italian and more.
Shopping
Santa Ponsa has a number of supermarkets (including one large
one), a good choice of souvenir shops, stalls, some designer goods,
jewellery stores and other essential amenities such as banks for
holiday visitors to make use of. A better shopping selection is
available in Palma and the closest weekly market takes place on
Wednesdays in Andratx.
Time
Local time is GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March
and the Saturday before the last Sunday in October). The Canary
Islands: GMT (GMT +1 in summer).