Porto Cristo: paradise for sea lovers
Porto Cristo on the east coast of Majorca is a place for those who love the sea. This one-time fishing village is clustered around the sheltered harbour and the fast-flowing stream d’es Riuet. All the same, it boasts altogether around 500 moorings. Porto Cristo, meaning “Port of Christ”, is also called Port de Manacor because Porto Cristo is part of the municipality of Manacor. The “capital of the municipality”, the town of Manacor, is just around 13 kilometres away.
Real Estate Mallorca – Porto Cristo
Landmark of Porto Cristo
The simple Torre del Serral dels Falcons, towering over the cliffs south of the harbour entrance, is reminiscent of the era of pirates. It is a round watchtower and defence tower, and a kind of landmark of Porto Cristo. Built in the 16th century, the Majorcans used it to keep a lookout for pirates, who attacked Majorca over and over again. The tower was restored in the 20th century and you can visit it nowadays.
Natural wonder concealing a vast lake
The east coast is characterised by numerous bays and complex caves. The most well-known caves (because they’ve been developed for tourism) are the “Coves dels Hams” and the dragon caves, “Coves del Drac”, with their impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations. These are the most visited stalactite caves in Majorca and both are located in the holiday resort of Porto Cristo.
Inside, they are staged using colourful lighting installations in a way that’s kitschy but beautiful, and very effective. Down in the dragon caves, visitors pass between the stalactites and stalagmites and reach one of the largest subterranean lakes in the world – Lake Martel. As if that weren’t enough of a wonder, suddenly into your view comes a rowing boat holding a mini-orchestra, performing a live classical music concert. The temperature is a constant 21 degrees Celsius in the cave. So in the hot summer months, you not only have the promise of a great cave experience – you also find a welcome place to cool down.
Swimming, playing ball, strolling
Out in the open air, Porto Cristo still has much more to offer. The beach, for instance, not far from the harbour. A small but nice beach, it is 350 metres long, 25 metres wide and is family-friendly with shallow water. It’s just right for a perfect day by the sea! After a dip in the water and ample sunbathing, sporty types can compete against each other in beach volleyball matches. It’s extra-fun when you’re playing beneath a glorious blue sky.
Beaches like a string of pearls
If you like variety and feel like a change of beach, it’s easy to pay flying visits to the nearby playas of Cala Murta, Cala Mandia, Cala Romántica, Cala Anguila or Cala Varques. Having so many bays, it’s clear that Porto Cristo is also a good starting point for diving, sailing and kayaking excursions.
Gambas, paella and all the rest
Those who live in Porto Cristo, perhaps even owning their own property here, are very fortunate. The sea right on the doorstep, the town of Manacor not far away and a choice of exceptional restaurants that are really quite impressive. To put it simply, you can dine very well in Porto Cristo. So well, in fact, that Porto Cristo attracts many day trippers, in addition to the holidaymakers of course. One reason is that the fish restaurants such as “Las Golondrinas” have a great reputation. The “Roland” and the “Sa Sal” restaurant, which is located in a Majorcan manor, have also cooked their way onto the gourmet’s favourites list.
Enjoying the market on Sundays
The weekly Sunday market takes place behind the breakwater at Passeig de sa Sirena. Far from the stress of everyday life, you can leisurely stock up on fresh fruit, vegetables and a lot more, without a care in the world.
Village festival for the patron saint
As you’d expect in a harbour village like Porto Cristo, once a year the residents pay homage to the patron saint of fishermen, Mare de Déu del Carme. At the height of summer on the 16th July, it’s festival time with fireworks and processions! It goes without saying that the village church is also named after this patron saint of seafarers.