Photos of Porto Colom, Eastern Mallorca

2008-07-04T00:18:00.023+01:00

The best kept secret in Mallorca exposed.

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

Photos of Cala Marsal, Porto Colom

2008-07-03T19:57:00.001+01:00

Cala Marsal beach at Porto Colom

Cala Marsal is the small beach resort area on the edge of Porto Colom. The beach itself, which is never crowded, is within 5 minutes of most of the accomodations. The gentle slope and narrow width of the Lifeguard-patrolled beach makes it ideal for children and adults who are not strong swimmers.
Along with having all amenities close at hand, if you are a little adventurous, there are little roads and pathways close to The Ola Club Cecilia which will take you into wooded areas where all you will hear is the singing of the birds.

El Bar Vista Sol
This family run bar/restaurant is in existence since the resort opened in 1984 and will cater for your needs no matter what your nationality. With numerous TV's, you won't have to miss out on major sporting events - including UK football - and, it just struck me, that it would be a great place for a holiday/vacation if you want to watch the Beijing Olympics in August.
The friendliness and hospitality that I always experience in Bar Vista Sol means that I will be back.

A 'mini jungle' beside the pool at The Ola Club Cecelia.

A huge blow-hole on the cliffs about 400 meters from Bar Vista Sol at the end of Calle de Gavina. Care should be taken when visiting this area as there there is a drop of about 25 meters into the Mediterranean.

Waiting for the guests?

The ubiquitous Irish Bar.

The 'back' road to the pretty and quiet little village of S'Horta about five minutes away.

The rear view of the Ola Club Cecelia apartments from the 'jungle'.

A view of the Lighthouse from the beach at Cala Marsal.

Old farm buildings on the back road to Cala Ferrera...a golfing resort about 10 minutes drive away.

The only big hotel in Porto Colom, The Cala Marsal.

A nice area of mature trees beside the beach at Cala Marsal.

In the foreground is the bus stop on the only road into the resort. Numerous local buses turn here each day on their schedules.

The above three photos are of the beautiful little beach of Cala Marsal.

An old farmhouse at the back of Bernardos Restaurant. Bernardos a great place for local cuisine with a very friendly staff which was established in the 1940's long before the area became a resort.

You will rarely meet anyone else on this lovely little country lane which leads into the the woods.

Anyone hear the weather forecast?

The last five photos were taken on the back road to Cala Ferrera, about 10 minutes walk from Cala Marsal where you will see local agricultural life. Also just off this road there is a path to a small cove which can only be reached on foot and where you will rarely see another soul.

Photos from around the town of Porto Colom

2008-07-02T14:05:00.000+01:00

Porto Colom in the municipality of Felanitx in Eastern Mallorca is an ideal place for a family holiday/vacation.

Beautiful sunset...Actually it's sunrise around 6.15am in June 08. After taking this photo, I had a coffee in one the harbour restaurants which, obviously, opens very early.

Just minutes outside the town and your into agricultural country.

An old forgotten van in rural Porto Colom.

Beautiful countryside seen from the cliffs on the North side of Porto Colom.

A 'stressful' evening at the harbour in Porto Colom.

Early morning at the waterfront in Porto Colom.

'If I only had another tree to hug'...Harbour at Porto Colom.

Fishermen's boats moored in the harbour at Porto Colom.

The main road around the harbour in Porto Colom...never busy.

Boats in dry dock on the quay at Porto Colom.

A quiet walkway on the roofs of fishermen's sheds beside the main road in Porto Colom.

The road to Cala Marsal beach in Porto Colom.

A lovely tree-lined street around the harbour at Porto Colom.

The little car that we hired parked on the cliffs outside Porto Colom.

Another pretty street leading to the harbour at Porto Colom.

A nice view of the rocks from a residential area at the highest part of Porto Colom.

A fisherman mending his nets on the quayside at Porto Colom.

Some great restaurants along the quayside at Porto Colom.

A picture of tranquility on the quayside at Porto Colom.

Another stressful day on the quayside at Porto Colom.

Evening at the harbour in Porto Colom.

Fabulous view of the cliffs on the edge of town of Porto Colom.

A boat passing close to the cliffs at Porto Colom.

Photos from around Felanitx, Eastern Mallorca

2008-07-01T16:17:00.000+01:00

The big town/pueblo of Felanitx in Eastern Mallorca is the center of commercial and agricultural activity in the area. With a myriad of narrow streets, this town has all the charm that you would expect from a typical Spanish town. A lovely place to spend a day just sitting outside cafes and watching the locals getting on with their lives. The port and holiday resort of Porto Colom is just 12km away.

