All photos of Porto Colom taken in last two weeks of June 08
If, like me, you want a nice quiet holiday in the sun with plenty of scenary, things to do and places to visit, you could do worse than book a spot in Porto Colom, Mallorca.
This compact little resort of Cala Marsal has everything for those who want a safe environment in which to take a break from life's stresses and is particularly suited to families and those, like me, who are 'getting on a bit'. It's also ideal for couples who want a romantic break on their own.
If you want the disco scene with boozing all night, try Ibiza.
Porto Colom is a quiet fishing town on the South-East coast of the beautiful island of Mallorca - also spelled Majorca - in the warm Mediterranean Sea about 250 km from the Alicante region of Spain.
Huge sculptures from a roundabout near Manacor, Mallorca.
Of course, Manacor - 20 minutes from Porto Colom - has recently become very famous as it's most illustrious son Rafael Nadal has just won the men's tennis championship at Wimbledon.
I have been to this resort eight times in the last twelve years and I believe, rightly or wrongly, that I am qualified to give an honest impression of the place.
Since my first visit in 1996 almost no other developments have taken place which means that the place is not inundated with tourists. An indication of this is the fact that parking a car is never a problem and the fact that the holiday resort is in a dead end/cul de sac means that crossing the road is not a 'life or death' experience...not like mainland Spain.
(I once went to La Manga at the height of the tourist season only to discover that you couldn't park a pram not to mind a car.)
I say that this town has been kept a secret because I believe that not enough effort has been put into the marketing of it's many attractions. For example: There are numerous little roads with hardly any traffic where it's safe to go walking or cycling and which are not adequately advertised. Even this year, on my eight visit, I found places of interest that I hadn't known about before...some of which can be seen in the photos.
If you are interested in the countryside and wildlife you will find both all around the picturesque town of Porto Colom and if it's scenery that you're after this town and it's environs has more than enough. A must for anyone staying in the town is a visit to The Santuari de Sant Salvador which is about 15 minutes drive away. This is an old monastery perched on a 509m crag which can be seen from Porto Colom. There are organized excursions but, the best way to go there is to hire a small car for a few days which you can also use to visit the large rural town of Felanitx and the many other towns and places of interest in the area. Don't be surprised if you don't see another tourist because, even though most towns are no more than 30 minutes from the coast, only a small percentage of tourists leave the beach. In my opinion, this is a great pity.
You will find the local people very friendly especially if, like me, you can speak a little Spanish and, if you are an early riser, you can toddle on down to the harbour where there is at least one cafe which opens around 6am.
So, by all means enjoy your stint at the pool or the beach but, don't forget that there is the wonderful Mallorcan countryside only minutes away and waiting to be explored.
The gently sloping beach at Cala Marsal which is cleaned nightly.
An aerial view of Porto Colom.
The 'our place' sign is the location of the Ola Club Cecilia which is a collection of about 200 apartments with a large swimming pool surrounded by a mature selection of trees and other plants. Just a few hundred meters away is the largest hotel in the area, also with a large pool...the Hotel Cala Marcal. Apart from this huge complex, there are a few smaller 'efforts' in the town which do not impinge on the character of Porto Colom.
You can see from the photo that there is a huge amount of forested land circling the town where you can go 'walkabout' if you are interested in the flora and fauna.
If it's 'infernal' shopping that you are into, the huge resort of Cala D'Or is a 10 minute bus ride or car journey down the coast. Along with having a 'million' shops, Cala D'Or has the biggest marina in the area and is very crowded during the holiday season.
There are numerous towns and villages dotted around the Eastern part of the island and all are well worth a visit and all within a 30 minute drive or so.
Palma de Majorca
If you want to spend some time in Palma - the capital of Majorca - you can take one of the regular trains from the big town of Manacor which is about 25 minutes drive away from Porto Colom. Once in Palma, there are other train trips which you can take to the north-western mountainous part of the island.
Relevant links:
Attractions and Amenities
Porto Colom Holidays
More Tourist Information
Map of Porto Colom
The church of San Miguel in Felanitx collapsed in 1844 killing 414 people.
A view from the cliffs near Cala Marsal.
Rural transport in S'Alqueria Blanca
A little taste of Irish traditional music.
Musica tradicional de Irlanda.
Photos of life in Ireland.
Photos de la vida en Irlanda
