Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
crowd, accompanied by a multilingual commentary, leads to a vast amphitheatre and
lake, where you'll enjoy a brief classical- music recital. One-hour tours of the caves
leave on the hour. It's difficult to truly convey the magic of this place - it's at times like a
vast underground cathedral complete with organ pipes, at others like a petrified forest.
The breathtakingly beautiful (and cleverly exploited) chambers, theatrically lit in
bright colours, are adorned with impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The tour delves
into the most beautiful parts of the 2km-long limestone tunnel and a short boat ride on
the lake is possible after the concert.
Passeig de la Sirena
BEACH
Most of the town's activity crowds alongside the Passeig de la Sirena and the harbour,
where a small crowded beach provides the perfect place to observe the comings and go-
ings of fishing boats and yachts in the marina. Alongside the beach you'll find the mod-
est Coves Blanques, a handful of small caves that were inhabited during the Talayotic
period and were later used by fishers for shelter.
Coves dels Hams
CAVE
(
www.cuevas-hams.com
;
Carretera Ma4020 Manacor -Portocristo Km 11; adult/child 5-12yr/under
5yr €21/10.50/free; 10am-5pm)
On the northern side of town on the road to Manacor,
this underground labyrinth is not as impressive as the Coves del Drac, but it does have
some fine stalactite formations. Having said that, it is overpriced and some of our readers
have left feeling ripped off. The Jules Verne video presentation and projections complete
with Mozart music and dummies in a boat are also pretty bizarre.
And one final thing: the massive signs all over town to the 'Caves' are slightly mis-
leading - they lead here, so study the signs carefully if your desired destination is the
Coves del Drac.
WORTH A TRIP
SECLUDED COVES SOUTH OF PORTO CRISTO
The coast running south of Porto Cristo is textured with a series of beautiful, un-
spoilt coves, many of them signposted from the Ma4014 highway linking Porto
Cristo and Portocolom. The largest and most developed of the bunch is
Cala
Romántica
, a wedge of pale golden sand flanked by cliffs, with shallow turquoise
water. A few hotels form one of the island's more serene resorts and a rough prom-
enade has been hewn out of the rock face by the sea.
