We lifted the anchor and left Port de Pollença just as the sun was rising over the hills, and reflecting on a perfectly calm sea. With hardly a breath of wind, we set off on our 35 nautical mile journey to Porto Cristo. A gentle breeze picked up by lunchtime allowing us to enjoy a peaceful sail along the coast.
As we approached Porto Cristo, the entrance to the bay looked surprisingly narrow, but once inside it opened up into a lovely sheltered harbour.
We made our way to the marina and moored on the quay at the entrance, beside the day trip boats and close to the sandy beach, a convenient spot for exploring the town.
The marina extends inland along what was once the mouth of a river, now known as Es Riuet, or ‘the little river’. This natural inlet has been developed into a sheltered marina that winds its way into the heart of the town, with small pleasure boats and traditional fishing boats moored along both banks.
Once a fishing village, Porto Cristo has grown into a popular seaside holiday resort, although it still retains some of its original charm. The waterfront is lined with cafés and restaurants overlooking the bay, while the streets behind are a mixture of older low level buildings, shops and modern apartments.
One of the places on our list to visit while here was the famous Caves of Drach (Cuevas del Drach), situated close to the town.
The caves are one of Mallorca’s most popular attractions. Hidden beneath the island is an extraordinary underground world of enormous caverns, dramatic rock formations and crystal clear lakes, all created by nature over millions of years.
The name Drach means dragon in Catalan, and according to local legend, a dragon once guarded the entrance to the caves and a hidden treasure within. Sadly, we didn’t come across either!
Our visit began with a walk down into the caves, following a winding pathway that took us deeper and deeper underground. The temperature was around 20°C, much cooler than the heat outside, and it felt very humid with 90-95% humidity.
We soon found ourselves surrounded by thousands of stalactites hanging from the ceilings and stalagmites rising from the cave floor. Some of the formations looked incredibly delicate, resembling thin icicles, while others were huge columns where the stalactites and stalagmites had joined together.
Some unusual shapes had formed naturally over the years. One formation looked like a huge flag hanging in folds from the ceiling, while another resembled a ruined castle, complete with towers and turrets. There was even a snowy mountain, its pale white limestone giving the impression of snow covered peaks.
The carefully positioned lighting highlighted the extraordinary formations, creating dramatic shadows and reflections in the still underground pools and a vivid blue channel.
The stalactites and stalagmites grow at a rate of just 0.2 to 1.6 mm per year. It’s difficult to imagine how many thousands of years it has taken for some of these extraordinary formations to reach their present size, with water slowly dripping through the limestone, depositing tiny amounts of minerals drop by drop.
The caves extend for around 1,200 metres and reach depths of approximately 25 metres below ground. Deep inside lies Lake Martel, one of the largest underground lakes in Europe, stretching approximately 170 metres in length and between four and twelve metres deep. Here, we took our seats in a large natural underground auditorium, with the lake disappearing into the darkness in front of us.
The lights gradually dimmed until we were sitting in complete darkness. Then, in the distance, tiny lights began to appear, slowly getting brighter as three illuminated boats glided silently across the water.
One of the boats carried a quartet of musicians performing a short classical concert, with the beautiful music echoing around the cavern. It was a very atmospheric experience, made even more special by the reflections of the lights shimmering across the perfectly still water. In order not to spoil the performance everyone remained silent and cameras were not permitted.
After the concert, there was an opportunity to cross part of the lake in one of the small boats, giving us a different view of the cavern, before making our way back towards daylight.
Although we didn’t find the legendary dragon or his treasure, the Caves of Drach were certainly worth visiting. Mallorca is famous for its beautiful beaches, turquoise bays and dramatic coastline, but some of the island’s most spectacular scenery is hidden well beneath the surface.
After stocking up on provisions, we left Porto Cristo and continued another 15 nautical miles along the rocky coastline to Cala Mondragó.
Cala Mondragó is another beautiful bay which lies within a protected natural park. It has exceptionally clear calm water, as we entered, it opened up to two sandy beaches backed by pine trees, tucked into the surrounding rocky headlands.
The rocks were full of little caves and crevices, which were great fun to explore by paddle board, entering into the sheltered openings to see what lay inside. Some of the caves were large enough to pass all the way through, coming out in a different part of the bay.
As it was the weekend, the bay was quite busy when we arrived, with many local boats coming in to enjoy the beaches and clear water for the day. By early evening, the beaches had emptied and most of the boats had headed home, leaving us to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
One reply on “The Caves of Drach”
The spooky Caves of Drach are perfectly timed for Halloween, with the dramatic light show emphasising their size and spectacle.
Not quite up to that standard, it reminded me of visiting the Blue John caves in Castleton, Derbyshire on a school trip which referenced the slow development of the stalactites and stalagmites which was too much for our young minds to appreciate – yet now realise my lifetime may only be a centimetre of their growth .