I have visited Santa Ponsa over 10 times, since I was little and still enjoy going there.
--Location-- Santa Ponsa is located on the south-western coast of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands. It is located in Calvia, the municipality also home to the slightly more well known Magaluf and Palma Nova. It is roughly 11 miles (18km) from the capital of the island, Palma.
--Getting There-- The Palma de Mallorca Airport is the only one of the island, 5 miles east of the capital. Flying from the South of the UK takes a short 2-3 hours. The staff at theairport are efficient, but more laid back than the staff in UK airports - by NO means are they not doing their job, but for example when we travelled to Palma last October we were practically expected to strip naked when we went through security at Birmingham, and in Palma only our coats and bags had to be screened.
However, recently
the Spanish government have tightened security measures and now require certain information about all passengers leaving British airports, which you have to give if asked. This may add extra time to your check-in, so be prepared and leave a little extra time just in case.
Once you get to Palma, depending on who you've booked through you may have a coach pick-up/drop-off (which takes hours, so beware) or if you've booked the holiday under your own steam you'll need a taxi. When you leave the airport into a courtyard type area (complete with palm trees!) you'll find many drivers willing to take you away.
At this point I must say that it makes a world of difference if you speak a little Spanish. In Mallorca technically they prefer Mallorquí, a dialect of Catalan which in itself is a dialect of Spanish, but as a lot of residents are either originally from Spain or bilingual you will get by. When we travelled last year I conversed with our taxi driver in Spanish and he was extra helpful - and we got charged about half of what others seemed to be getting charged! (This isn't a guarantee, we may have just found a cheap driver!)
--Accommodation-- There are a multitude of hotels to choose from in Santa Ponsa as it is a resort frequented by many tourists - we personally stay in the Rey Don Jaime, an excellent hotel 3 minutes walk from the beach - but there are, like I said, many all with different 'ranges' of customers. Our hotel is 3/4* (we aren't quite sure) and costs around £20 per person per night.
Hotel staff are extremely pleasant and happy to look after you. The food in the hotels is generally good (although the food range does decrease dramatically if you are vegetarian - this is, after all, a coastal town).
--Entertainment and Culture-- Hotel entertainment is much like the rest of Mallorca - tribute bands, music, comedians - some very good, some questionable, but you'll be sure to enjoy yourself nearly all the time.
Santa Ponsa has a large amount of bars and clubs, although these are only open during the holiday season of April-October.
Santa Ponsa is interesting in that it is one of the very few resorts in Mallorca that is rich in history. It was the landing place of King Jaime in the 13th Century to conquer the islands from the Muslim inhabitants. Now there is a huge festival on the day of said event, the 10th of September, in which there are parades, stalls and a huge re-enactment of the battle on the main beach. There are also some churches such as the Church of Nostra Senyora de l'Esperanca which are worth visiting.
There is also a large, safe beach that rents pedalos but also tends to have a LOT of seaweed washed up on it.
--Locals and Shopping-- The locals of Santa Ponsa are very friendly, and like I said above speaking Spanish will get you far and make you lots of new friends - although speaking English will do the job if needs be. As a lot of jobs on the island are based on tourism they really are happy for you to be there.
There is the usual range of shops selling souvenirs and cheap alcohol, jewellery etc. There is also an English speaking chemist who is very friendly and very knowledgeable.
--Prices-- Prices in Mallorca are cheap. The most expensive food and drink you will find will be in hotels, and even that will be cheaper than Britain. However if possible don't buy food (if not full-board) in the first shop you see - the shops close to the hotels often have raised prices. For a lovely 15 minute walk out of the centre you'll find yourself at a supermarket called Caprabo which locals shop at, therefore has low prices (but not all staff speak English). If you go into the bars/clubs you will get about 5 times as much alcohol in a measure for your money than in Britain - but remember this isn't all good as you are in an unknown place.
--Street Traders-- Street traders are very common in Santa Ponsa (like most of Mallorca), especially in the summer season. They are mostly from Northern Africa, especially Senegal, and they sell cheap imitation sunglasses and jewellery. They most commonly come into bars and approach you whilst you are sitting down, so you can either ignore them or not. Not all of them have malicious intent, and I do admit that I have bought a pair of sunglasses from one pair who were actually very friendly. However be careful as some will not be friendly and the stuff they sell is generally tacky and cheap.
--Open Sewer and Mosquitoes-- Another bad thing about Mallorca (and I regret to say it) is the issue of the open sewer that is next to the main beach. Not only does it smell, but it provides a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mallorca and S.Europe are bad enough for mozzies but Santa Ponsa is well known because of the sewer, so please take the necessary precautions - buy a mosquito killer and spray your room, including vents, get mosquito cream and don't open windows or go onto balconies at night.
I hope this won't put too many people off, as you do actually get used to the sewer and there are far too many good things to outweigh it.
--Summary-- Although it is touristy, Santa Ponsa is one of the calmer places to go in the South of Mallorca (if you want calm, try the North for places like Sóller). It's rare that you'll find a place with interesting history in Mallorca for such cheap prices. Flights to Palma start from £25, so if you've never been or have had a bad experience with Mallorca before, I thoroughly recommend it.
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Great review on Santa Ponsa, however, I have to say that I go there on average 3 times a year and have never once been bitten by a mossy, unlike when I have visited alcudia and been eaten alive...
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