A Day Trip to...the Caves at Porto Cristo

Ok.   Back to the subject of Mallorca.  My Home Exchange trips around Europe are finished for 2019 and early 2020.  The blog is, for once, up to date from those travels.  CoronaVirus is now dominating our lives.  As such, I decided to rummage around my pile of digital photos of various day trips I took around my island last year.

PORTO CRISTO

Or 'Portocristo' is a small, picturesque village of about 7,500 on the east coast of Mallorca about an hour away from Palma.  It's a favorite summer getaway destination for British, German, and Scandinavian tourists.

Outdoor cafes line the seawall behind the beach.

CUEVAS DRACH

The Cuevas del Drach, or Dragon Caves, are the most popular of the attractions in the area.  Within the caves is Lake Martel, one of the largest underground lakes in the world.  Also nearby in Porto Cristo are the more modest caves attraction 'Cuevas dels Hams'.

The 1-hour tour of CD takes you approximately 80 feet below ground and extends horizontally about 4, 000 feet.  My ticket was $15 and I was able to purchase a specific timeslot online before leaving home.

If you're without wheels, you can take a bus from Palma to Porto Cristo and it'll drop you off at Cuevas Drach.  After your tour, you can easily mosey into town about 500 meters away.

Waiting to descend.

The concrete pathway is well-maintained with stainless steel handrails and electric lighting throughout.

At the lowest point of the caves is Lake Martel and a man-made amphitheater that sat maybe 100 people.  We were treated to a 10 minute classical music performance (playing a harpsichord, 2 violins, and a cello) by a quartet aboard a rowboat that came out from a hidden cove, passed before us, then back to its hiding spot.  The acoustics were stunning.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos or video of the performance.  Sorry!!!

BUT!!!

I searched You Tube and found this 2 minute video from someone who cheated!

CLICK HERE!!

Lake Martel is about 100 ft wide by 375 feet long.

After the performance we ascended to the top and came out onto a small development of cafes, gift shop, and picnic areas to enjoy before leaving.

PORTO CRISTO

From Cuevas Drach, I motored around the neighborhood and checked out the local coastline.

I came upon this ancient watchtower 'Torre des Falcons' which dates back to 1577.

No, I didn't try.

Where to next??

We'll visit Santanyi and Cala Figuera!

Stay Tuned!!

Dano

By the way, if you're interested in viewing any of my past entries about travelling around Europe and where I live in Mallorca, simply scroll down past my signature to the end.  There, you'll see 'Blog History'.  You can click on any Month/Year to see the titles I published at that time.  Simply click on the title you're interested in and it will take you to that page.