Mallorca has a crazy amount of fascinating places and experiences to offer for holidaymakers from all generations and all backgrounds. There is really something for everyone! One thing that everyone probably likes is a beautiful bay, good food, a wonderful sunset and a boat trip. Have you heard anyone ever say no to that!? Me neither….
So, today we’re exploring the East side of Mallorca. Whereas last time we visited Santanyi (see my other blog post) and the picturesque Cala Santanyi, today we’re visiting Cala Figuera and Cala d’Or. I want to show you how you can spend a perfect day in this part of the island, so that you are 100% holiday proof for your next trip!
In this post you will find out:
- The top spots to visit near Cala d’Or
- The best place to eat and have a drink in Cala d’Or
- Why you should not miss out on Cala Figuera
- Which is the best sunset boat trip in the area
8.30 AM – From Palma to Cala d’Or
I left my home base Palma de Mallorca (capital of the island and main transportation hub) early in the morning. You can either go by Cala d’Or by car, or by bus 501. It takes about an hour and a half, so you can actually sleep still a little bit in the bus if 8.25h is early for you. Or you can take a later bus, there are 8 buses per day. The ticket will cost you around 8,70 euros to get there. Not bad!
10 AM – Discover Cala d’Or & the bay of Cala Gran
After a smoothie for breakfast at LOLA MALLORCA (by far one of my favorite spots in this tourist town), I felt energized and activated to explore the area. Cala d’Or is a bit like a concrete tourist jungle, but there are some nice places if you manage to navigate your inner compass around.
I always feel best near the water, but so thought the jelly fish as well. These days you got to be careful where you swim, because the water is not all yours. Instead, I released my inner lifeguard skills for a while and controled the situation. Safety check!
The beach of Cala d’Or is nice – by the way – …. Do you see how beautiful the water is here? Chrystal clear, perfect picture spot, postcard worthy… Yep, this is a holiday feeling spot!
I loved to walk around the cliffs barefoot for a while, left and right from the beach you can walk the paths that lead to smaller concrete platforms or bigger rock formations where you almost have the Cala for yourself and can enjoy a moment of mindfulness and meditation near the water. There are even ladders to access the water from these sides. So if you’re not really a beach person, jump in from here!
12 AM – The Small & Cute Cala Figuera
Next stop… a bit of a detour, but I had to see it, or… at least that’s what my friend decided. Cala d’Or is located on the East Coast of Mallorca in a larger area called Santanyi (about which I’ve written in this blog post already). There are many smaller bays and villages, such as Cala Figuera, which she recommended me to visit.
Cala Figuera is a touristic place but quiet and peaceful in the same time. It is a fishing village with a few excellent terraces to enjoy the view over the bay and watch the boats passing by. Again, chrystal clear water! I was very happy that we came here, even though it was just for a short time.
2 PM – Lunch in Cala d’Or
Time to head back to Cala d’Or again for lunch in my favorite restaurant in the whole area. LOLA MALLORCA. You might think that it’s just fort he looks (hey, the eye also wants something), but no, LOLA MALLORCA also really has amazing cocktails, salads, burgers, tapas and smoothies. I don’t even know where to start with such a menu.
Tapas are always a good choice as you get to try a little bit of everything… So and that’s what we did. Gosh that tasted goooood!! I am such a foodie. I could spend the a few hours more here, but it’s time to go again for the next activity….
4 PM – Ready for the boat trip
A bit further from Cala Gran and the center of Cala d’Or lies the Marina de Cala d’Or, a spectacular port with impressive yachts and sail boats. We had signed up fort he ‘A la Carte’ Sunset Sailing Dinner Cruise’ with Vita Bel, the number #1 boat excursion company on Tripadvisor. I had to try this to see if it was really that good.
5 PM – Cava Time
To my surprise, we were offered several bottles of cava upon embarkation *ALREADY* so it was really a great start. LOL. And they also served some anti-seasickness pills, just in case… Good combo! We got a little briefing by the great staff and soon started to set out in the ocean.
