Alcudia Beach

The water comes first: clear, turquoise and shallow, over a seabed that shelves so gently that the sand along the waterline stays wet. Soft white sand runs off along the bay towards Ca'n Picafort, and the beach is wide enough that families spread out without getting in each other's way, even on a busy day. Snorkelling pays off out by the buoys, where colourful fish gather.

Come early. The sand is cleaned every morning, and the sun rises straight out of the bay. Behind the beach are shops, bars and places to eat, water sports and dolphin trips are on offer, and more restaurants gather around the marina in Port d'Alcúdia.

• Sunbed-and-umbrella sets are for hire and paid by QR code; the umbrellas come with lockers for valuables. A towel on the sand costs nothing.
• There is a paid toilet by the beach and a free one about 130 m away. The beach also has showers.
• There is no public drinking-water tap nearby: bring water or buy it at the beach bars.
• Most restaurants around the Port d'Alcúdia marina open only in the tourist season.

From the resort, the beach is a walk: the hotels of Port d'Alcúdia and Platja d'Alcúdia stand along the bay behind it, with shops and bars in between. Buses stop at Pla del Pinar 1 (Platja d'Alcúdia) and at Sunwing, each about 400 m in a straight line from the beach. Drivers have two car parks, about 370 m and 480 m away, and walk the rest. On the sand, an accessible boardwalk makes the going easier for wheelchairs.

Best: early morning, before 11 am, when the sand has just been cleaned and the sun comes up over the bay. Avoid: the middle of the day in high summer.

From about 11 am the beach gets very busy and the wind tends to pick up, and a resort beach on a summer island fills most in July and August.