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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 3 miles (5km) south of Magalluf on the south west
coast, Santa Ponsa is famous not only as a popular Mallorcan
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 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.