I just love the facial expression of the old man in a premises just outside Felanitx on the road to Porto Colom.

A whole yard of beautiful little garden models in Felanitx.

A combine harvester cutting barley in field not far from Felanitx.

Just a sample of the beautiful scenery in Felanitx.

This little Seat/Fiat is still running around Felanitx.

I never did find out the purpose of this huge complex of buildings in Felanitx.

I think that this the Main Square/Plaza Mayor of Felanitx.

Another great view of rocky hill from the town of Felanitx.

Sunday Market in Felanitx.

Some nice scenery through a lemon tree in Felanitx.

The church of San Miguel, Felanitx.

A farmer ploughing his field just outside Felanitx.

Wonder what Ryanair would charge for this piece of luggage found in Felanitx?

A narrow street close to the church in Felanitx.

Nice sculpture on one of the main streets in Felanitx.

An old derelict doorway in Felanitx.

Another narrow street at mid-day in Felanitx.

I guess that nobody lives here anymore. House going cheap in Felanitx?

Pricly Pear amid beautiful blue flowers in Felanitx.

A view of Felanitx through the Prickly Pear cactus.

There appears to be a sail missing from this huge windmill/molino in Felanitx.

Banana Plantation near Porto Colom

2008-07-01T13:13:00.000+01:00

These photos are from the Jumaica Banana Plantation which is on the road to Portochristo about 10 minutes from Porto Colom. They don't grow bananas there commercially but, you can see the huge plants and how the fruits are produced.
The most appealing aspect of this venue is the fabulous selection of other exotic plants along with a small selection of animals and birds which children would love.
There is a small entrance fee but you could easily spend a couple of hours there as it's hard to leave the nice restaurant with seating under huge mulberry trees.

Photos from Manacor, Eastern Mallorca

2008-06-30T22:35:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit the big town of Manacor during my recent vacation but, I did travel on one of the town's by-passes on the road to Palma where I came across a huge store specializing in very attractive artwork made from the wood of old olive trees called Oliv-Art.
Right beside the store they have set up an impressive collection of life-size replica dinosaurs which you can't miss as you pass by. Well worth a visit and you can see the dinosaurs for free.

Wildlife around Porto Colom, Mallorca

2008-06-29T22:11:00.000+01:00

The wealth of wildlife to be seen around Porto Colom
Please bear in mind that I am no expert on wildlife, I just enjoy coming across unusual stuff.
Because agricultural activity has been allowed to decline for decades around Porto Colom in favour of the tourist dollar, a huge amount of plants and trees have been 'left to their own devices'. As a result, nearly everywhere outside the town is covered in mature trees accompanied by shrubs and plants who's growth would normally be curtailed by farmers. The whole area was particularly lush with greenery when I was there in June this year. Colourful wild flowers were to seen almost everywhere.
Apart from what I describe below, there is a great variety of chattering small birds almost everywhere and, along with constantly cooing doves and pigeons, you will see flocks of swallows flying down narrow streets as they feed on insects.
Even though I didn't see it, I believe that I heard the distinctive sound of the Nightjar on a few occasions.

The wildlife that I observed
While walking through the woods I was delighted to see, on numerous occasions, the beautiful Hoopoe which we don't have in Ireland. At least I never saw one.
At first I thought that it was a woodpecker which I believe inhabits the area but, after coming across one emerging from beneath a tree, I could clearly see the little plume at the back of it's head. I look it up in one of my wildlife books and came to the definate conclusion that it was a Hoopoe.

Needless to say, I didn't take this photo of a Hoopoe as the little blighters wouldn't allow me to get close.

I know that it doesn't look much but in the middle of this photo is a beautiful Swallow Tail butterfly which I came upon in Santuari de Sant Salvador...a 'must see' if you are in the area.
There was also another large reddish butterfly gliding about but, I couldn't get close enough for a shot.

If you move about slowly and keep a sharp lookout near the sunny side of old stone walls, you will come across small lizards such as in the two photos above.
I'm sure that there was an element of luck involved when I snapped them.

Of course there are lots of these little fellows to be seen but, you have to be sneaky. They can smell a tourist a mile away.

Map of Porto Colom

2008-06-29T15:00:00.004+01:00

As you can see on the map, Porto Colom is situated around a fine big harbour which, with it's narrow mouth, has afforded shelter for marine activities for centuries when the Mediterranean gets angry.
You can see a larger map by clicking the blue link at bottom.

View Larger Map