Can Picafort

01Boom as a tourist destination

In the 1970s, there were only about 200 residents living in this coastal resort in the municipality of Santa Margalida. Today, it has almost 10,000 hotel beds, as announced by the municipal administration , not without a little pride. But even when the playa in Can Picafort fills up, as it can do in summer, you can pop over to the beach just next door, Playa de Muro.

02Tongue-in-cheek art

One of the things that makes the Can Picafort coast unique is the amusing welcome that it has for visitors. Posing here on top of boulders, in various spots in or beside the sea, are some rather buxom, naked women measuring up to three metres in height. These impressive ladies are sculptures by Majorcan artist Joan Bennàssar!

03Surrounded by pure nature

Anyone who thinks the seaside resort Can Picafort is just a beach holiday paradise is mistaken. It is located in between two important wildlife refuges , the Parc Natural de s’Albufera and the Finca Pública de Son Real, a large estate of 395 hectares that has wild Mediterranean tortoises. The s'Albufera nature conservation area covers more than 1,600 hectares and is the largest and most important wetland in the Balearic Islands. For one thing, the area provides refuge for birds, with more than 300 species to be found here. A visit is a great experience for the whole family. And it's an absolute gold mine for keen birdwatchers, who are tickled pink when they spot little grebes, stilts, sedge warblers, red-knobbed coots, common moorhens, and many more!

04Sailing, diving, windsurfing

Setting sail, windsurfing or diving into the underwater world...you can do it all in Can Picafort. What's more, the Club Nàutic in Can Picafort provides a safe harbour for your own boat if you have one. And the club has a sailing school too.

05Cycling, from leisurely to athletic level

The north-east of Majorca is particularly popular with cyclists in the cooler months of the year. Tours with all levels of difficulty await, from easy to challenging. So there's something for everyone , the really athletic cyclists, for whom the routes can never be challenging enough, as well as those who just want a leisurely cycle for pleasure...and who may well stop off for a couple of tasty tapas and a vinito along the way.

06Stylish restaurants, cool beach bars

Speaking of pleasure, just the seafront promenade in Can Picafort alone offers you a whole array of cafés, bars and restaurants. Or at Can Gavella beach club near the town exit, you could let yourself be tempted by their culinary delights, such as seafood paella. They also have plenty of fresh fish on the menu. And kids have their own children's menu to choose from. La Pinta offers special dishes for children too, while the adults tuck into pasta, wok dishes and seafood.

Golfers can play on the 18-hole course at the nearby Alcananda Golf Club. With views of the bay of Alcúdia, this is considered one of the most beautiful but also one of the most challenging courses in Majorca.

07Mediterranean lifestyle in your own property

Many a foreign visitor who discovered the coastal resort of Can Picafort while on holiday ended up falling so deeply in love with the place that they now own their own property here. Even just ambling around the weekly market here on a Friday morning gives you this marvellous dose of the Mediterranean way of life that so many people yearn for…

08Flying rubber ducks

August brings festival celebrations to Can Picafort with the Festas de la Mare de Déu that go on for days , with music, dancing and the famous “sopar a la fresca”, which is an outdoor dinner. But the highlight takes place every 15th August, and that's the traditional duck-throwing event. Ducks , they now use rubber ones , are thrown from a boat into the sea, and swimmers have to capture them. Hundreds have been taking part in recent years. It's tremendous fun, with everyone plunging into the sea after the prized ducks…