Cala dOr Information
Cala Dor or Cala d'Or is a well established location on the
south east coast
of Mallorca which has largely avoided the excesses of large scale tourism
development. In the main it has developed outwards rather than upwards and is
certainly nothing like the Magaluf style high rise resorts of the south coast.
Its small main town area contains numerous stylish bars and shops which lead
down to Cala Gran, a very quaint beach which is overlooked by the
Hotel Rocador
and
Rocador Playa. The water is beautifully clean and the beach is well
maintained, a pleasant café bar restaurant provides typical beach refreshments.
The four star
Gran Hotel Tucan is a superior hotel to the others which stands at the back
of Cala Gran. There's also a lot of private residential property in this central
area and apartments for rent though development has been controlled and the town
maintains a certain charm.
The main resort area of Cala d'Or is little further north of this central zone.
Here you'll find a pleasant enough selection of mainly German and British bars
and restaurants and two fine though quite small beaches.
Cala Esmeralda isn't as large as Cala Gran but is a beautiful beach surrounded
by tasteful properties including the Playa Esmeralda Hotel, the Cala Azul Park
and the Esmeralda Park. If you're looking for something a little more upmarket
then you need only head a few blocks away from the sea to reach the five star
Melia Cala d'Or.
The other golden, sandy beach is Cala Ferrera just a little further north which
is larger than Cala Esmeralda lying next to some fabulous craggy rock formations
and with nice bars at the end of the beach. Overlooking this spot is the very
attractive
Hotel Barceló Ponent Playa. There is also the 5 star
the
Robinson Club
Cala Serena to stay in or visit for golf and tennis facilities. To the north of the main town is the very impressive Cala d'Or marina which
ouzes wealth. A wide range of very expensive boats are moored there. The
restaurants overlooking the marina are a fine choice for dinner one evening.
As much as Cala d'Or is a pleasant resort you really should hire a car if you're
going to stay here. Nothing is very far away in Mallorca and along this stretch
of east coast coastline you'll come across countless small coves and some beautiful little
towns tucked away inland. Just rent your car, get a map and off you go. The
roads are in excellent condition and on the whole driving is very
straightforward here.
Portopetro is just a couple of kilometres south of Cala d'Or and is certainly a
place to make the effort to get to. It is still at heart a Mallorcan fishing
village in spite of the arrival of tourism which provides the visitor with a
handful of pleasant little bars and restaurants. Aim to get there for lunch and
go to either La Caracola or Porto Mar. The terraces of these two restaurants
overlook the small fishing port and offer great value 'menus del dia' for around
€7.
A little further south is the stunning national park of Mondragó. Just park at
the visitor centre and walk down to Cala Mondrago via the road (5 mins) or take
the scenic stroll through the countryside (15 mins). They'll give you a map at
the visitor centre. The first beach when arriving from the road has beautiful
turquoise water and is surrounded by an impressive cove. Follow the path
alongside the sea to the right of the beach which takes you round to a another
larger sandy beach. The Hotel Playa Mondragó lies down near the main beach if
you fancy some serious seclusion. If you do get a car for a few days the other main attraction locally is a trip
to Porto
Cristo to visit the Caves of Drach.
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