Geographical location The municipality of Santa Margalida lies about from the island's capital,
Palma. It is part of the region (
Comarca)
Plà de Mallorca or Es Plà, the central plain of the island. The municipality is one of the flattest on Mallorca at very little more than above sea level. The area is drained by a few streams which flow towards the sea in the northeast. In the northwest, Santa Margalida is bordered by a fresh-water swamp. Along the northeastern coast, there are obelisks at regular intervals of . These, along with corresponding twin towers inland, were used in the 19th century as navigational points of reference for seafarers.
Neighbouring municipalities In the northwest, Santa Margalida is bordered by
Muro 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 - the longest stream in Mallorca - forms the border to
Artà in the
Llevant region.
Community arrangement The municipality of Santa Margalida has three towns. The population following figures 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:
INE). • Can Picafort (5,685 Inhabitants) • Santa Margalida (3,195 Inhabitants) • Son Serra de Marina (535 Inhabitants)
Santa Margalida Due to the presence of archeological sites, it has been proven that the region has been inhabited since 7 c. BCE - 2 c. BCE. During the musling occupation, the region belonged to the district of Muruh, which during the
Reconquista was divided in between the parish of Muro and the parish of Santa Margalida. Development around the parish led to the founding of the village of Santa Margalida, and despite the collapse of the main building in a fire on 1320, it was rebuilt in the same location. It is stated in the
Llibre del Repartiment that count
Ponç IV d'Empúries would be the ruler of the territory. For centuries Santa Margalida would not develop much, and the main economic activity was agriculture, focusing on
cereal. During the reign of the
Catholic Monarchs, inhabitants of Santa Margalida would migrate to
Tàrbena,
Alicante. The reasoning behind this was the expelling of the
Morisco population, leading to the need for able workers. This is why the
catalan dialect spoken on
Tàrbena has some features similar to
balearic catalan.
Can Picafort Can Picafort (or Ca'n Picafort) is a coastal town on the
Bay of Alcúdia. Between the Port d'Alcudia in the north of the bay and Can Picafort, there is a long sandy beach lined with hotels and restaurants. The origins of the town take place around the end of XIX c. when Jeroni "Picafort" Fuster, alongside other Margalidans decided to build summer residences closer to the beach as well as deciding to invest into fishing. The focus of the village would be fishing and the development would be quite low for most of the village's existence, but due to the interest in tourism and
the transition to democracy, the population increased, overtaking Santa Margalida on the 90s. During the
Spanish Civil War, the
Nationalist faction built
bunkers on the rocky seaside in order to repel a possible
Republican faction amphibian invasion. These bunkers were maintained in case the
Allies attempted an attack during
World War II. From 1950 onwards, no military document mentions them again. Their mainteinance was stopped short after the end of the conflict without ever being used. Can Picafort is well set up for tourism and the beach's promenade offers many Bars and Restaurants, as well as services and rentals. This town is the main economic powerhouse of the municipality, focusing on tourism, despite the presence of an industrial estate. Can Picafort isn't just popular during peak season. Off-Season, due to the mild winters and relatively flat terrain, the town is frequented by cyclists. It is however considerably quieter and many of the businesses close. 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 such as a town hall, a library, a police station and a sports center. •
Necropolis de Son Real: A short hike southeast alongside the beach would lead to the necropolis of
Son Real, a pre-historic (7 c. BCE - 2 c. BCE) burial site on the seaside rediscovered on the twentieth century unique to the Balearic Islands, which has been severely vandalized and has gone through restoration efforts. Situated closeby is a minute island, ''S'Illot des Porros''. Both are the remains of the
Talaiot culture from the early history of Mallorca. From there, following the seaside path southeast would lead to Son Serra de Marina. • '''
Natural reserve of S'Albufera:''' wetland borders about of the bay and prevents the two towns from joining. It is a protected natural park with abundant flora such as
Reed,
Fennel pondweed,
Populus alba and
Psathyrella. Fauna is also abundant, more than 303 bird species have been spotted due the Albufera being a spotover for migratory birds, while native
Mullet and
European eel, as well as
Pelophylax perezi can also be found in the park. The park is also noteworthy for its naturally formed coastal dunes, which date over 10.000 years old.
Son Serra de Marina This touristic village south of Can Picafort extends for about 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 and
kite surfers. The town has three moderately frequented beaches. The local one west of the
Torrent de na Borges, approximately long and wide, is mostly visited by local residents. East of the town lies the long beach of Sa Canova, which 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. == Sights==