Another beautiful mega-tourist cala
Services and Features
Residential environment
High occupancy
Access for the handicapped
Life guard
Showers
Access by car
Easy parking
Family friendly
Sunbed and umbrella rental
Length 40 m / Width 100 m
Restaurants
Ideal for anchoring
WCDescription
Cala Gran is the largest of the coves that make up the tourist center of Cala d’Or, mostly belonging to the municipality of Santanyí, in the south of Mallorca. It is an artificially regenerated beach of sand and rocks, about 40 m long and up to 100 m wide.
Despite being an urban beach, the cliffs that flank it retain much of their vegetation, and the buildings, low-rise houses, are very well integrated into their environment. The hotels, also low in height, are located at the back of the beach, so they do not spoil the charm of this cove.
Cala Gran is protected from the prevailing winds from the east, so its waters are usually calm. It is a perfect place to go as a family, also given the ease of access. There is even a wooden walkway for people with reduced mobility.
Cala d’Or is the great tourist center in this area of Mallorca, so its beaches, and especially Cala Gran, tend to be very busy in the summer months.
Take a look at Cala Gran
How to get to Cala Gran
Cala d’Or is very well communicated with the rest of the island. It is located just over 60 km from Palma, a little less from the airport. From there we can take the Ma-19 motorway towards Campos / Santanyi / Felanitx. After 25 km we will border Llucmajor and we will stay on the same Ma-19 until we reach Campos. After 10 km we will arrive at this town, and from there we can choose to continue our way through Felanitx or Santanyí, the distance is practically the same.
If we choose Felanitx, at the entrance roundabout we will take the third exit, towards the Ma-5120. At the next roundabout we will follow the same Ma-5120, and after about 700 m, at the last roundabout, we will take the third exit, following the Ma-5120. We will travel a little more than 10 km and we will have reached Felanitx. 300 m later we will turn right, already following the indications to Cala d’Or. At the end of this street we will turn left and immediately right to continue on the Ma-14. After 4 km we will come to a fork: we will follow the detour to the left, in the direction of Cala d’Or, on the Ma-4016. At 5 km we will find another roundabout, we will take the second exit, towards Calonge, and we will follow the Ma-4013 that already leaves us in Cala d’Or.
If we choose to go through Santanyí, when we reach Campos we will follow the Ma-19, which crosses the entire town. At the roundabout at the entrance to Santanyí we will take the third exit, following the Ma-19. At the next roundabout we will continue straight, and at the last we will take the second exit to follow the indications to Cala d’Or. Before we will cross l’Alqueria Blanca, but the directions are very clear.
If we are in the north or east of Mallorca, the best option is to go to Manacor
Once there take the Ma-14 towards Felanitx. From there we can follow the indications to Cala d’Or.
In Cala d’Or there are several public car parks so we should not have many problems to park our car. Next to the access to Cala Gran there is a car park, but small, and it usually fills up very quickly.
Cala d’Or also enjoys good connections with the rest of the island by public transport. Line A51 directly connects Cala d’Or with the airport, passing through s’Arenal. Line 501 connects Cala d’Or with Palma, passing through, among others, Santanyí, Campos and Llucmajor. From the eastern area we have line 425 from Manacor, and line 441 from Cala Ratjada. In summer from the north we can take line 449, which goes to Puerto de Alcudia and Puerto de Pollensa, among other destinations. Line 453, also in the summer months, connects Cala d’Or with the Sierra de Tramuntana, reaching Valldemossa, Deiá, Sóller, etc. Also in the summer months there are several lines to get from Cala d’Or to some of the most popular markets in Mallorca: on Mondays line 841B brings us closer to Manacor; and on Thursdays we can visit the Inca market taking the 831C.
We can also get to Cala Gran by boat. In neighboring Cala Llonga we have the marina of Marina de Cala d’Or, one of the most important and luxurious in Mallorca. But if we do not require the services of a marina, we can anchor at the mouth of the cove. It is advisable not to stay right in the mouth so that the bottom currents do not push us. The sandy bottom is between 5 and 7 m deep in that area.
Services
Cala Gran has all the services that you can expect from a beach in a first class tourist destination. We will have the possibility of renting umbrellas and hammocks, and we will also have bathrooms and showers at our disposal. For the peace of mind of its users, there is also a lifeguard service during the summer months.
It also has bars and restaurants on the beachfront, not to mention those found in the rest of Cala d’Or.
Activities
Cala Gran is perfect for spending a day at the beach with the family. The calm and cleanliness of its waters, together with the services we have, will allow us to enjoy a quiet and comfortable beach day. In addition to enjoying the water, the children have a small playground at the back of the beach.
For fans of snorkeling and diving, the bottoms of Cala Gran, but especially the cliffs that protect it, will provide a great show, with a lot of presence of marine fauna. In Cala d’Or there are several diving schools where we can start practicing this sport, or where we can rent equipment. Outings to offshore points are also organized for more experienced divers.
Cala d’Or is also the stopping point for several cycling routes. If we are fans of road biking, we can choose both quiet routes that border the coast and more demanding routes inland, such as the climb to the nearby sanctuary of San Salvador. Many rural roads are perfect for mountain bike fans.
For hiking enthusiasts there are quite a few routes that we can take from Cala Gran or one of its neighboring coves. We can take a tour to see the other coves of Cala d’Or, go to neighboring Cala Ferrera to walk to Portocolom, or go to Cala Mondragó to visit its Natural Park:
If we have cultural concerns Cala Gran and its surroundings are places steeped in history
This is where the Arab troops landed and invaded the island, and here too the Bourbon troops landed to put down the last Austrian resistance in the War of Succession. From that period is precisely the nearby Forti, an 18th century fortress restored and converted into a cultural center, which also offers us a spectacular viewpoint over this part of the Mallorca coast.
Older are the Santueri Castle, from the 14th century, and the site of the Talaies de Can Jordi, from the pre-Talayotic and Talayotic times, but they are only a small sample of the cultural and historical richness of these lands.
Finally, we must not forget to regain strength. The gastronomic offer that we can find in Cala Gran in particular and in Cala d’Or in general can satisfy all tastes and budgets. From gourmet haute cuisine to simple and homemade menus, we can find all the options.
Lodging
Cala d’Or is one of the oldest and most popular tourist centers in Mallorca, and as such offers a wide range of accommodation. In Cala Gran itself there are several 3 and 4-star hotels, and very close there are from 2-star family hostels to luxury resorts.
We also have a wide variety of aparthotels, tourist apartments and villas and chalets next to the cove.
Do not miss the aerial view of Cala Gran in 360º
