Porto Cristo is a fishing town located 14 km from Manacor part of the tourist route on the island. This urban area has many attractions for visitors but with no doubt its main attraction and what has made it famous are the spectacular Cuevas del Drach and Hams located just minutes from downtown.
Port Cristo is situated on the coast, it has 6,000 inhabitants and everything revolves around its picturesque fishing port from which the town has developed. The beauty of this port is that it is a natural harbor, a zeta shaped tongue- sea jutting out into the earth, currently riddled with small typical Mallorcan boats called the “yaguts” protected from the open sea by the Morro de Sa Carabassa where is the lighthouse.
The marina is one of the most beautiful areas of Porto Cristo where the supply of bars, shops, terraces and restaurants is vast; becoming a very busy area during the summer months. The old town is a magical place, with narrow cobbled streets where life goes quiet and away from the most crowded island destinations. One of the most significant monuments is the Iglesia de la Virgen del Carmen church, patron saint of all fishermen.
Porto Cristo has a nice urban beach right next to the harbor, called la Playa de Porto Cristo which is usually quite busy by both tourists and residents of the municipality. It consists of a beautiful sandbar 350m in length bordered by the promenade. The beach does not have the turquoise hues from other parts of the island as it is framed in a natural harbor but it compensates with the natural environment. It is certainly a very special beach.
Another of this city’s great attraction are its beaches and coves around, with fine white sand surrounded by lush forests and caressed by crystal clear turquoise waters. There are many companies making boat trips to discover the different coves around like: Cala Romantica, Cala Millor, or Canyamel.
No doubt the highlight of Porto Cristo and which receives thousands of tourists every year are the wonderful Cuevas del Drach. The caves are a true wonder of nature, undoubtedly one of the major attractions of Mallorca. Located 25 m deep, the caves are over 2400m in length and holds the largest underground lake in Europe. The effect of water seeping through the ground for centuries has been forming these caves and shaping each of its cavities.
Here are some pictures of the 60′ in Porto Cristo:
