El Toro; semi-urban beach with calm waters
Services and features
Length 155 m / Width 30 m
Access by car
Bus stop
Restaurants
Ideal for snorkelling
Residential environment
Free parking
Showers
Paddle-surf
Cycling routes
Average occupancy
Family friendly
Hiking routes
Ideal for anchoring
WC
The weather in El Toro
Description
El Toro beach is a small sandy area located in the urbanization of the same name, in the municipality of Calviá, in the southwest of Mallorca. It is a beach of fine golden sand that is 155 m long and up to 30 m at its widest point. It is surrounded by cliffs of an intense reddish color on which the urbanization is built.
It owes its name to the islet called Illa del Toro, just over 3 km to the south, and comes from an Arabic word for “door”. The Illa del Toro was the gateway to the bay of Palma, the Muslim Medina Mayurqa. Formerly it was known as Es Racó de sa Fragata. It is also called Cala de ses Penyes Rotges, due to the intense reddish color of the cliffs that surround it.
It is very sheltered from strong winds by those same cliffs, and by the breakwater of the marina of Port Adriano, attached to the left bank of the beach
The calm of the waters, and the gentle slope with which it enters the sea, makes it perfect to go with young children. It is also very comfortable for the elderly or people with mobility problems, as it even has a wooden walkway to facilitate access.
The beach environment is highly urbanized
With the marina on one side, residences and hotels on the other, and an urbanization on the cliffs that are in front of the beach. But if the views do not matter much to us, El Toro beach is a good beach where to spend a safe, fun and comfortable day on the beach. Another advantage of El Toro is that even in the summer months it is not overcrowded.
It is frequented mainly by local families residing in neighboring holiday homes
Although there is also a significant percentage of tourists, also families. It is also kept very clean, only occasionally can posidonia remains in the sand.
El Toro is a perfect place for anchoring boats
Although little used since right next to it is Port Adriano.
How to get to El Toro beach
The route to El Toro beach is well signposted
We will take the Vía de Cintura de Palma, Ma-20, in the direction of Andratx to later connect with the Ma-1, the Palmanova / Andratx highway. We will leave the highway at exit 14, towards Magaluf and El Toro. After about 2.5 km we will turn right towards the Son Ferrer urbanization. From here we just have to continue straight ahead, following the directions for El Toro.
After about 3 km we will arrive at the El Toro urbanization. At the first roundabout we will take the first exit, towards Port Adriano, and at about 350, we will take the second exit, towards Gran Via street. We will turn into the first street on the right, Calle Playa. At the end of everything on the left is the access to the Port Adriano car park, and on the right there is a parking area next to the beach.
If we want to get to El Toro by bicycle we also have it very easy
From Palma we will take the Ma-1C, which begins in Cala Major, in the direction of Palmanova, then Magaluf, and following the directions for Santa Ponsa we will arrive at El Toro without problems.
In case of wanting to arrive by public transport we will also have it well
- Line 105 directly connects Palma with El Toro
- We can also use the 104, which connects Palma with Magaluf, Paguera and Santa Ponsa, which has several stops in El Toro. The closest stop to the beach is Port Adriano.
The conditions for anchoring in El Toro are very good
As the beach is very protected there are hardly any waves and currents. Anchoring can be done on a sand and seaweed bottom between 3 and 5 m deep. However, due to the situation next to the port of Port Adriano, it is very rare that there are boats anchored in this cove.
Services
El Toro beach has many services for its users
It has showers and public toilets and has a lifeguard service. However, there is no rental of umbrellas or hammocks, we must bring our umbrella and our beach chairs.
On the right bank of the beach there is a restaurant, and both in the marina and in Gran Via street, where we will have accessed the beach, there are a few more to choose from.
Also in the port there are facilities where to rent equipment for the practice of different nautical sports.
Activities
El Toro is a very popular beach for families, both residents and tourists. Its calm, shallow waters and fine, clean sand invite you to spend a comfortable and safe day at the beach, even with small children.
The most daring swimmers can reach the other side of the cove, about 600 m away, skirting the rocky area
It is also a good place to dive with our snorkeling equipment. If we prefer something calmer, the waters near the shore are perfect for paddle surfing. If we don’t have equipment, we can rent it at the Port Adriano facilities.
In the marina there are several companies dedicated to various water sports
We can rent jet skis, practice flysurf or take part in diving trips, for example to Illa del Toro, one of the most popular diving spots in Mallorca. Keep in mind that the Illa del Toro is in a protected area, so you must request a permit before diving. The same can be said of the Malgrats Islands, about 3 km from El Toro, another point with several very interesting dives.
If instead of under water we want to visit these places on the surface we can reach them by kayak, both to the Illa del Toro and to the Malgrats
In Port Adriano we can rent the equipment if we don’t have it. There are also schools that offer courses of different levels for all these water sports and others: snorkeling, diving, kayaking, sailing, etc.
Although the beach itself is surrounded by an urbanization beyond this there is a lot of nature and landscapes to enjoy
We can follow this route to the Cala Figuera lighthouse, or even follow this other that takes us to Portals Vells.
If we are fans of cycling, we have routes of all kinds and distances at our disposal
The first route will take us to an old coastal artillery base. The second route will take us inland, to the Coll de sa Porrassa. We can also cross the entire cape of Cala Figuera to Cala Falcó, or take a tour of a good part of the Calviá coast.
- Mountain bike route: El Toro – military base – Son Ferrer – El Toro
- Mountain bike route: Coll de sa Porrassa
- Mountain bike route: El Toro – Cala Falcó
- Mountain bike route: Tour of the Calviá coast
Between El Toro and Santa Ponsa we have the Archaeological Park of Puig de la Morisca
Inside which we can visit six archaeological sites that are very representative of the prehistory and ancient history of Mallorca: from the Talayotic to the Roman times. It also contains medieval ethnological samples, from the Islamic period. On the other hand, we can enjoy magnificent views from the top of the hill.
With the little ones in mind there are several water and amusement parks near El Toro
- In Santa Ponsa, less than 4 km away, is the Jungle Park
- Just over 6 km, before reaching Magaluf, we have the Western Water Park
And for both children and adults, in El Toro we will find a good variety of restaurants
If not, in nearby Santa Ponsa we are sure to find somewhere that suits our tastes and budget.
Lodging
Just behind El Toro beach we have a five-star hotel. For the rest, the main accommodation offer is chalets and villas, but at quite high prices due to its proximity to Port Adriano.
To choose from a greater variety of accommodation we can go to Santa Ponsa
With almost 7000 hotel beds, it is one of the main tourist centers in Mallorca. There we will have from hostels and hotels of one and two stars, to the luxury of five-star hotels, passing through those of three and four (the majority).
It also has a wide range of vacation rentals
Apartments, chalets, villas … at lower prices than those near Port Adriano, although obviously with less luxury and glamor.
Take a look at El Toro beach in 360º
