Alcudia Old Town

Romans founded Pollentia here in 123 BC, and its remains, a forum, houses and a theatre cut into rock, lie just outside the medieval walls that James II ordered built in the fourteenth century after the Roman town had been abandoned. About a kilometre and a half of wall survives with towers and two main gates, and a walkway runs along a section. Inside, the streets are narrow stone lanes with the church of Sant Jaume built into the wall itself. A market fills the town on Tuesdays and Sundays. The Roman theatre, the smallest known in Spain, is a short walk away, and beyond the town lie the S'Albufera wetland and the long beaches of the Bay of Alcudia.

What to look for

• The medieval walls - a walkable circuit with towers and two gates.
• Pollentia - Roman forum, houses and a small rock-cut theatre outside.
• Sant Jaume - a church built into the town wall.
• The Tuesday and Sunday market - stalls filling the walled streets.

When to go

April to June and September to October; summer fills the town with visitors from the surrounding resorts. Market days are the liveliest and the most crowded. The Roman site closes on Mondays.

Practical notes

The old town is small and walked in an hour, with many buildings given over to shops and restaurants. The Roman remains are modest and the theatre very small. Parking is outside the walls and fills on market days.

Nearby

Port d'Alcudia and its beaches are alongside; the S'Albufera wetland and Formentor lie north.