Discover the history of Alcudia during your Club MAC holiday!

By | 20 May, 2017 | 0 comments

club mac alcudia

We know lots of people come to Club MAC Alcudia because we work hard to make the perfect environment for a wonderful holiday. We may have lots of things to do on site, and plenty of entertainment, food and fun on offer, but we’re also in a fascinatingly historical area.

How much do you know about the history of our beautiful part of Majorca? For newcomers to Club MAC and for those who have visited before, we’ve put together a few interesting facts about our lovely part of the world. Don’t forget to check out the history of Alcudia when you come for your holiday.

Popular tourist area

Our beautiful Alcudia is the most popular tourist area in North Majorca, and is a mix of stunning beaches (it’s 14km long!) and a lovely old town. Surrounded by a Medieval wall, the old town of Alcudia has some really well preserved houses that date from the 13th century, adding to charm of the area.

Although we’ve been welcoming teachers since the start of the 20th century, it wasn’t until around the 1970s that lots of people discovered our island. That’s when the big hotels started to be built, and now we’re devoted to the tourist industry. Alcudia city is home to about 10,000 people and as we have a working commercial harbour, it’s a bustling and busy urban centre.

The founding of Alcudia

Although the area we now call Alcudia has been in business since the Bronze Age, according to archaeological finds, the city only comes into its own with the Romans. Using our famous beaches, the Romans conquered the city in 123BC. They soon established the capital of Palma and Pollentia.

Rome became less powerful and Pollentia was under attack from everyone from pirates to Vandals, leading to its abandonment. The sparse population who remained left to create a new town in a better place – this became Pollença.

After the Moorish invasion, a farm was built near the ruins of ancient Pollentia. It was called Alcudia (Arabic for ‘on the hill’). And in 1229, the Moors in turn were booted out by King James 1 of Aragon. A bit later, James II bought the farmstead and founded the town of Alcudia. The walls were finished in 1362 and the plan that was made all the way back then are the same as the city today.

The Renaissance and beyond

During the war-torn years of the Renaissance, a second wall was constructed outside the main wall to form a double barrier. Today you can only see some remnants as it was torn down later on.

Around this time, the pirates came back and attacked the city, leading to a decreased population and even threats of abandonment. In 1779 though, the decision was taken to save the city and the harbour was built. This massively improved conditions and the economy.

The tourist and building boom

Majorca and Alcudia started welcoming tourists back in the 1920s, although not very many. That is, until the 1970s, which kick started the construction boom. By 2000, this had all slowed down and measures were put in place to concentrate on improving the quality of Alcudia, so that holidays here are relaxing and safe.

The old town is now one of the most visited in the whole of Majorca. Make sure you check out the beautiful Medieval village when you come and stay at Club MAC Alcudia. We’d be delighted to show you around!

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Categories: Alcudia