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• Cala d'Or Travel Guide
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Cala Esmeralda, Cala d'Or © Spanish Tourist Board

Overview
Like most holiday resorts in Mallorca, Cala d'Or (Golden Cove) evolved from a local fishing village after its charms and idyllic setting were 'discovered', in this instance, by a group of avant-garde artists who settled here in the 1930s. They built their white, flat-roofed houses around the picturesque fishing harbour, and soon the word spread. Cala d'Or became a desirable spot to have a holiday home, or for a relaxing seaside vacation. The original village and harbour was situated in one of the small rocky coves with sandy beaches, called 'calas', which abound on Mallorca's east coast. The resort has now spread out to encompass several of these coves, all now beset with attractive hotels, apartment blocks and villas. It is a very chic resort, recommended for families because most establishments cater extremely well for children. There are numerous adjacent smaller resorts and quaint villages clustered around the calas all along the south-east coastline, connected by a good bus service, which means visitors can make excursions to explore the delights of places like Cala Egos, Puerto Petro, Cala Mondrago, Cala Figuera, Cala Santanyi and Cala Llombarts. The Cala d'Or marina is the heart of the east coast resort area, attracting the fashionable yachting set.

Shopping
Cala d'Or is known as the best shopping district on Mallorca, its main shopping street, Avinguda Tagomago, filled with chic boutiques, leather shops and galleries appealing to locals and holidaymakers alike. Designer clothes and shoes, in particular, are available at reasonable prices. Souvenir shopping is fun with the wide variety of local crafts, traditional pottery and glass, and olive wood carvings available at several stores, and at the Sunday morning flea market in Felanitx. Visitors can also find bargains in designer sunglasses, jewellery and perfume. Those in self-catering apartments who need sustenance will find all they require at the resort's biggest supermarket, Caprabo, near the resort entrance. The supermarket opens until 9pm every night (except Sundays, when it closes at 2pm).

• Go to the main street (Avinguda Tagomago) for all the best shops - there are loads to choose from! Really great shopping - I was so impressed.The sunday market at Felanitz is also worth checking out. : Liz...See More Tips  |  Add Tip

 

Restaurants
Cala d'Or's upmarket restaurants are situated around the marina, which is usually abuzz with a lively international crowd enjoying a variety of cuisines. The centre of town offers fast food outlets, tapas bars, pizza parlours, burger joints and several British pub 'n grub type establishments. Eateries that come highly recommended in Cala d'Or are Acuarius, Shangrila, Restaurante Vicente and Casablanca.

• Cala Gran is the place to go for eating out. Loads of restaurants here. We loved Port Petit in the marina too - very elegant. : Bill Venables...See More Tips  |  Add Tip

 

Nightlife
Nightlife in Cala d'Or is tasteful and stylish, rather than frenetic, centred around the many cocktail bars and discos. Don Ron Heroes Bar is one of the places to go for a good night out in Cala d'Or. The latest music rocks Linekers, and the most popular nightclubs in town are Disco Alfa and Farrahs Planet Ibiza. Hollywoods is the local karaoke bar, while the Dirty Duck pub is known as the gay-friendly establishment.

• Cotton Club is the best club in Cala d'Or and Bubbles Bar is also fun for a good night out. : Lesley...See More Tips  |  Add Tip

 

Activities
Cala d'Or has seven beaches, of which the largest is Cala Gran, all with fine white sand and clear shallow water for holiday makers to enjoy. The larger beaches have good facilities offering watersports including sailing, windsurfing and scuba-diving. Those wishing to venture further afield can take a 'champagne cruise' along the coastline, ride a mini-train to picturesque Cala Mondrago with its two lovely coves, or take excursions to the villages of Cala Figuera, Puerto Petro, Sa Colonia de Sant Jordi or the isle of Cabrera. Most hotels offer full entertainment programmes for children, and there are trampolines and mini go-karts at Mallorcalandia, as well as mini-golf in the town centre.

• Go diving! You won't regret it! : Lesley...See More Tips  |  Add Tip

 

Negatives
Cala d'Or is definitely a family-oriented holiday resort, not catering for the 18-30 single set, particularly those who enjoy a wild night-life. The music bars and discos are usually quiet by 2am. The main resort beaches can become enormously crowded, particularly during July and August, and holiday-makers have to be up and about early if they hope to secure a sunbed for the day. It is possible to bus, or hire a car, to travel to nearby less populated beaches and coves, but these are not likely to offer all the facilities of the resort beaches.

Nearby Attractions

Arta

The ancient hilltop town of Arta, close to the east coast of Mallorca, has been occupied for about 3,000 years, and today welcomes visitors to the remains of its Bronze Age settlement at Ses Paisses, just outside the town in a grove of...  see full details

Activities

Wind and Water Sports in Mallorca
The island of Mallorca is famous for its wind and water sports, with many resorts actually featuring windsurfing and kitesurfing schools, where tourists can learn to master these tricky skills while still enjoying the holiday of a lifetime. There are also ample places to simply rent equipment, for tourists who don't require tutelage. Good beaches in Mallorca for windsurfing and kitesurfing include Cala Millor, Cala d'Or, Can Picafort, Formentor, Magaluf, Palma Nova, Peguera, Platja de Palma, Port d'Alcudia, Port de Pollensa, Port de Soller, Portalss and Santa Ponsa - although the pick of the bunch must be the little-known Son Serra de Marina, located on the northeast coast of Mallorca, about five miles (8km) east of Can Picafort. This unspoilt stretch of sand has favourable conditions all year round, and features a spectacular mountain backdrop as well as a few hip and happening beach bars and restaurants. Pedal boats (pedalos) are also very popular - especially for families with young children - and can be hired at any of the major resorts on the island. Finally, waterskiing is also an option: resorts that offer equipment for hire (sometimes including boats) include Cala Millor, Can Picafort, Formentor, Magaluf, Palma Nova, Peguera, Platja de Palma, Port d'Alcudia and Santa Ponsa.

Snorkelling and Diving in Mallorca
The Mediterranean's calm, clear waters are ideally suited for diving and snorkelling enthusiasts on holiday in Mallorca. The best season for diving in Mallorca is between June and October, when the weather is balmy and visibility can be as much as 130 feet (40m). Although not blessed with spectacular coral reefs, there is much to admire in the depths surrounding Mallorca's coastline. The warm water is home to a huge array of fish and other sea life, including European barracuda, eels, rainbow wrasse, ornate wrasse, goatfish, cardinal fish, damsel fish, octopus, sea slugs, squid, crabs and lobsters - to name but a few of the myriad species that tourists can expect to spot. Many of Mallorca's resorts offer snorkelling and diving equipment for hire, and a few of them have on-site dive schools where tourists can have training and obtain diving licenses. Some of the best resorts for snorkelling and diving in Mallorca include Cala Millor, the isolated beaches of Cala Morlanda and Cala Varques (both brilliant for snorkelling), Puerto Pollensa and Santa Ponsa, which is the best resort for scuba divers in Mallorca, allowing access to many dive sites, including very popular wreck diving opportunities.