Hello Everyone!
It's been 6 months since I've written about where I LIVE!!! During that time, I wrote about my HomeExchange trips to Ibiza and Copenhagen. I figured it's high time to get to back to matters Mallorca....after all, the blog is CALLED 'Magical Mallorca!!'
First stop...Cala Pi (Cah-lah Pee):
The word 'Cala' means 'Cove' in Spanish and boy do we have a LOT of them on this island 60 miles long and 20 miles wide.
When I go to the beach, I generally prefer to go to coves versus the typical long strips of open sand and surf. The water in coves tend to be calmer with little wave action and the shallow depth helps keep the water warmer as well. Plus, boats of all sizes and types anchor there giving off a ritzy ambiance. Most coves are flanked by higher terrain and rock outcrops making it feel like a private, hidden gem. Some of the more popular calas have one or two open air shanty-like restaurants which adds a cherry atop the whole experience.
Cala Pi is about 40 minutes from Palma. I've been there before, but only saw it from the cliffs that surround it. I had no clue there was a beach, nor how to get down to the bottom. Measured from the opening at the sea, the cutout of the cove stretches about 1,600 feet back into the terrain and not more than 150 feet in width.
The tower in the first photo is one of many dotting the coastline of Mallorca. They were used as lookouts, to monitor activity at sea. If, for example, a pirate ship was spotted, person(s) manning the tower would start a fire to send a warning to other towers so they could prepare to protect their villages, etc.
Looking from one side of Cala Pi to the other.
The mouth of the cove (at the right).
Facing the sea, looking off to the left.
From the mouth of the cove (to the right of the couple), it stretches more than 1,600 feet back before you reach the beach.
Recently, I spotted a photo on Instagram someone took while they were ON the beach. That's when I knew there WAS a beach somewhere at the end of the cove. So, I did some Googling and found instructions for locating the only path that leads down to it. There were a lot of comments posted saying the path was steep and a lot of steps to climb, etc. I wasn't looking forward to that part.
As you can see in the next two photos, the 'path' was professionally constructed out of flagstone and handrails. The steps (approximately 140 of them) were shallow and there were short, flat stretches to give you a break from constant climbing.
...and vista points along the way to take photos while catching your breath.
I love the old boathouses. Many I've seen around the island were carved out right out of the stone embankment.
The beach itself is maybe 100 ft wide but it stretches back from the water about 300 feet.
About half way down the path, the steps led off to the right, but off to the left was a dirt trail that said to me 'find out where this goes!'.
It led to several man-made platforms where you could soak up the sun but have a view, too! It's STRAIGHT DOWN and there were no handrails or any devices to keep you from falling. You KNOW this would be barricaded and off-limits in the US of A!!!
Be sure to scroll left/right!
Yes, that's my foot. I wasn't going to get any closer to the edge!
Looking across the way you can see how high and how vertical the rock walls are that line the cove. See the people? Again, no barriers to keep away from the edges of the cliff!!!
NEXT DAY...CALA DEIA (Cah-Lah Day-E-Uh):
I've been to the TOWN of Deia which is located high up the slopes of the Tramuntana mountain range, but never to the cove of the same name. So, I fired up my moto and headed for the hills, through the 3km long tunnel, out the other side, to the town of Soller, then down to follow the coastline to Deia.
Just before the town of Deia, I spotted a sign pointing to Cala Deia but the road was blocked, restricting traffic to 2-wheeled only due to the very limited amount of parking at the end. I counted my wheels. I had two.
ONWARD!!!
The narrow road was one 180 degree switchback after another. Yet another reason it's so great to explore on a moto. At the bottom, there were several small areas for cars to park, but those in cars still had a long walk ahead of them. Not me, I buzzed right by them and was able to park my bike within 100 feet of the beach!
A short path (love the rock work) spills you out to the next photo.
At Cala Deia, the cove is very small but it packs a wallop of charm with a few stone structures, a shanty restaurant with killer views, and dinghies of all sorts strewn about.
Looking down the boat ramp and across the cove. See the boathouses carved out of the rock?
There's no sand on the beach...just rocks. But, that doesn't stop people from coming here and partaking in a slice of heaven.
There's two restaurants. One you saw in the previous photos. This one is next to the cluster of stone structures and sits atop a rock outcrop above the water.
I walked through the restaurant and out the other side to snap the previous photo (looking back inside) and the next two photos which is the view the diners have.
The bamboo is the roof of the restaurant.
I left Cala Deia, climbed all the switchbacks, and back to the main highway. I was looking for something I had seen from a monastery I visited some time ago. I spotted a white domed rotunda/gazebo on a property about 500 yards away that clearly had jaw-dropping views. But, I didn't know how to GET to it. I suspected it was on the Marroig property (former residence of Archduke Ludwig Salvator), so that's where I headed.
Marroig was just a few miles down the road from the town of Deia. I pulled off the road and parked next to a small plaza of tables, a snack stand, and a few viewing platforms. At the time, I didn't know what the Marroig was...I thought it was a fancy hotel because access to the parking for the property was restricted.
Even though I didn't see the white gazebo, I got WAY MORE!! Looking out from the viewing platforms, this is what I saw.
Sa Fordada
(translation: Pierced Rock)
The hole is over 55 ft tall.
I soooooo wanted to go down there! After all, there IS a road and I spotted ONE car parked at the very end. But, apparently that entire peninsula is owned and controlled by the Marroig. From what I've read (since) you can get permission to WALK there (about 3 kms).
As for that white rotunda I was looking for? Found a photo of it online.
This is what I had seen before, which sparked my interest.
Now, the complete picture.
DOH!!!
It was right there on the Marroig property, but I didn't see it. Guess I need to go back and tour the Marroig to complete my experience.
Happy as a clam during high tide, I headed home via Valdemossa, back down the mountainside to the flats where Palma awaited.
Believe it or not, the entire trip to Cala Deia, Sa Fordada, and back home was done in 3 1/2 hours!!!
So much to discover on this island of Mallorca and all inside of an afternoon drive!
Dano
