Portals Vells; emblematic natural beach of sand and rocks
Services and features
Length 50 m / Width 60 m
Natural environment
Sunbed / umbrella rental
Restaurant
Access by car
Free parking
Ideal for snorkelling
Hiking routes
High occupancy
Family friendly
Life guard
Ideal for anchoring
The weather in Portals Vells
Description
Portals Vells beach is one of the beaches that make up the cove of the same name. Specifically, there are two bathing areas on the south side of the small bay. The largest is about 50 m long and just over 50 wide, while the smallest is barely 15 m long and just as wide. The two beaches constitute the mouth of two torrents and are separated by a small rocky area.
The name of Portals comes from the entrances of the cave excavated on its southern margin, and which, according to tradition, were where some of the stones with which the Cathedral of Palma was extracted, which began to be built in the 14th century.
The two little beaches have fine golden sand forming a gentle slope
The swimming area is shallow, so it is ideal to go with children. On the other hand, it does not have access for people in wheelchairs, despite there being nearby car parks.
Close to the beach is the small town (just a handful of houses) of Portals Vells
The main visitors to the cove are these neighbors, local residents and some tourists. However, it is also visited by tourist boats from Palmanova and Magaluf, becoming saturated when these arrivals occur.
If you avoid the crowded hours, it is a good place to visit by boat.
How to get to Portals Vells
The road access to Portals Vells is in good condition, although the road is somewhat long and winding.
How to get to Portals Vells beach by car
Leaving Palma we will take the Via de Cintura Ma-20 towards Andratx. We will then continue along the Ma-1 until exit 14, towards Magaluf/Son Ferrer/El Toro
Following the indications towards Son Ferrer we will arrive at a fork where we will continue straight on and where the path to Portals Vells is already indicated. Shortly before the beach we will have a street on our right, a small parking area close to the smallest of the bathing areas. 70 m further on, in a 180º curve, a short path starts that leads to another esplanade next to this little beach. Following a little more than 100 m we will find the entrance to the car park next to the main beach of Portals Vells.
How to get to Portals Vells beach by bike
Like other beaches and coves in this part of the coast of Mallorca, the existing paths and roads invite you to approach them by bicycle, and Portals Vells is no exception
From the Porto Pi area, at the beginning of the Paseo Marítimo, we will take the Ma-1C towards Cala Major. We will cross Illetas, Portals Nous and Magaluf following the path to Cala Figuera. We will then continue towards Son Ferrer until we find the signs for Portals Vells and its beach. Alternatively we can follow the signs to the Playa del Mago, and from there we can also reach the Portals Vells beach.
How to get to Portals Vells beach by public transport
The closest stop to Portals Vells is 3 km away
- From Palma: we will take line 105 to the end of the line
From the stop we will go south along Avenida Mallorca and then turn left onto Avenida de Portals Vells. To the right there is a dirt road that goes down to the nearby Playa del Rey. At the other end of the small beach, a paved road begins that goes up to the parking area, from where we can reach Playa del Mago. We continue again towards the end of the beach, where a winding path begins towards the road and then goes down to Portals Vells beach.
How to get to Portals Vells beach by boat
Portals Vells beach is a magnificent anchorage, except for the agglomeration of boats that usually occurs. The bottom is sandy, between 4 and 6 m deep in the center of the cove. Avoid dropping anchor on Posidonia.
The cove is exposed to winds between the northeast and southeast, in which case quite a lot of waves rise.
The closest marina is Portals Vells, just 400 m from Portals Vells beach. It has a drinking water supply and an electrical connection, but it does not offer a refueling service, so it is mainly used by sailboats and small boats (up to 2 m draft). The Portals Nous marina is 4.8 miles away, and has all the services.
Services on the beach of Portals Vells
On the Portals Vells beach there are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent. However, it does not have showers. It has the presence of a lifeguard.
There is a popular restaurant installed on the beach for more than 50 years that has services
There are no facilities for the practice of water sports or for the rental of equipment, everything we need we will have to bring ourselves.
Activities
Portals Vells beach is a magnificent place to spend a day at the beach with the family due to its easy access and its calm and shallow waters
The drawback is that the area marked out for bathing, to prevent the invasion of boats, can be somewhat small at certain times in the central summer months.
Inland waters, and always avoiding boats, is perfect for snorkeling and diving
In the areas near the rocks there is a lot of marine life, and we can also find a reef formed by shells. There are also several underwater caves that will delight divers.
If the beach is not very crowded, you can practice paddle surfing, and it is also a good starting or finishing point for kayak routes.
- Route 1: to Puerto Portals, 9 miles
- Route 2: coasting to Son Ferrer and Isla del Toro, also 9 miles
- Route 3: itinerary between Costa den Blanes and Isla del Toro, just over 11 miles
Inland also offers plenty of entertainment for hikers
A must-see is the Cova de la Mare de Déu, which is to the right of the Portals Vells beach. Stone stairs mark the path. This cave, 80 m long and 60 wide, whose entrances are the portals that give the cove its name, was a sandstone quarry from which some of the stones used to build the Palma Cathedral and the church of Santa Eulalia. From here the stones were transported by boat to Palma, since at that time the cathedral was attached to the sea.
Apart from this visit there are quite a few routes to get to know the surroundings of Portals Vells and some points of interest.
- Route 1: another almost essential visit is the watchtower of Cala Figuera, as well as the lighthouse. The views of the bay of Palma are incomparable. We will also pass through the remains of an old military installation, now in disuse. An easy walk of less than 8 km
- Route 2: this walk, equally simple, also takes us past the lighthouse and tower of Cala Figuera and the abandoned military base, but also leads us to El Toro along forest paths
- Route 3: shorter but somewhat more complicated is this coastal route that takes us from Portals Vells to Porto Adriano, 10 km one way
- Route 4: this route takes us through all the beaches of Portals Vells, as well as the Cova de la Mare de Déu and the tip of Cala Figuera. Of 9 km, it is suitable even for children
Most of these routes are also suitable for mountain biking, so bicycle fans also have another incentive to get closer to Portals Vells.
On the beach itself we have a restaurant where we can have a drink or an ice cream, or eat there and try their paellas or fresh fish
We can also take a walk to the beach bar on Playa del Mago, or go to the Sol de Mallorca urbanization or Cala Vinyes, where we will find a good range of bars and restaurants.
Lodging
Next to Portals Vells there is no accommodation available, the closest ones are in the Sol de Mallorca urbanization, where there are several hotels and vacation rentals. In Cala Vinyes there is something more on offer, and less than 20 minutes by car are Magaluf and Santa Ponsa, which has a great offer of hotels, apartments, etc., of all types and prices.
