Sa Bassa Blanca Museum in Alcúdia

The first time we visited Sa Bassa Blanca, what surprised us most was finding a museum like this at the end of Camí del Coll Baix. The estate sits in the countryside just outside Alcúdia, and the art begins before you step into a gallery. Stone animals appear along the paths. The giant octopus is hard to miss, but part of the fun is spotting the others.

We were already recommending Sa Bassa Blanca Museum on Turisme Petit when it was still little known. What we liked about it then is what brings us back to it today. We can spend a good while outdoors, step into a room of centuries-old portraits, then finish in the courtyard of a house that feels like it belongs somewhere else. It’s all part of the same visit, but each space has its own pace.

From private home to museum

In the late 1970s, the artists Yannick Vu and Ben Jakober commissioned Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy to design their home at Sa Bassa Blanca. On the guided tour, notice how the house changes as you pass through its white outer walls into the courtyard. Inside, you’ll find arches and fountains, with rooms opening onto the courtyard.

In 1993, with the support of Georges Coulon Karlweis, the artists set up the Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation to share their collections. One of the most distinctive began with a single painting, Girl with Cherries, by Mallorcan painter Joan Mestre i Bosch. More portraits of children followed and an old water cistern on the estate was adapted to display them. The collection is now known as Nins. After walking among sculptures in the open air, we go down into a space once used to store water and find ourselves surrounded by children painted centuries ago.

What to see at Sa Bassa Blanca Museum

Sculpture Park

Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu created the giant animals dotted around the park. If you’re visiting with children, turn the walk into a game: pick a few animals to look for and see how many you can spot.

The artists took inspiration from small objects in museums around the world and made them monumental. One of our favourites is the Haniwa dog, inspired by a Japanese terracotta figure.

OlivArt

If you remember the old rose garden, its place is now taken by OlivArt, a grove of mostly centuries-old olive trees. You can visit it with the sculpture park.

SoKraTes

This is one of our favourite galleries. It brings together contemporary art and objects from different cultures and periods. A woolly rhinoceros skeleton and a giant dummy are two pieces we remember from our visit.

Nins Gallery

In Nins, we like to look at what the children are wearing and holding. A toy, an animal or a detail in their clothing can tell us a lot about the period and give us a way into the painting.

The portraits of children from the 16th to the 19th centuries invite you to look at how clothes, toys and accessories have changed. If you’re visiting as a family, pick a portrait and look for a detail that helps you imagine how the child in it lived.

Hassan Fathy House

The artists’ former home is open for guided tours. Look out for the inner courtyard, the library and the 15th-century Mudéjar coffered ceiling.

Café La Paloma

If you fancy a break, the café has a mirrored covered terrace and another outdoor terrace.

Which ticket to choose for Sa Bassa Blanca Museum

If you’re mainly here for a walk, we’d start with the park. If it’s your first time and you can spend a morning here, we’d go for the full visit. The house helps us understand how it all began, and the galleries give the walk another dimension.

• Sculpture Park and OlivArt. The option for an outdoor visit. Buy this ticket at the museum ticket office.
• Nins and SoKraTes. Includes both galleries, the sculpture park and OlivArt.
• Hassan Fathy House. A guided tour of the house, plus access to the sculpture park and OlivArt.
• Full visit. Combines the guided house tour with both galleries, the sculpture park and OlivArt.

Check opening hours, admission fees and booking on the official website.

Planning your visit

How to spend the rest of the day in Alcúdia

• Explore Alcúdia’s walled old town.
• Head to Aucanada to see the lighthouse from the shore.
• Go up to La Victòria hermitage for the views or to start a walk.
• Take a stroll around Port d’Alcúdia and along its beach.