Santa Margalida
Encyclopedia
Santa Margalida is a municipality with a population of 10,204 located in the northeast of the Spanish Balearic Island Majorca.
The residents are divided over three settlement areas, the principal one being Santa Margalida, 10 km inland from the coast. The other areas are primarily Tourist resorts, Can Picafort and Son Serra de Marina on the coast at the bay of Alcúdia
.
The non-national population stands at 23.6% (2,413).
. It is part of the region (Comarca
) Plà de Mallorca
or Es Plà, the great central plain of the island.
The municipality is one of the flattest on Majorca with very little more than 100 metres above sea level. The area is drained by a few streams which flow towards the sea in the north east. In the north west Santa Margalida is bordered by a fresh water swamp. Along the north eastern coast there are Obelisks at regular intervals of 1,250m. These, along with corresponding twin towers 200 metres inland were used in the 19th century as navigational points of reference for Seafarers.
and Llubí
. Both of which, belong to Es Plà, along with Maria de la Salut
, Ariany
and Petra to the south. In the east the Torrent de na Borges forms the border to Artà
in the Llevant region.
).
The historically proven founding of a municipality took place soon after the Reconquista
. Old inscriptions and tombstones bear witness though of the place being inhabited already in Roman times, then called Hero. Later, during the Arab reign, the great estate of Abenmaaxbar was located here. The location itself and St. Margarita are the topics of many myths and tales which eventually the municipalities namesake.
Testament to the wealth is the large parish church of Santa Margalida, this was built in 1232 and renovated in the 17/18 century. From the church there is a good view over the countryside. The inside the church is well fitted out.
swamp borders about 2 kilometers of the bay and prevents the two tourist resorts from joining. The 8 square kilometre wilderness is a good alternative to the tourist resorts and can be explored by renting bikes.
Can Picafort is well set up for tourism and the beach's promenade offers many Bars and Restaurants. One can shop by day and stroll the pedestrian area in the evening.
Can Picafort isn't just popular during peak season. Off-peak is however considerably quieter and many of the businesses close. Already in the 1990s the population here exceeded that of the main town Santa Margalida and the town has become an important residence. Major items of infrastructure can also be found here.
From the neighbourhood of Son Bauló one can reacht the necropoles of Son Real, and situated on a nearby island, S'Illa d'en Porros. Both are the remains of the Talaiot
culture from the early history of Majorca. From there a shore hiking path leads to Son Serra de Marina.
In Can Picafort there is one of the largest cart racing tracks of Majorca. After a restructuring in 2004 the track features a length of 1325m in total. It is divided into two courses. So there are 725m of a professional race course and 825m for cart rentals.
Every year an international 24 hours race takes places besides several national races.
Son Serra de Marina features a small marina on its western beach. In the east the town is limited by the Torrent de na Borges. The beach there is a resort for wind
and kite surfers
.
The town has three moderately frequented beaches. The local one west of the Torrent de na Borges, approximately 450 meters long and 130 meters wide, is mostly visited by local residents. East of the town lies the 1,800 meters long beach of Sa Canova which already belongs to the Artà municipality and almost extends to Colonia de Sant Pere's neighbourhood of S'Estanyol. To the west, slightly offside the settlement is the beach of Son Real. A hiking trail along the coast leads to Can Picafort.
Beaches and bays in the municipality of Santa Margalida include Platja de Can Picafort, Platja de son Bauló, s'Arenal d'en Casat, Cala Serralot, Platja de son Real, Platja de es Dolç and Platja de son Serra de Marina.
The residents are divided over three settlement areas, the principal one being Santa Margalida, 10 km inland from the coast. The other areas are primarily Tourist resorts, Can Picafort and Son Serra de Marina on the coast at the bay of Alcúdia
Alcúdia
Alcúdia is a municipality and township of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands.It is the main tourist centre in the North of Majorca. It is a large resort popular with families.Most of the hotels are located in Port d'Alcúdia and Platja d'Alcúdia along the 14 km long beach that...
.
The non-national population stands at 23.6% (2,413).
Geographical location
The municipality of Santa Margalida lies about 45 Kilometres from the islands capital PalmaPalma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
. It is part of the region (Comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
) Plà de Mallorca
Pla de Mallorca
Pla de Mallorca is a comarca in the middle of the Majorca island, Balearic Islands, Spain.It includes the following municipalities:* Algaida* Ariany* Costitx* Lloret de Vistalegre* Llubí* Maria de la Salut* Montuïri* Petra* Porreres...
or Es Plà, the great central plain of the island.
The municipality is one of the flattest on Majorca with very little more than 100 metres above sea level. The area is drained by a few streams which flow towards the sea in the north east. In the north west Santa Margalida is bordered by a fresh water swamp. Along the north eastern coast there are Obelisks at regular intervals of 1,250m. These, along with corresponding twin towers 200 metres inland were used in the 19th century as navigational points of reference for Seafarers.
