We had booked an 8.00 am flight to Palma, Mallorcca with Monarch Airlines, so we were up very early to arrive at the airport in good time. We slept for most of the two and a half hour flight and soon found ourselves in Palma airport. We located the bus stop for Palma, Bus No.1, the fare was €3 each and the journey only took 15 minutes. We got off the bus close to the cathedral and waterfront. It was a cloudy morning but pleasantly warm enough for summer dresses and shorts. I was interested to see how Mallorca had changed, having visited once before, many years ago with school friends after completing A Levels. I didn’t like it much then, but having heard many favourable comments about the island recently, I was keen to see for myself how it had changed.
The narrow lanes of the old town were crowded with tourists, we noticed several cruise ships in the harbour and these would add many day visitors to the city centre and, of course, boost the local economy. Starting our day so early, we were soon ready for lunch, so we headed for the main square (Plaza Mayor) and settled on Spanish style eggs with Serrano ham and potatoes accompanied by a glass of San Miguel lager.
We located the bus station and caught Bus 104 to Santa Ponca, the nearest town to our hotel. The fare was €3.5 each and the journey took approximately one hour. There is a faster, more direct service, Bus 102, but the slower bus takes the coastal, scenic route and we weren’t in any hurry so it was pleasant to enjoy the sea views. It was then a 15 minute uphill walk to our hotel for the next three nights, the 4 Star Iberostar Santa Ponca at Costa de la Calma. The hotel is built into a cliff overlooking Santa Ponca bay, the reception is on the top (8th) floor and rooms, restaurants and bars are below. The hotel is an adult only, suite hotel and our suite on the 7th floor was spacious and comprised bedroom, lounge, bathroom and a huge jacuzzi. All the rooms have balconies with panoramic views overlooking the bay.
We arrived at the hotel at 5.30 pm allowing plenty of time to freshen up before eating. Dinner was served buffet style in the Bellevue Restaurant on the 4th floor. As it was early in the holiday season the hotel wasn’t busy and this meant that we had no problem getting a table out on the terrace. Food was good with a large selection to choose from and main dishes were prepared to order. We returned to our room and after coffee on our balcony, tiredness overcame us as we had been up since 4.30 am that morning.
If you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like:
Riding the vintage train to Soller, Mallorca
Love Travelling Blog 