Good vibrations: Ponderosa Beach

One of my favorite beaches on Mallorca is Es Comú de Muro. The unspoiled stretch of fine-grained white sand hides behind a vast dune landscape which is part of the protected Parc Natural de s’Albufera. As it happens this is also the place where you find one of the best beach clubs on the island. Get a seat on the shaded terrace of Ponderosa Beach and dig your toes in the sand.

On a sunny day the restaurant quickly fills at lunchtime. Ponderosa Beach is famous for its rice dishes and seafood paellas. There is also different fresh fish with lots of crunchy vegetables. And you even find burger on their outstanding menu of contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. Often busy with families and groups of friends the atmosphere is always super relaxed and easy. So better reserve a table in due course.

I admire the attentive staff who never seems to lose track. During the summer months, the restaurant turns into a club at night, with varying DJs rocking the turn tables. And at Ponderosa’s Chef’s Night, popular cooks like Ariadna Salvador and Pau Navarro, Jonay Hernandez or Bernabé Caravotta take over the kitchen. Nobody can resist the magic of Ponderosa Beach, the colors of the sea, the salty breeze, the marvelous vista of the Victoría peninsula.

It’s pretty amazing that Ponderosa Beach indeed refers to the ranch from the US western-series Bonanza which was highly popular in the 60s. At a time when this part of the island was still largely uninhabited and more or less rural, people actually came here by horse. Easy to imagine, how the chiringuito it used to be then was playfully called Ponderosa.