A Day Trip to Cala Santanyi and Surrounding Beaches
Santanyi, a charming village full of classy boutiques and stylish cafes and restaurants, is a great day out from the north. 10 minutes down the road is the town’s coastal counterpart Cala Santanyi, an equally charming beach that matches with the Santanyi brand very well.
A blue-flag beach, the waters are turquoise clear and the little caves along the shoreline make this beach superb for snorkeling. You can also hire paddle boards and kayaks to explore the coast and take in the seabreeze from the calm waters.
What’s more, just round the corner is the beautiful fishing village of Cala Figuera and nearby natural park complete with paradise beaches.
Cala Figuera
Walking around Cala Figuera you’ll pass fishermen tending their nets with fishing boats to one side, cottages to the other. So close are these houses to the water, that each of them has their own ‘garage’ where the water laps at the door giving easy access for boats when it’s time to get them out of the water. Stepping stones or just jumping over these watery ‘driveways’ are all part of the charm and add to the atmosphere of what is a traditional working fishing port. The packed-out resort beaches are a world away, you could even mistake this for a quaint Cornish village.
The local fisherman who live here have special permission to fish in the Mondrago Natural Park and so unsurprisingly, Cala Figuera has some great seafood restaurants along its shores. After lunch a stroll along the cliff path gives more stunning views of the seascape and all its drama.
There are just 577 permanent residences in the town, which rises in the peak season as the surrounding mansions are filled with the second home owners. But, even on an August afternoon, the town was not crowded. The answer for this is surely the lack of a beach and good swimming areas but that has helped keep Cala Figuera largely untouched by the mass tourism movement.
After a walk around the port of Figuera, a short drive out of town will take you to the signposted turning for Cala s’Amarador, a glorious paradise beach in the Mondragó Natural Park. Mondragó became a natural park in 1992 after demonstrations against mass tourism prevented a resort being built. Once parked (€5 per day, all money goes to charity), a walk through a beautiful forested area will lead you to the first beach. S’Amarador is 160m long and 50m wide. The sand is fine, the water turquoise. This is genuine postcard material.
If you tire of this beach, a cliff path to the left will lead you to Sa Font de n’Alis. It’s also part of the park but there is a pretty restaurant and small hotel. Further on is another beach on the edge of the park, Calo des Burgit. Much smaller and more difficult to get to, the unspoilt beach surrounded by a pine grove and low cliffs is a worthy reward.
While you are in this area, it is worth considering a boat trip from Cala Figuera to take you along the coast to see some stunning caves and rock formations, in particular the Es Pontas natural arch made from limestone that is as iconically Mallorca as you can get.