The next 6 hours we enjoyed the sun, the sea and the excellent service: an open bar, and a few stops on the way to go stand up paddling, snorkeling, swimming, sleeping, … everything you want. We opted for the shared tour so we ended up spending the evening with a group of fellow travelers (mostly from the UK).
5.30 PM – Cala Sa Nau
I did not know this, but the captain only decides where the boat is going once the boat is out on the ocean because they need to see where the wind goes… Go with the flow, I like that spontaneity somehow.
Our first attempt to drop the anchor was at Cala Sa Nau, a very small and narrow bay. It is supposed to be lovely, but we were not the only ones who had the idea. There were so many boats already there that we could not go into the bay. And so, we continued for another stop.
6 PM Cala Estreta
We were more lucky at Cala Estreta, another small bay where there was space for us to go out and swim, snorkel, stand up paddle board (or should I say fall off paddle board?!) and enjoy the sun.
I was a bit more into a relaxing mood today, so I took a siesta on the boat shorty after a refreshing jump into the ocean. BTW: I loved this boat because it had a good platform from where you could be sitting partially in the water like a mermaid.
7.30 PM – Porto Colom dinner
A bit later we continued the trip to Porto Colom, an AMAZING beautiful village with a cute port (which we only saw from the water unfortunately… so maybe a reason to head back one day).
We admired the lighthouse from afar. Always photogenic and beautiful to see lighthouses over the world… isn’t it?!
Then it was time for more drinks to celebrate another beautiful sunset in life, followed by fresh shrimps on the BBQ and later a sumptuous dinner prepared by our professional chef is served at the 12-seater table on deck, accompanied by fine local wines.
I had an excellent salmon filet and really felt blessed and blissed to be here in such great company!
9 PM Sunset
Around 21h the sun really set and I don’t think there was any place more beautiful or better to watch the sun set behind the mountains than from here. I felt so relaxed as if a certain mindfulness and bliss fell over me, and I was even ready for bed.
I think I will suggest Vita Bel to organize sleep-on-deck-sessions to extend my stay next time. I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE THIS BOAT!!!
10 PM Sailing back
Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and so was this well deserved number #1 boat trip in Cala d’Or by Vita Bel. Simply everything about this trip was a dream coming true and I highly recommend everyone going on a trip to Mallorca to spend the 149 euros per person worth this sunset trip. You will not regret it. Rather, you will remember this for the rest of you life.
10.30 PM time to go home
At 22.30h we got back to the port, where all restaurants where now filled up in the Marina de Cala d’Or. It looked like a great place to spend more time, so if you do, book a hotel night here. For hotel tips on the island (and in Cala d’Or), check out this blog post. Because you don’t really want to go back to Palma de Mallorca so far and so late in the evening, like we did. Luckily, we had nice people driving us safely home.
Gosh, can I be more positive about an experience like this?!
To sum up: if you’re heading to Cala d’Or, don’t miss out on:
- A smoothie in LOLA MALLORCA
- The cute bay of Cala Figuera
- A dip in the ocean at Cala Gran
- An unforgetabble sunset diner cruise with Vita Bel
Do you want to book a cruise with Vita Bel? Drop me a message (coment below) or fill out the contact form (who knows I might give you a good tip and an interesting deal! 😉 ). Or simply go the website of Vita Bel. They will be pleased to serve you on your perfect day spent in Cala d’Or!
X x x x From Julie with Love x x x X
PS: Share this post, comment below. Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter and Pin this picture on your Pinterest:
Disclaimer: This blog post was sponsored by Vita Bel and LOLA MALLORCA. From Julie with Love only partners with brands, services and products that she is passionate about and appreciates the support of others making this blog possibe!
From Julie with Love 
Thank you for this awesome post!!! ⛵️🤗 from the Vita Bel Team!