Can Picafort

Can Picafort or Ca'n Picafort is a tourist resort in the northeast of Mallorca. It's part of the municipality of Santa Margarita within the Pla de Mallorca region, and in 2019 had a population of 7900.

Understand

"Picafort" means the strong bite of a mosquito, and it was the nickname of Jeroni Fuster, who in the late 19th century had a fishing shack at the edge of the bug-ridden wetlands fringing the beach. Later he built a stone villa, hence Ca'n Picafort, and other settlers arrived. However urbanisation from the 1920s was southeast of the marina around Son Bauló, intended as a "garden city", all circular avenues and spacious building plots. The tourist resort northwest of the marina was laid out on a grid pattern from the 1960s, so it's entirely modern-showing-its-age. This rapidly encroached on the wetland and reduced the mosquitoes, so now only the park of Albufera remains their realm.

Get in

Can Picafort is 60 km northeast of Palma via Ma-13, a good highway.

TIB Bus 302 runs from Palma de Mallorca every 20-30 min, taking 90 min via Inca, Sa Pobla and Alcúdia. You may not ride it just within the Alcúdia-Can Picafort section.

Bus 324 runs from Alcúdia every 15 min via the beach strip. Bus 325 runs hourly from Alcúdia and continues from Can Picafort to Cala Rajada; Bus 315 likewise continues to Sa Pobla.

Change in Alcúdia for buses from Pollença and Sóller.

Buses make several stops along the main road Ma-12, and turn around behind Vell Marí Hotel in the eastern district of Son Bauló.

Get around

Buses 324, 325 and 315 run along Ma-12 from Alcúdia.

Eight agencies rent cars. You'll find them near the big hotels.

Bike hire is available from Active Mallorca, Wheel Sport, Velo Plus, Huerzeler, Mallorca on Bike, Radsalon and Ditsches Bikeworld.

See

• A total solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 Aug 2026, starting at 20:31 and lasting 90 seconds. The chances of a clear sky are 65%, but you need to move northwest to the hilltops and coast beyond Port de Pollença to get a clear view to the horizon, as the sun will be setting over the sea. 15 minutes later, sunset ends the show.
• Playa de Can Picafort is the southern extension of Alcúdia beach, a 14 km strip of sand as far as the marina. After that the coast is mostly rocky and undeveloped. Sculptures dot the coast through town, the work of Joan Bennàssar.
• 1 Finca de Son Real, C de la Mar. Daily 09:30-15:30. Open-air museum farmstead showing traditional Majorcan farming methods and lifestyle. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Necrópolis de Son Real, Punta des Fenicis, ☏ +34 971 185363. 24 hours. The Talayotic culture was an Iron Age society on the Balearic islands from 1000 BC. This complex is one of their best preserved: they incorporated dolmens (stone tables) from 1700 BC into their own funerary structures. These are called "Phoenician tombs" though that was a separate contemporaneous culture. It's 3 km from the nearest road access. (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 Parc Natural de s'Albufera: see Alcúdia for this wetland nature reserve behind Playa de Muro.
• 4 Cova de sa Nineta is another Talayotic structure, right by Ma-12 which sliced through it.
• 5 Talaiot de ses Llenques is similar but overgrown. It's on private property but visible from the highway, which has nowhere to pull over. Sa Clova des Xot 200 m north is better preserved but inaccessible.

Do

Necròpolis de Son Real

• 1 Karting Can Picafort, ☏ +34 971 850748. Daily 10:00-22:00. Suitable for ages 7+. the centre has a total length of 1325 m, which is divided into a 725 m professional race track and an 825 m rental kart track. Every year there is an international 24-hour race and national events. (updated Aug 2024)
• Golf: the nearest course is at Alcanada, the headland east of Alcúdia.

Buy

• Big supermarkets are along the main road Ma-12, 500 m back from the beach. They include Aldi and Mercadona, both open daily 09:00-22:00.
• Convenience stores dot the streets between Aldi and the beach.

Eat

Eating places are ranged along Passeig Colón, one block back from the beach. North to south find La Taverna, Acuario, La Pinta, Hong Kong, L'Incanto, Royal Indian Tandoori, Xocolata, Alma, Sapori, Mar de Gost, El Puerto, Nàutic Can Picafort and Don Denis.

Drink

The pedestrian zone at night

• Passeig Colón the main strip has Barracuda, Can Tomás, Geskes, Horitzo Cafe, Bar Jamaica, London Pub, William's Pub, Lunita Beach, Cacatua, The Red Lion, Aloha, Sattic Skylounge and Bar Sa Plaça.
• Wine: nearby vineyards are Bodegas Butxet and Bodega Casta Vella.

Sleep

• 1 Zafiro Mallorca, Av Santa Eulàlia, ☏ +34 971 852760. Spacious family-friendly hotel west edge of town. B&B double €120. (updated Aug 2024)
• THB Gran Playa at Passeig Colón 126 is good for what you pay.
• 2 Africamar, ☏ +34 871 047683. Very mixed reviews: some enjoy smart clean rooms for a budget price. Others encounter a grubby mess. B&B double €60. (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 BQ Can Picafort, C Arenal 24, ☏ +34 971 850001. Central inexpensive hotel 200 m from beach. B&B double €60. (updated Aug 2024)
• 4 JS Can Picafort, Via Alemanya 2, ☏ +34 871 027952. Good value hotel right on the beach. B&B double €120. (updated Aug 2024)
• JS Sol a block inland is similar price and quality.
• JS Yate a further block inland gets better reviews.
• JS Miramar is 200 m east towards the marina, on C Magallanes.

On the kart track

• 5 Tonga Tower, ☏ +34 971 850000. Large, good value hotel on main road 500 m from beach. B&B double €100. (updated Aug 2024)
• Can Picafort Palace (next to Tonga Tower), ☏ +34 971 852791. Large clean hotel aimed at young families. B&B double €70. (updated Aug 2024)
• Zafiro Ca'n Picafort, C Camp d'Avall (100 m west of Tonga Tower), ☏ +34 971 852705. Friendly hotel, some facilities tired. Good for younger children, less so for 10+. B&B double €120. (updated Aug 2024)
• Zafiro Alzinar Mar 200 m south of Tonga Towers is similar price and quality.
• THB Gran Bahía next to JS Can Picafort is central but mediocre.
• 6 Vell Marí Hotel, Ctra Artà-Alcúdia 127, ☏ +34 971 852786. Clean apartments amidst greenery south side of town. B&B double €70. (updated Aug 2024)
• 7 Ferrer Janeiro, Av Diagonal 4, ☏ +34 971 850006. Good reviews all round for comfort and service. B&B double €160. (updated Aug 2024)
• 8 Exagon Park, Ronda de la Pleta 46, ☏ +34 971 850005. Relaxing hotel in a quiet area east edge of town. B&B double €140. (updated Aug 2024)

Connect

As of Aug 2024, Can Picafort and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers.

Go next

• Alcúdia has preserved its old town centre within medieval walls.
• Pollença has a pleasant old centre and Sunday market.
• Palma de Mallorca the capital needs a couple of days to explore.