Cala d'Or

01A piece of Ibiza in Majorca

The journey itself is a great sightseeing trip. On the way, you may notice houses that are reminiscent of Ibiza. The whitewashed cubist-style buildings bear a strong resemblance to properties on Majorca's neighbouring island, and there's a reason for this. Ibiza-born architect Josep Costa Ferrer designed the townscape in the 1930s , and in doing so turned Cala d'Or into something very special on Majorca!

The harbour of Costa d'Or in Cala Llonga is also fairly special. The boats and yachts are glamorously displayed in a well-appointed marina in the "long bay", with the Yacht Club Cala d'Or overlooking it all. The quays are lined with bars and restaurants and, from their terraces, you can follow all the maritime goings-on at close range. It looks particularly romantic here at sunset. You can eat like a king at the Restaurant Port Petit... quite literally...as the former Spanish King Juan Carlos was once a guest there. If you don't necessarily want to dine so grandly, you could just drop by for the delicious and very reasonable lunch menu.

02A biodiverse underwater world

In a place like this, naturally there's also a vast range of water sports available. You can rent boats and you'll find surfboards and stand up paddleboards for hire as well. Divers get their money's worth as there's a lot going on underwater in Cala d’Or too. Off the coast, there is an underwater mountain that almost manages to protrude above the water's surface. In this sort of reef, you'll find marine creatures cavorting about on every rock and in every crevice. Being difficult for fishermen to access, it has allowed the wonderful development of an abundance of species. This is extremely varied territory for diving fans.

03Pirate alert at Es Fortí

If you like to be active but prefer to be on land...it's about half an hour's walk from the marina to the fort, Es Fortí, which once offered protection from pirates and served the locals well as a place of refuge. Children's imaginations especially are inspired by the mighty walls with the arrow slits on the seaward side, and romantic souls will enjoy the view of the sea and the golden bay.

04Paradise beaches and wild orchids

Cala d'Or in the municipality of Santayí is the perfect starting point for excursions on the south-east coast. Don't miss out on a trip to the nearby Mondragó Natural Park, where you'll find two more idyllic bays with water that'll make you want to jump straight in , Cala s'Amarador and Cala Mondragó. Heavenly! They are among the most beautiful beaches on Majorca. The Mondragó Natural Park itself, covering almost 770 hectares, is worth an exploratory trip too. The area is a sanctuary for numerous animal and plant species.

You'll see remarkable orchids growing wild there, including giant orchids and pyramidal orchids. They are all strictly protected. There are hedgehogs, weasels, hares and garden dormice scampering around there as well…and you can also find the hoopoe as well as the kestrel, the peregrine falcon and many other bird species.

Just a stone's throw away is the small and tranquil Portopetro.