Santa Ponsa Majorca
Santa Ponsa is a popular seaside resort in the Calvia district on the south-western tip of Majorca, about 15 miles from the capital Palma and the island's international airport. The resort has become particularly popular with tourists on package holidays from Ireland and Scotland, which gives it a very different vibe than the mainly-English resorts of Magaluf and Palmanova nearby. Numerous Irish and Scottish-themed bars and restaurants have opened in the town, offering Celtic music, Guinness beer and Scotch Ale, and plenty of good "craic" to be had. As a result the resort is extremely lively after dark, and although it doesn't match the hectic night-life scene of the resorts to the east, the more easy-going character of Santa Ponsa does make it a more popular choice for families on holiday with children.
The town's golden sand beach is the main draw for tourists during the day. It is situated at the head of a relatively large cove that opens onto a wider bay, sheltering it from the open Mediterranean Sea. The water is fairly shallow and generally safe for swimming all year round, and there is a wide variety of water sports and activities on offer, including windsurfing, para-sailing and jet skiing. A pedestrian promenade runs behind the beach, shaded by pines trees and lined with beach bars, cafés, restaurants and tourist shops. In recent years large quantities of imported sand have been added to the main Santa Ponsa beach to create more room for the increasing number of visitors, but in high season it can still become quite crowded. The smaller and usually less crowded "Little Beach" is about 15 minutes walk from the main beach, south and west along the waterfront road that leads to the yacht marina. Little Beach also has ample facilities for water sports, as well as a playground for children and a large pine-forested park on the other side of the road. Boat tours of the dramatic south-west coast of the island operate from the main beach and the marina, a few minutes further along from Little Beach. The tour boats are modern and equipped with a small bar and toilet facilities, and the tours usually include a stop for swimming or snorkelling.
Although most tourists still visit Santa Ponsa on package holidays, the resort has also become popular with families on self-catering holidays, and many rental apartments are available alongside the tourist hotels. Several local supermarkets stock well-known UK and Irish brands, although the prices for these tend to be higher than visitors might expect at home. A shopping trip to the larger nearby resorts is easily done on buses that run through Santa Ponsa throughout the day, stopping at the Marineland water-park outside Magaluf before carrying on to Palma. Santa Ponsa also has no less than three golf courses on the outskirts of the town - two 18 hole courses and one nine-hole course - as well as the very popular Golf Poniente club in Costa de Calvia, just over a mile away.
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