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Families
- Why it works
- The only international school in the north of the island is ten minutes away, and the old town is walkable and safe for children.
- Weigh up
- The school run to Crestatx, the beaches and Palma all need a car.
Living in Pollença (test)
Updated 30 Oct 2026
A working Mallorcan town set inland between the Puig de Maria and the Calvari, with a Sunday market, a 17th-century cloister that has hosted a summer music festival since 1962, and a town life that doesn't switch off with the season.
Pollença in brief, updated 30 October 2026
Pollença is the historic inland town of Mallorca's north, five minutes from Puerto Pollença and around 45 minutes from Palma airport by the Ma-13. It is a year-round town rather than a resort: homes range from lock-and-leave apartments and townhouses in the old town to countryside estates around La Font, El Vila and Vall de Son March.
~45 minto Palma airport by the Ma-13
5 minto Puerto Pollença and the bay
~10 minto Mallorca International School, Crestatx
Since 1962Festival de Pollença, every summer
Is Pollença a good place to live?
Pollença suits people who want to live in a town, not just holiday in one.
Retirees
- Why it works
- A genuine, year-round town with an established international community and a walkable centre.
- Weigh up
- Winters are noticeably quieter once the summer influx eases off.
Second-home owners
- Why it works
- Lock-and-leave apartments and townhouses in the old town, with Palma airport around 45 minutes away.
- Weigh up
- On Sunday mornings the market fills the centre and parking is tight.
Investors
- Why it works
- Rental demand holds up around the market, the festival season and the school calendar.
- Weigh up
- Always check holiday-rental (ETV) licence availability before assuming a property qualifies.
Culture and arts buyers
- Why it works
- The Festival de Pollença and a small but genuine gallery scene make this a more culturally anchored option than most north-coast towns.
Cyclists
- Why it works
- Quiet countryside lanes and direct access to the climb toward Cap de Formentor.
Where to buy in Pollença
The main choice is between living in the middle of town or a short drive from it.
Historic Old Town
€500k–3m
La Font
€1.3m–5m+
Historic Old Town
€500k–3m
The streets around Plaça Major and the Calvari steps, within walking distance of the market, restaurants and the parish church, all year round.
La Font
€1.3m–5m+
An established residential area just outside town, known for elevated positions and views back over the bay. Around fifteen minutes' walk into the centre.
El Vila
Similar in character to La Font and on the same side of the valley, but closer to the road toward the port and the restaurants and marina at Puerto Pollença.
Cala Sant Vicenç
Its own village within the municipality, built around four small coves beneath the Cavall Bernat ridge. Compact and residential, without the scale of Puerto Pollença.
Crestatx
A quiet residential urbanisation on the way toward Sa Pobla, popular with families since Mallorca International School opened nearby. Around ten minutes from the centre.
Vall de Son March
A countryside valley just outside town, with views back toward the Tramuntana and a short drive into Pollença.
Property for sale in Pollença
A selection from our current listings. Availability changes quickly, so see the full list for today’s homes.
Buying property in Pollença: costs and taxes
On a resale home in the Balearics, budget for transfer tax plus notary, land registry and legal fees. Enter a price to see an estimate.
€
Estimate for a resale home at the general Balearic ITP scale (8% to 13%, applied band by band). New builds pay 10% VAT plus stamp duty instead, and reduced rates can apply to a resident’s main home. Indicative only, not tax advice.
| Transfer tax (ITP) | – |
|---|---|
| Notary and land registry (approx.) | – |
| Lawyer, approx. 1% + VAT | – |
| Estimated costs | – |
| As a share of the price | – |
How to buy a house in Pollença, step by step
- Get your NIE and a Spanish bank account. The NIE is your tax identification number, needed for any purchase.
- Reserve the home. A small reservation deposit takes it off the market while your lawyer runs checks.
- Due diligence. Your lawyer checks title, debts, the land registry and catastro entries, planning status and any licences.
- Sign the private contract. Usually with a 10% deposit (arras), which sets the completion date.
- Complete at the notary. Pay the balance, sign the deed (escritura) and register it in your name.
Daily life in Pollença
The restaurant scene sits around Plaça Major and the lanes leading off it: family-run Mallorcan kitchens in restored townhouses, tapas terraces that fill up on market mornings, and a handful of more ambitious dining rooms. Because Pollença has a genuine year-round population, most of this stays open outside the summer months. Social life runs through a few recurring fixtures rather than one expat club: the Sunday market at Plaça Major, the summer festival calendar and a small but active gallery scene anchored by Galería Maior. The Festival de Pollença was founded in 1962 by the British violinist Philip Newman, and the cloister of the Sant Domingo convent has since hosted more than 800 performers, including Mstislav Rostropovich, Yehudi Menuhin and Jessye Norman.
Beaches
The old town sits inland, so there’s no beach on the doorstep. What it has instead is easy access to two very different stretches of coast. Cala Sant Vicenç, about ten minutes north, is four small coves (Cala Barques, Cala Molins, Cala Clara and Cala Carbó) beneath pine-covered cliffs, better suited to a quiet swim than a big beach day. Puerto Pollença, five minutes east, has the long sandy bay and the Pine Walk promenade.
