Santa Margalida

Santa Margalida is, like several municipalities in the north of Mallorca, two places in one. Inland, an agricultural village on a small rise of the Pla, with a town centre of narrow streets and one of the most unique festivals on the island. On the coast, several kilometres away, the municipality reaches the bay of Alcúdia and there is Can Picafort, a large beach settlement with a promenade, as well as Son Serra de Marina, much smaller and quieter. Between the village and the sea, countryside and a stretch of unbuilt coastline that is among the best preserved in the bay. For those seeking housing, this translates into two very distinct markets: affordable main residences in the village and apartments or villas on the coast.

The municipality is large and flat, with dry land and almond trees inland, with the village set on a small hill that provides views over the Pla, and a stretch of coastline in the bay of Alcúdia. Santa Margalida retains its agricultural base and a strong identity, with La Beata —its main festival, dedicated to Santa Catalina Thomàs— as the event that defines the village and one of the most well-known in Mallorca. On the coast, the story is that of northern tourism: Can Picafort was a small settlement by the sea and grew from the mid-20th century to become one of the major holiday centres in the bay. Between Can Picafort and Alcúdia, however, the coastline of Son Real remains undeveloped, with pine forests, low coast and a prehistoric burial site by the sea that is one of the most unique archaeological sites on the island.

The municipality has three very distinct areas. Santa Margalida village concentrates the majority of the main residences and services: village houses, apartments in low-rise buildings, year-round life, and the most affordable prices in the municipality. Can Picafort is the large coastal settlement: promenade, long beach, shops and restaurants, with a lot of apartment and townhouse offerings and a clearly holiday-oriented atmosphere, more so at Son Bauló at its end, which has a somewhat more residential and tranquil character. Son Serra de Marina is the other coastal settlement, considerably smaller and more secluded, with a very quiet atmosphere and a mooring area; it is the option for those who want the sea without a large settlement. Surrounding it is rustic land with fincas and country houses. Here, one does not choose between neighbourhoods: one chooses between village, large beach settlement, quiet cala, and countryside.

The village functions as the head of the municipality, with a town hall, local shops, a market, educational centres, a health centre, sports facilities, and a constant local life throughout the twelve months, regardless of the season. Can Picafort has a very complete offering of shops, restaurants, and services —it is a large settlement— with a resident population, but it strongly feels the tourist cycle: very lively in season and considerably quieter in winter, when part of the offering closes. Son Serra de Marina is essentially residential and seasonal, with minimal services. For specialised services and a larger commercial offering, the reference is Inca, which is not far away, or Palma. It is a practical municipality for year-round living if one chooses the village, and more holiday-oriented on the coast.

The coastline of the municipality is one of the longest in the bay of Alcúdia and combines opposing features: the urban beach of Can Picafort, with a promenade and all services, and the stretch of Son Real, without buildings, with pine forests, low coast, and paths along the sea, in addition to the sandy beach of Son Serra. This contrast between equipped beach and virgin coastline within the same municipality is its most valuable feature. In Son Real, there is also a prehistoric burial site by the shore and a public finca with trails, allowing one to walk along the stretch. Inland, the flat agricultural landscape is ideal for cycling, which is very present in this area of the north, and for walking along rural paths. Culturally, the village revolves around La Beata and its fairs, with a deeply rooted festive tradition.

Santa Margalida is located in the north, with a good position: the Inca motorway provides a comfortable and flat journey to Palma and the airport, and local roads connect with Muro, Alcúdia, Petra, and the Llevant. Within the municipality, the determining factor is the distance between the village and the coast: they are not contiguous, there are several kilometres of countryside between them, so a car is necessary to go from one to the other and also if one lives in the countryside or in Son Serra de Marina, which is more remote. Public transport connects the village with Inca and Palma and Can Picafort with the settlements in the bay, with better frequency in season. In summer, traffic and parking in Can Picafort are the weak points.

The two markets offer different options. In the village, village houses predominate —many spacious, with several floors, patios, and often in need of renovation— and apartments, in the most accessible price range in the north for a municipality with services. In Can Picafort, apartments and penthouses near the beach and promenade, alongside townhouses and villas in residential areas like Son Bauló; this is the most abundant product in the municipality and the one with the most mixed use between main residence and second home. In Son Serra de Marina, single-family homes and villas of low density, many with sea views. And in the countryside, fincas and country houses with land. New builds are limited and a large part of the market operates in the second-hand and renovation sector, with a considerable amount of product from the years of tourist development on the coast.

The municipality has quite a bit of activity for its size and combines two demands that rarely intersect: the main residence in the village, with local and regional buyers and some of the most reasonable prices in the northern area, and the second home on the coast, with a significant presence of international buyers attracted by the bay of Alcúdia and by the price, which is more accessible than in neighbouring municipalities in the same bay. Son Serra de Marina functions almost as a separate market, small and highly sought after for its tranquility. In the municipality, there is also a notable presence of land for sale, which opens the option to buy a plot for construction —with the specific conditions of rustic land— while the already built finca remains a scarce product. The offering of long-term residential rentals is more real in the village and in Can Picafort than in the rest, and on the coast it is conditioned by seasonal rentals. It is one of the more affordable entries into the northern market.

Santa Margalida particularly suits those seeking an affordable first home in a northern village with services and year-round life, those wanting a large village house to renovate, profiles of second home buyers looking for a beach apartment at a more reasonable price than in the rest of the bay, those who prefer the tranquility of Son Serra de Marina, and those who value having a stretch of unbuilt coastline nearby. It is worth considering, however, that the village and the beach are not together, the strong seasonality of Can Picafort compared to the stability of the village, the influx and parking on the coast in summer, the dependence on a car —especially in Son Serra de Marina, which is remote and has few services—, the age of part of the housing stock in Can Picafort, which often requires renovation, and the distance to Palma. It is a municipality with a good relationship between what it offers and what it costs.