Things To Do in Alcudia

Sunday is the main market day in the old town. The place gets packed with locals and out-of-towners so you might want to get there near the start, which is around 8am. Stalls selling clothes, jewellery and food spread out from the main square and everyone joins in the good-natured haggling. It’s all over by 1.30pm – just in time for a leisurely lunch.

This contemporary restaurant is a cut above your usual eating places. Local celebrity chef Macarena de Casto gives Gordon Ramsay a run for his money with an 11-course taster menu. Expect dishes like mahi-mahi – that’s dolphinfish – and cannelloni with pig’s trotters and beef cheeks. Kids get their own mini-tasting menu, too. Holidaymakers taxi in from other resorts to eat here, so you might want to book a table.

Alcudia's marina is a hub of smart restaurants, where you can sit out on yacht-clocking terraces. Menu-wise, the fresh seafood's the real draw, and a favourite way to eat it is in the ever-popular paella. Staying with the Spanish theme, order a pre-dinner glass of palo – this liqueur, made from aromatic herbs and burnt sugar, is served on the rocks as an aperitif.

Popular with locals, as well as visitors, this busy restaurant majors in Spanish tapas. It's all about sharing classics like Iberico ham, Manchego cheese, squid and meatballs. Half-a-dozen dishes should be plenty between two people, but the fast and friendly staff can always bring more. This is an in-demand place, so you'll need to arrive early or book ahead to guarantee a table without queueing.

You wouldn’t think celebrating the patron saint of fishermen would be so much fun – but, actually, it is. There’s a sardine supper, of course, and hundreds of decorated boats on the water. And you can also look forward to fiercely contested sandcastle competitions, volleyball matches and locals dressed in 'giant head' costumes. Plus, it all culminates in fireworks.

Good-natured haggling is part and parcel of Sunday’s market in the old town. Locals and visitors wander along the canopied stalls leading off from the main square on the hunt for bargain clothes, shoes and handcrafted jewellery. You'll also get super-fresh produce here – if you're stocking up for a picnic, you'll need to arrive early as traders start to pack up early afternoon.

Around 2,000 years ago, you couldn’t move for toga-wearing Romans in Alcudia. Today, you can snoop around what’s left of their old stomping ground at Pollentia, next to the old town. It cost around two euros to look round the place, and that includes a visit to the museum with its Roman jewellery and gladiator shin pads.

Alcudia doesn’t party hard, but it still keeps a lively beat. If you like dancing, heading things up on the club front is Calle Astoria, where disco classics will keep you going into the early hours. Or close by, there’s Avenida Pedro Mas y Reus, also known as Dollar Street. Here, you can take your pick from karaoke, quiz nights and live bands at the pubs and bars.