We planned a week in Mallorca for a bit of winter sunshine but it was the first week in June by the time we got there. No problem – guaranteed hot sunny weather when it wasn’t very spring like at home – if only. Two  days of heavy rain worthy of the monsoon and a detailed introduction to the excellent Spanish health service via a broken humerus  was not in the plan, but that’s what we got.

Despite these setbacks we did manage several days out from our base in Santa Ponca.  The fast cheap bus service took us to Palma in about twenty minutes and there were plenty of coach excursions to choose from. On a rainy day the trip to the caves at Porto Cristo seemed like a good idea even with one arm in a sling. This was good value considering the distance involved and the cost of entry to the caves but it did give us a long and detailed tour of the charms of Magaluf as it picked up in many of the hotels there.

Mallorca’s Caves – Drach

Mallorca is a small island but it has nearly two hundred caves and is said to be the inspiration for Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The Cuevas Drach or Dragon Caves in the town of Porto Cristo are the best known.  There are timed entries so the crowd was big but by holding back a little and going in nearly last we avoided the crush. After lots of steps down we entered the limestone caves, there are four huge chambers of stalactites and stalagmites to walk through until you reach Lake Martel, one of the largest underground lakes in the world.  It is 177 metres long by 30 metres wide. Here you sit in complete darkness for a classical music concert where musicians play on  boats as they are rowed across the lake. The effect of this was spoilt by the screens of so many people recording  on their mobiles despite being asked not to. When the concert has ended you are rowed the length of the lake and led out to the open air.

Caves dels Hams

We also visited the Caves dels Hams while  in Porto Cristo. I have seen some bad on line reviews of these caves but we thought they were quieter and prettier than Drachs, probably because they are smaller and lit with coloured lights . Its true the imitation of the concert at Drachs was slightly strange to say the least with figures projected onto the walls as recorded  music was played. But bizarre is sometimes fun.

 

 

Then back out into the open air and even some sunshine!