Cala d'Or, the white jewel of the southeast
Cala d'Or was born in 1933 as one of the first tourist developments on the Mallorcan coast, when Ibizan developer Antonio Costa decided to build flat-roofed white houses on what was then known as Ses Puntetes. The result is a town that still today keeps that air of an Ibizan village transplanted to the Santanyí coastline, with well-kept streets, Mediterranean gardens and a marina that is the social heart of the area in summer.
The name is no accident: Cala d'Or actually brings together several coves tucked between pine groves and low cliffs. Cala Gran is the widest and most family-friendly, Cala Esmeralda owes its name to the almost unreal color of its water, Cala Llonga hides the small Caló d'es Pou, and Cala d'Or itself completes the set facing the seafront promenade. They all share the same formula: fine sand, narrow entries between rocks and rich seabeds that invite snorkeling.
What to do at sea: boat trips, dolphins and unspoiled coves
The best way to understand southeastern Mallorca is from the water. The coastline between Cala d'Or, Portopetro and Cala Figuera is cut into small inlets that are barely reachable by land, so catamaran or speedboat excursions let you string together several coves, swim in calm waters and, often, spot dolphins around the Cala Mondragó Natural Park.
Dolphin watching experience. Departures from Cala d'Or areaCheck availability →If you'd rather combine sailing with a walk on land, some trips link Cala d'Or with Portopetro, a small, sheltered natural harbor that keeps the feel of a fishing cove despite being a stone's throw from the tourist area.
Catamaran cruise and visit to Portopetro. Departures from Cala d'Or areaCheck availability →Cala Figuera, the most charming fishing village in the southeast
A few minutes from Santanyí, Cala Figuera is unlike anywhere else: it's not a beach for lying around, but a living, Y-shaped harbor where fishermen's houses look straight out onto the water, their boat slipways at sea level. Traditional barques de bou still fish from here, and the best time to see them is at dawn, when the harbor's activity is in full swing; by mid-morning it's already over.
- The harbor promenade, one of the most charming spots in all of southeastern Mallorca
- La Torre d'en Bau, an old watchtower next to a small lighthouse, with views over the cove's entrance
- The seafront terraces for fresh fish while watching the boats come and go
- Swimming happens in the neighboring coves, since Cala Figuera has almost no sand
Catamaran cruise & visit to Cala Figuera from Cala d'Or areaCheck availability →Cala Mondragó, the natural park holding back the concrete
Just south of Cala d'Or, the Mondragó Natural Park protects over 700 hectares of pine groves, wetlands and low cliffs within the municipality of Santanyí, and it's the reason this stretch of coast remains practically unspoiled. Inside the park there are two beaches: Cala Mondragó, busier, and S'Amarador, wider and somewhat quieter, both with fine sand and the intense turquoise water typical of the southeast's coves.
Portocolom and Portopetro: two harbors, two personalities
Heading north along the coast, Portocolom is home to the largest natural harbor in the Balearics and belongs to the municipality of Felanitx, land of DO Pla i Llevant vineyards. It's a quiet town with no big hotel chains, worth strolling from the harbor to the lighthouse, with good snorkeling in the clean waters nearby. Close by are beaches like S'Arenal, Cala Mitjana or Cala Marçal, good alternatives when Cala d'Or's smaller coves are packed.
Portopetro, halfway between Cala d'Or and Cala Figuera, is the area's quiet counterpoint: a narrow, sheltered natural harbor with almost no development, often used by boat trips as a starting point or swimming stop.
Must-do excursion: the Cuevas del Drach
Although technically within the municipality of Manacor, the Cuevas del Drach in Porto Cristo are the classic excursion paired with any stay in southeastern Mallorca, just over half an hour by car from Cala d'Or. They are one of the most visited cave systems in Spain: almost 1.2 kilometers of passage among stalactites and stalagmites ending at Lake Martel, one of the largest underground lakes in the world, where the visit includes a short classical music concert and a boat ride across the lake.
Caves of Drach & Porto Cristo: A coastal discoveryCheck availability →Getting around southeastern Mallorca
The area is best explored by rental car, since the roads between Santanyí, Felanitx and Cala d'Or are narrow but fast and connect coves that are far apart by public transport. That said, many of the best coves — Portopetro, Cala Figuera, Portocolom — have very little parking in high season, so arriving early in the morning makes all the difference. For those staying in Cala d'Or without a car, boat trips departing right from the marina are the easiest way to see several coves in a single morning without relying on roads or parking.
When to go
June and September are the sweet spots: water already warm (or still warm), fewer crowds than in July-August and somewhat lower prices for accommodation and excursions. In peak summer, Cala d'Or and Cala Mondragó fill up early, so it's worth getting there early or booking boat trips in advance. Out of season, the southeast is still worth it for its villages — Cala Figuera and Portocolom especially — and for quiet hiking within Mondragó park.