Neighbouring municipalities
In the north west Santa Margalida is bordered by MuroMuro
Muro, a word meaning wall in Spanish, Portuguese Italian, Esperanto and Ido languages, may stand for:- Places :France* Muro, Haute-Corse, a commune in the département of Haute-Corse.Italy* Muro Leccese, a municipality of the Province of Lecce, Apulia...
and Llubí
Llubí
Llubí is a small municipality on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain. It has population of 1,800 inhabitants....
. Both of which, belong to Es Plà, along with Maria de la Salut
Maria de la Salut
Maria de la Salut is a small municipality in the district of es pla on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain....
, Ariany
Ariany
Ariany is a small municipality on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain. It has an area of 22.72 km ² with 839 inhabitants in 2008, 763 of which lived in the main town. In 2006, the foreign population of the municipality was 10.4% ....
and Petra to the south. In the east the Torrent de na Borges forms the border to Artà
Artà
Artà is one of the 53 independent municipalities on the Spanish Balearic island of Majorca. The small town of the same name is the administrative seat of this municipality in the region of Llevant.- Population :...
in the Llevant region.
Community arrangement
The municipality of Santa Margalida has three towns. The population figures follow date from 1 January 2005 and don't include the population outside these settlements, hence the sum of the figures does not add up to the total population of the municipality (Source: INEInstituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
).
- Can Picafort (5,685 Inhabitants)
- Santa Margalida (3,195 Inhabitants)
- Son Serra de Marina (535 Inhabitants)
Santa Margalida
There is a long tradition of agriculture and handicrafts in the region.The historically proven founding of a municipality took place soon after the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
. Old inscriptions and tombstones bear witness though of the place being inhabited already in Roman times, then called Hero. Later, during the Arab reign, the great estate of Abenmaaxbar was located here. The location itself and St. Margarita are the topics of many myths and tales which eventually the municipalities namesake.
Testament to the wealth is the large parish church of Santa Margalida, this was built in 1232 and renovated in the 17/18 century. From the church there is a good view over the countryside. The inside the church is well fitted out.
Can Picafort
Can Picafort (or Ca'n Picafort) is a tourist resort on the Bay of Alcúdia. Between the Port d'Alcudia in the north of the bay and Can Picafort, there is a five kilometre long sandy beach lined with hotels. The protected AlbuferaAlbufera
The Albufera is a saltwater lagoon and estuary on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the Valencian Community in eastern Spain. It is the main porton of the Parc Natural de l'Albufera , with a surface area of...
swamp borders about 2 kilometers of the bay and prevents the two tourist resorts from joining. The 8 square kilometre wilderness is a good alternative to the tourist resorts and can be explored by renting bikes.
Can Picafort is well set up for tourism and the beach's promenade offers many Bars and Restaurants. One can shop by day and stroll the pedestrian area in the evening.
Can Picafort isn't just popular during peak season. Off-peak is however considerably quieter and many of the businesses close. Already in the 1990s the population here exceeded that of the main town Santa Margalida and the town has become an important residence. Major items of infrastructure can also be found here.
From the neighbourhood of Son Bauló one can reacht the necropoles of Son Real, and situated on a nearby island, S'Illa d'en Porros. Both are the remains of the Talaiot
Talaiot
The talaiots, or talayots, are Bronze Age megaliths on the islands of Minorca and Majorca forming part of the Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period. They date from the late second millennium and early first millennium BC. There are at least 274 of them, in, near, or related to Talaiotic settlements...
culture from the early history of Majorca. From there a shore hiking path leads to Son Serra de Marina.
Motor sport
In Can Picafort there is one of the largest cart racing tracks of Majorca. After a restructuring in 2004 the track features a length of 1325m in total. It is divided into two courses. So there are 725m of a professional race course and 825m for cart rentals.
Every year an international 24 hours race takes places besides several national races.
Son Serra de Marina
This tourist resort 6 kilometers south of Can Picafort extends for about 1,400 meters along the Bay of Alcúdia. It is built exclusively of two-storied houses, most of which have been constructed as secondary residences for locals. Streetlife there is accordingly quiet. Only during the holiday seasons will the owners come here from Palma or the mainland. In contrast to Can Picafort mass tourism has not yet reached this place.Son Serra de Marina features a small marina on its western beach. In the east the town is limited by the Torrent de na Borges. The beach there is a resort for wind
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
and kite surfers
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
.
The town has three moderately frequented beaches. The local one west of the Torrent de na Borges, approximately 450 meters long and 130 meters wide, is mostly visited by local residents. East of the town lies the 1,800 meters long beach of Sa Canova which already belongs to the Artà municipality and almost extends to Colonia de Sant Pere's neighbourhood of S'Estanyol. To the west, slightly offside the settlement is the beach of Son Real. A hiking trail along the coast leads to Can Picafort.
Building sites
- Necropoles of Son Real and S'Illa d'en Porros (TalaiotTalaiotThe talaiots, or talayots, are Bronze Age megaliths on the islands of Minorca and Majorca forming part of the Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period. They date from the late second millennium and early first millennium BC. There are at least 274 of them, in, near, or related to Talaiotic settlements...
culture)
Beaches
Festivals
- Festes de Santa Margalida, feast of the Patron Saint around 20 July
- Festes de la Beata in honor of Santa Catalina Tomàs, 1st Sunday in September