Cala D'Or has grown from its fishing village origins and now boasts seven fine sandy coves with crystal clear water, all within a one mile radius. Highlights include a magnificent marina, an excellent selection of shops, superb restaurants, open air bars and an 18-hole golf course as well as many other sports facilities. A short coastal drive will bring you to a host of tiny and picturesque beach resorts and coves with fine white sand, known as "the calas".
Porto Petro 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, Can Martina or Porto Mar. The terraces of these restaurants overlook the small fishing port and offer great value 'menus del dia'.
Local knowledge
Taste: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.
Drink:You'll find a pleasant selection of mainly German and British bars in Cala D'Or. The marina offers a selection of more upmarket bars. There are a variety of hotels all serving drinks and providing a relaxed atmosphere.
Weekly Market:Felanitx is recognised as being one of the best in Majorca, and is well worth a visit on a Sunday morning. This is a good place to pick up some locally made pottery, but be prepared to haggle for the best bargains. There are fruit and produce markets which are held at nearby Santanyi every Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
Discover:A little further south is the stunning national park of Mondragó, which is worth a trip in the car. The first beach when arriving from the road has beautiful turquoise water and is surrounded by an impressive cove. A walk alongside the sea to the right of the beach takes you round to a another larger sandy beach.
Es Trenc is a beautiful beach of clear blue water and golden sand, backed by pine trees and dunes, stretching for almost 5km along the wild south eastern coast of the island. There's a small bar-restaurant here and you can hire sun umbrellas.
Supermarkets:There is a large Caprabo in Cala D'Or centre plus a number of smaller supermarkets.
The Calas
Cala Gran, a very quaint beach which is overlooked by Rocador Playa. The water is beautifully clean and the beach is well maintained, a pleasant café bar restaurant provides typical beach refreshments.
Cala D'Or is a pine fringed cove with two fine small beaches.
Cala Esmeralda is a beautiful beach surrounded by tasteful properties.
Cala Ferrera with a golden, sandy beach lying next to some fabulous craggy rock formations and with nice bars at the end of the beach. This is overlooked by Cala Serena.
The largest of these coves is called Cala Llonga, which has been developed into a large marina that effectively splits the resort in two.
South-east Mallorca is full of surprises and benefits from avoiding the excesses of large scale tourism development. Discover secluded coves, rugged cliffs and long golden sands. Uncover pretty coastal villages, historic towns and unspoilt countryside. Villaparade clients will benefit from inclusive car hire as nothing is very far away in this area. Along this stretch of east coast you'll come across countless small coves and some beautiful little towns tucked away inland. Take a look at the different village and resort descriptions on the map opposite to decide on the location of your holiday villa in this beautiful region of Mallorca.
Calonge:Just two-minutes drive from Cala D'Ors' beaches and resort centre this pretty village has a small selection of restaurants.
S'Horta:An atmospheric traditional Spanish village with narrow streets, a beautiful church and several restaurants, shops and bars nestled on the outskirts of Cala D'Or.
S'Alqueira Blanca:A quaint little village with a café, newspaper shop, an excellent tapas bar and Italian restaurant.
Porto Cristo:One