What to expect
La Patrona is Pollença's great festival in honour of the Mare de Déu dels Àngels, the town's patron saint, whose feast day is 2 August. Its origins lie in the year 1550: the notorious corsair Dragut attacked Pollença with his men, but the inhabitants, led by Joan Mas, repelled the raid. It is exactly this battle that the town re-enacts every year on the afternoon of 2 August as the Simulacre de Moros i Cristians. Hundreds of Pollencins, dressed in white as Christians or painted dark as Moors, fight staged battles through the streets for hours until Joan Mas proclaims victory in the evening. The spectacle is recognised as a festival of tourist interest and draws thousands of spectators.
The festival day begins at dawn with the Alborada, when music and firecrackers wake the town, followed by the religious celebrations in honour of the patron saint. The night before, the Nit de l'Alborada, half of Pollença parties right through.
The battle, however, is only the finale: from around 24 July a whole festival week runs with concerts on the Plaça Major, revetles, parades, the Dragut Fest and events for children. If you are there for the week, you will experience a town in full festival mode, with flags on the balconies and music late into the night.
Practical tips
- Getting there: On 2 August Pollença is practically unreachable by car. Take the TIB bus from Palma, Alcúdia or Port de Pollença and allow for waiting times.
- Staying overnight: If you would rather not travel back after the Simulacre, book early. Pollença has few beds and 2 August is the day everyone wants to be there. Compare places to stay in Pollença weeks in advance.
- Crowds: During the Simulacre in the afternoon the streets are tightly packed. The battles are loud, dusty and physical, with firecrackers and jostling. Sturdy shoes and old clothes make sense if you stand close by.
- Costs: Everything in public spaces is free, including the Simulacre and the concerts on the Plaça.
- With children: The re-enactment is too loud and too crowded for small children. The festival week beforehand, on the other hand, offers plenty of children's programme in the early evening.
- Best spot: The Plaça Major and Carrer Major are the central stages of the battle. If you want to see the finale, secure a spot there from late afternoon.