Eastern Mallorca - Mallorca - page 291

Bus 411 links Palma de Mallorca and Cala Ratjada, via Artá, with up to five runs daily in
each direction (€11, two hours). From May to October, a daily bus trundles frequently to
nearby beaches and sights like Cala Mesquida, Cala Agulla and Coves d'Artà (all €1.85).
From the port, there's a daily hydrofoil to Ciutadella (Menorca).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Coves d'Artà & Platja de Canyamel
The quiet beach resort of Canyamel is a fine alternative to far busier resorts along the
eastern seaboard. Apart from the pleasant beach Platja de Canyamel, there's a fine medi-
eval tower, restaurant and a majestic cave complex, which is under far less strain from
tourism than other east-coast cave complexes.
Coves d'Artà ( www.cuevasdearta.com ; Carrer Coves de s'Ermita; adult/child 7-12yr/child under
7yr €13/7/free; 10am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 7pm Jun-Sep, 10am-5pm Nov-Mar) is an impressive
work of nature, a warren of natural burrows into the coast 1km north of Canyamel. Pass
through an unassuming fissure in the rock wall that buffers the coast and you'll find
yourself in a soaring vestibule, walking along a raised footpath past the 'Queen of
Columns', a 22-metre-tall stalagmite, and through rooms including the 'Chamber of Pur-
gatory' and 'Chamber of Hell'. The 40-minute guided tours of the caves in English, Ger-
man, Spanish and French leave every 30 minutes. Even the walk to get here is spectacu-
lar - the caves are halfway up a sheer cliff face and once served as a refuge for the local
inhabitants in times of war and invasion.
Just 3km inland from the beach and signposted off the main coast road, the famed
Torre de Canyamel (Carretera Artà-Canyamel Km 5; adult/child under 13yr €3/free;
10am-3pm & 5-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun Apr-Oct) - a 23m-high, 13th-century defence
tower of Muslim origin - is a rewarding detour.
Opening onto a garden terrace, Porxada de Sa Torre ( 971 84 13 10;
www.restauranteporxadadesatorre.com ; Carretera Artà-Canyamel Km 5; mains €9-18; 1-3.30pm
& 7-11pm Apr-Oct) is a beacon of Mallorcan cooking, with perfectly cooked tumbet (a tradi-
tional vegetable dish), roast rabbit with onions, sobrassada and lechona (suckling pig).
You're welcome in the kitchen to see how the dishes are prepared. The stone-and-wood
architecture, old farming implements, ancient olive press and friendly service round out a
terrific package.