La visit to the island of Mallorca It involves taking certain routes and routes. From the complete visit to Palma with its cathedral or the Bellver Castle to the route that takes us to the famous Caves of Drach. These underground rock formations are millions of years old. So they certainly belong to one of those things that we must put on the list of must-sees on the island.
For visit the caves you have to go to the eastern coast, so we must also take into account the transport on the island and the way to get there. We are going to give you some tips to get to the great Caves of Drach and see the town of Porto Cristo where they are.
Get to Palma de Mallorca
The usual is arriving by plane at Palma airport, which is the only one on the island. It leaves us a few kilometers from the center of Palma, where everyone usually stays. From this point it is possible to go to other areas of the island, either by bus or by train. We visit the caves in low season, so there is less regularity in transport, especially in buses.
The simplest thing if you take public transport is use the train to Manacor. In this population there are buses that go to Porto Cristo and that stop directly at the Caves of Drach, since they are a little before the center of the town. In high season there are a lot of buses going to the caves, so it is easy to combine the times.
Another option that may be interesting is that of rent a car within the island. It must be said that transport is not fast and during the low season there are few buses or trains, so it can take a long time to get from Palma to Porto Cristo. With a car we could take advantage of the journey and see nearby places, since it would not take us so long.
The Caves of Drach
These caves they have their own bus stop in case we arrive by public transport. They also have ample parking for those who travel by car. Upon arrival you have to take out the tickets to see the caves in the ticket office area. They can be purchased in advance online. The caves are entered in groups from time to time.
These caves were already known in the Middle Ages but they were not prepared until 1935, the year in which concerts began at Lake Martel, considered one of the largest underground lakes in the world. Once at the entrance we will be accompanied by a guide who will show us the various formations and the names they have been given to recognize them, in addition to telling us about the history of the caves and their great antiquity. It must be said that the temperature is 21 degrees, being much cooler than outside, and they have a humidity of 80%. It will pass through formations such as La Bandera or Mount Nevado. Many of the areas of the caves are illuminated to better see these formations or the small lakes. In addition, you have to be careful about the humidity that also accumulates on the floor.
Once we reach the lake we find ourselves in front of some steps that face the water. This is where we will sit to enjoy the concert. When everyone is seated and in silence the musicians begin to play, who go in boats on the lake. This allows us to enjoy unique acoustics. It is undoubtedly one of the best moments of the visit to the Caves of Drach.
Finally, when the concert ends, those present are allowed to choose between going over the bridge that crosses the lake towards the exit or get on the boats to be able to navigate the underground lake. We must say that the trip is very short, but it can be an interesting and fun experience.
Porto Cristo
Once we have visited the caves we can enjoy the surroundings. In the area of the caves there are spaces to do picnics with spectacular views of the coast. If we want to see the town, we will only have to walk down about a kilometer or two to get to the center. During the high season this town has a lot of activity, since there are restaurants, beaches and a large marina, but during the low season it is a quiet place, with many of the businesses closed.
The best thing to do in this town is to enjoy its beaches. Nearby is also Cala Millor, one of the best known and most popular coves in Mallorca. This was an old fishing village that grew with tourism and today is a place for family tourism during the summer.