During July and August, when most visitors to Mallorca are just here for the sun, the residents of Alcudia, Pollença, and their respective Ports are not only working all hours during the island's busy season, they are also organising and participating in some of the largest and best-loved annual fiestas.

This six-week-long fiesta season begins in Puerto Alcudia at the end of June, with the fiestas of San Pere, the Patron Saint of Fishermen. Events include live concerts, sporting events and children's games, and it ends with a spectacular land and sea procession with the statue of the Saint in tow.

Puerto Pollensa follows suit in mid-July with their two-week homage to the Virgen del Carmen. Expect DJs in the square, pop-up markets, open-air concerts and a carnival atmosphere. Alcudia's old town then celebrates the fiestas of their Patron Saint Jaume, with concerts, theatre, exhibitions, religious ceremonies and fireworks.

It is then Pollença's turn. They, however, take things far more seriously with their fiesta of "La Patrona".

What might appear at first glance to be an excuse to consume copious amounts of the island's Mesclat, a strong aniseed-based spirit, is, in fact, an extraordinary, heartfelt celebration of the defeat of the invading Moors in 1550 by the Christian townsfolk of Pollensa.

The festival begins with the official elections held on an evening in mid-July. The town takes a vote on who gets to play the role of the main protagonists, good guy Joan Mas, who woke up the town to warn of the invasion of the Moors, and the villain, Dragut, leader of the attack.

The celebrations on the voting night alone last well into the early hours, with many businesses closing their doors the day after for a non-official bank holiday, leaving tourists wondering what happened. But it is the last week of July when the actual festivities begin. Live music almost every night in Pollença Square, including the infamous "White Party", where you can boogie the night away with the locals to 80's sounds under the stars and streamers.

The week of open-air dancing, night markets and concerts come to a head at dawn on 2nd August, festival day, when at 5 am, the all-night partying grinds to a sudden halt. The town falls silent to listen to a band roaming the streets playing the beautiful song of the L'Aborada, which is a particularly touching part of this event.

After a few hours of sleep, and is time for some traditional street dancing and more Mesclat, before meeting at 6 pm in the tiny Plaça de l'Almoina dressed in costume (Moor or Christian), ready for Joan Mas to jump out a window, "wake up" the townsfolk, and lead them into a very real looking frenzied street attack with the quite frightening looking Moorish pirates. The crowds head through town to the old football ground, where they reenact a full-on battle.

The victorious Christians, (exhausted from all the partying), a few with very real battle scars, head off to church to give praise to their "Patrona" Mare de Déu dels Ángels, finishing with a rendition of the town's anthem, Visca Pollença!

Truly a fiesta not to be missed.