Written by Cuevas del Drach Cave has been on our short list of places to visit in Mallorca from the very beginning. From the leaflets and from the internet I knew that it is promoted as a cave with (of course, you guessed it?) The “biggest” underground lake to visit.
As I have never seen too many underground lakes in my life, I said it was worth a visit by booking internet tickets at www.cuevasdeldrach.com . The online access ticket costs 16 Euros and is 1 Euro cheaper than the one purchased at the entrance.
The great advantage of online booking is the possibility of scheduling the access time, because the entrance to the cave is made only at fixed hours in groups with a limited number of people. Access is possible from hour to hour, between 10:00 and 17:00 daily.
Considering that a tour of the cave lasts only an hour, we thought it was a bit too much for such a trip, so we decided to visit, even in the past, everything that has more beautiful to offer the east coast (south- is) of the island.
Here is the itinerary I followed, of course with stops in each locality.
Cuevas del Drach Cave is located somewhere within Porto Cristo . It is the main attraction of this town, so wherever you come from, the signs to the cave are ubiquitous.
The entrance to the cave is very well arranged, benefiting from a large parking lot, located in the shade, under pine trees, which is rare in Mallorca. It is known that the cave has many visitors, the infrastructure being excellent.
We booked access tickets for 12:00 and about 15 minutes before we headed to the entrance, as explained on all signs.
The entrance is protected from the sun, thanks to a reed roof, allowing simultaneous access for at least 300 people.
The interior is surprisingly and excellently lit.
The cave is splendid, being really different from the ones I have seen before. Thousands of stalactites, stalagmites, underground lakes, limestone curtains and more, all can be admired along a well-maintained concrete alley.
But nothing prepares you for the underground lake, called Lake Martel. It is really huge, and at one end, on its edge, there are two rows of benches, just like in a performance hall.
After everyone is seated on the benches, all the lights go out and three lighted boats enter the lake from a distance, from which a string quartet performs classical music.
Unfortunately, I was not able to film or photograph this show, the photography being forbidden by the organizers, but the acoustic effect of the music combined with the lights on the boats creates a show that is worth seeing.
It all starts with a distant melody that increases in intensity as the boats approach and you begin to understand what is actually happening. The acoustics are great and yes, it was really a pleasant surprise even though it only lasted 15 minutes. I recommend!
After the show, if you have the patience to wait in line or find a freer day, you can get on one of the boats that took part in the show and be taken on the lake to the exit point to the final gallery. We didn’t wait any longer and we took the exit on a bridge that crosses the lake, following its right edge.
In 5 minutes of climbing a series of stairs, you are then led to the exit, which, like the entrance is completely open.
The Cuevas del Drach Cave is definitely worth a visit. Unfortunately, it is open at both ends, and the temperature inside, with all the difference in level, is quite high, which means that the karst process has stopped because the microclimate has been disturbed.
Therefore stalactites and stalagmites will remain so from now on and no more will form.
Corina tried, although the light was not the happiest, to film our way on the underground lake. Here’s what came out:
At the exit of the cave, we also went to Porto Cristo, gathered around the port of the same name. Here are some pictures:
Portocolom and Portopedro
We left Porto Cristo for Portocolom, our next stop. I discovered a chic town, organized around an elongated bay, in fact a marina with hundreds of boats docked.
Here are some pictures from Portocolom:
We visited the lighthouse and the small beach where a few dozen tourists were hardly crowded caring a lot of things with them.
We liked the small, fishing houses facing the port, but in general the town did not impress us on the way out, so we hurried on.
The next stop was Portopedro, a slightly more “fit” village as can be seen from the following images:
I think that Portopedro is more of a stop for the various leisure boats belonging to people with money, pulled ashore in the long and narrow marina. Hence the air, which is somewhat too “clean” and quite artificial compared to the local sailor’s specifics.
We liked it, but not out of the way and not so much that we wanted to rent a house there, for example.
So we set off towards the final destination of our journey on the east coast, Cala Figuera.
Cala Figuera
We arrived at Cala Figuera around 17:00 under a scorching sun. After finding with great luck a parking space on one of the narrow streets on the edge of the bay, we set out to discover the town.
It must be said that the port of Cala Figuera charmed us at first sight. It is a place I would return to anytime with great pleasure.
Also known as the Venetia of Mallorca, Cala Figuera is in fact a natural marina, resulting in a mountainous bay, which pierces the land over a long distance.
The walls of the bay rise to heights of tens of meters and fall almost perpendicularly into the water. It’s a breathtaking sight.
On the shore, along the road, passers-by are offered some chic restaurants, with terraces with clean tables, located right on the edge of the stone that collapses into the sea.
At such a terrace we also sat down for a cold sangria and an ice cream. It was one of those moments that can define a vacation, and that you can remember fondly all year, until the next vacation.
Beyond the natural beauty, Cala Figuera impressed us with the kindness and helpfulness of the people, so rare nowadays. We were also impressed by the world-broken atmosphere of those who live here, in this fabulous landscape. It is a place that I highly recommend to the traveler in Mallorca.
Last modified: 23 June 2022