Santa Ponsa: why Wimbledon is putting this exclusive Majorcan town in the spotlight
The south-west of Majorca is where holiday homes come with million-pound price tags. Villages such as Andratx and Portals have become international brands, famous for sleek, ultra-modern villas built into the cliffs and elegant, immaculately renovated rural stone fincas.
There are golf courses, marinas and gorgeous sea and coastline views — yet Palma, this Spanish island’s capital, with its magnificent cathedral and wonderfully well-connected airport, is an easy half-hour drive.
VALUE IN SANTA PONSA
It is, however, possible to find better value in this sought-after area. Fifteen minutes from Andratx, the small town of Santa Ponsa is having a total facelift. It started in 2012 with a £79 million extension of Port Adriano, designed by Philippe Starck, adding more berths for super-yachts up to 330ft, restaurants and a shipyard. This year a new club, Upper East, opened its doors.
A magnificent new 16-court tennis centre in Santa Ponsa has just opened, built with input from the experts at Wimbledon, and the sport’s top women players have been warming up with a grass court tournament there for the London event. Encouraged by the local authority, which is promoting high-quality, low-density residential projects, these improvements are transforming this once rather workaday resort.
“Santa Ponsa has come on more than any other area in the south-west,” says Hans Lenz, managing director of property experts Engel & Völkers Southwest. “It is quiet and green, only 15 minutes from Palma and has four golf courses and two marinas. It has a larger year-round population than Andratx because of its good proximity to international schools.”
Cap Adriano is a development by British company the Bridgemere Group on what it bills as Majorca’s last seafront plot. On completion next year there will be 10 flats and nine villas, all with sea views over the Malgrat islands.
These substantial, well-built homes range from 2,690sq ft to 11,000sq ft, with wide terraces, full-height windows and top-quality fittings. There is underground parking, a communal pool and concierge. Prices start from £1,776,000 with service charges from £1,185 a month. Half of the flats are sold.
“There are only 19 units on a secure but frontline site with all the facilities of Port Adriano on hand and the quality of the finish is excellent,” says Lenz. “Space, quality and views — that is what buyers want.”
NEAR GOLF AND TENNIS
There are some good buys back from the coast in Santa Ponsa. Near the new tennis centre, a three-bedroom flat in an attractive, well-landscaped, 15-year-old gated development is for sale at £532,800 through Engel & Völkers.
The comfortable home, owned by a British family, has underground parking and is near a large communal pool. There’s a terrace, a small private garden, air con and underfloor heating. On another gated development, the same agent has a two-bedroom flat, built in 2013, for £331,500. The 1,388sq ft home is near Port Adriano, the golf courses and lovely El Toro beach.
Taylor Wimpey España is selling three-bedroom townhouses with a communal pool from £473,600 at Marina Golf. The village is next to Santa Ponsa’s golf courses and a mile from Port Adriano.