Where Iris eats
Two favourites from Iris Grünewald, who has lived in Pollença for more than 20 years.
- Celler El Molí, home-style Mallorcan cooking; order the tumbet and the lechona
- Onze, Italian-Mediterranean kitchen; the grilled scallops in mushroom sauce
Outdoors
Golf Pollença is a 9-hole course about two kilometres from town, opened in 1986. Hikers have the Puig de Maria, a 330-metre climb to a 14th-century hermitage, and the Boquer Valley, a protected route popular with birdwatchers. Cyclists use Pollença as a base for the quieter lanes of the north and the climb toward Cap de Formentor. Iris still calls the Calvari, 365 cypress-lined steps up to a chapel, well worth the climb.
Shopping and local craft
Beyond the Sunday market, the makers Iris sends visitors to.
- Teixits Vicens, Mallorcan linens woven with centuries-old techniques
- ABCO Pottery Studio, family-run workshop making distinctive ceramics
- Mastrenat, leather braiding in bags, belts, shoes and home accessories
- Galería Maior, contemporary art focused on local artists
Culture
- Museu de Pollença, the town's history through art and archaeology, in a former convent
- Museu Dionís Bennàssar, in the former home of the Mallorcan painter
A local’s view: Iris Grünewald
Iris Grünewald is CEO of Balearic Properties and a Savills international associate, and she has lived in Pollença for more than 20 years. Featured in Portfolio by Savills’ Insider’s Guide to Pollença, she adds her own favourites to this guide: where she eats, shops and walks. She is also the founder of Pollensina, a collection of nine villas and fincas in Pollença that she has renovated and rents out.
Stay before you buy: the Pollensina collection
The best way to find out whether Pollença suits you is to live it for a week. Iris has renovated every house in the Pollensina collection, nine villas and fincas in Pollença that she rents out through Pollensina. A few days in one of them, with the town, the market and the mountains close by, tells you more than any viewing schedule.
Iris knows each of these houses from the renovation onwards, so she can point you to the one that fits the way you want to live, whether that is a family week, a cycling trip or a quiet escape. And if you decide to stay, the Balearic Properties team can show you what is for sale around town.
Pollença through the year: seasons and fiestas
Pollença works the same way in February as in August, but the year still has a rhythm.
Market in the old town, 8am to 1.30pm
Festival de Pollença in the Sant Domingo cloister
La Fira de Pollença: ceramics, jewellery and weaving
Check the Ajuntament de Pollença calendar for this year's dates.
Getting around, schools and healthcare
| To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Pollença | about 5 min | |
| Cala Sant Vicenç | about 10 min | |
| Crestatx (Mallorca International School) | about 10 min | |
| Golf Pollença | about 2 km | |
| Palma airport | around 45 min |
Getting around
- The old town is walkable day to day.
- A car is useful for the beaches, the golf course, the school run and Palma.
- Public transport is limited outside the main bus routes.
- The main road Palma–Pollença–Alcúdia is busier in late July and August.
Schools
- Mallorca International School (MySchool), Crestatx: British curriculum, the only international school in the north.
- Several state and concertada schools in the town itself.
Health
- Public health centre in the IB-Salut network, being rebuilt on a larger site.
- Private clinics locally and further along the coast.
Planning to let short-term? Check current holiday-rental (ETV) licence rules before assuming a licence is available.
Questions buyers ask about Pollença
Is Pollença touristy, or does it feel like a real town to live in?
Both, depending on the day. The Sunday market and the summer festival bring genuine crowds, but Pollença has a year-round resident population and a working town centre that doesn’t shut down once the visitors leave, which is a real difference from more purely seasonal resorts.
What's the difference between living in Pollença and Puerto Pollença?
Pollença is the inland, historic town; Puerto Pollença is the coastal town five minutes away, with the marina, the promenade and the beach. Many residents use both, but they suit slightly different buyers: Pollença for town and countryside living, Puerto Pollença for beachfront and marina life.
Are there international schools near Pollença?
Yes. Mallorca International School, around ten minutes away in Crestatx, follows the British curriculum and is currently the only international school in the north of the island.
Do you need a car to live in Pollença?
Within the old town, day-to-day life is walkable. A car becomes useful for the beaches, the golf course, the school run to Crestatx, and reaching Palma, since public transport options are limited outside the main bus routes.
What's healthcare like in Pollença?
The town has its own public health centre within the IB-Salut network, currently being expanded onto a larger site. Private clinics are also available locally and further along the coast.
Is Pollença quiet in winter?
Yes, noticeably. The summer influx around the market and festival season eases off considerably from autumn, and the town settles into a slower, more local rhythm through the winter months.
Thinking of buying in Pollença?
Our team knows the area, including homes that never reach the portals. Tell us what you are looking for and we will send a shortlist.
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