Welcome to Cala Millor. I hope the following information can be of use to you. My visit took place during May 2015.
Photo – Fisherman at Cala Millor
After arriving on a beautiful sunny morning, I couldn’t wait to get my sandals on and begin exploring Cala Millor. On first impressions, I felt captivated by the vast expanse of golden sandy beach and the striking aquamarine sea. But Cala Millor is more than just a beach, it’s a haven for everything you could want in a seaside resort, from lying on the beach relaxing to being active from morning to night.
Photo – view of the bay from the watchtower
Activities for Children
There are numerous activity centres where children can exhaust their constantly replenishing energy on bouncers, go-carts and mini fair rides. Many of the cafes are set in front of the sea, giving parents a chance to relax while watching the children play close by. The Cafe del Sol on the Cala Millor beachfront has a little park attached for younger children to enjoy.
See my notes below on Castell de sa Punta de n’Amer. Children will love the parrot.
photo – human statue on the beach wall
Cycling
For the more active amongst us there are bike hire shops everywhere. I’m not extremely active therefore the closest I got to the bikes was checking out the price. The shop I spotted charged €5 per day to hire a bike which is an absolute bargain. The walk from the far side of Cala Millor to the harbour in Cala Bona takes approximately 30 minutes at a brisk pace. If you like cycling, I’m sure it would only take about 10 minutes. There is also a designated cycle path along the promenade so that you can gaze at the sea as you peddle along. But don’t forget to keep an eye out for clueless pedestrians.
If cycling is made difficult by the fact that you have young children, then why not afford yourself a funky cycle car? These come in many a quirky colour, with a hood and a bell. Families can have hours of fun peddling from cafe to cafe on one of these.
Walks and Exploration
Safety tip: If you are a pedestrian, make sure you check the cycle lane before you cross. Bikes can whizz along at a high speed.
Walk to Cala Bona
The walk to Cala Bona from Cala Millor is something that you need to do. Our hotel rep recited a little poem to help travellers identify when they’ve reached Cala Bona, which I will pass on to you.
‘If there are fish on the floor, you’re in Cala Millor (pronounced Cala Miyour), If the fish are a gonna, your in Cala Bona.’
Photo – Cala Bona
If you’re wondering what these fish are, rest assured, no one has come along and dumped a stack of mackerel along the promenade. The path is engraved with little fish along Cala Millor seafront. When you reach Cala Bona, the fish are a gonna, as the rhyme explains. Let the floor guide you. If you’re facing the sea, proceed with walking left along the coastal path.
For stunning reflections of the sun in the sea and a cooler temperature, I’d recommend the morning to do this, but that’s merely my opinion, I’m a sucker for a beautiful sunrise. The tree lined promenade will capture your heart. Also, the path is smooth therefore makes easy walking for anyone with mobility problems. In fact the whole resort is fairly flat and easy to navigate. It’s difficult to get lost.
Walk to Castell de sa Punta de n’Amer
Photo – Castell de sa Punta de n’Amer
Okay, how to get there from Cala Millor seafront. If you’re facing the sea, turn right and keep walking along the beach. The journey should take you about 25 minutes. You soon reach bumpier ground. At this point, you should take a right and cut through one of the gaps in the shrubs. Leave the beach and follow the path.
Once you’ve climbed a little, you will see the watchtower in the distance. The path is lined by lilac and yellow wild flowers and shrubby dunes. The silence is a delight. I live in a busy town, it’s rare that I hear nothing, so this level of silence is a novelty. I’d recommend that you take a bottle of water and wear comfortable footwear not flip flops.
Castell de sa Punta de n’Amer is a defence tower that was completed in 1696. Once you reach the tower you will be met with a small cafe, which I must mention, for a tourist attraction is extremely cheap. Entering the tower itself is free of charge, and two coffees with milk cost €3.20. See the menu below for food (May 2015).
One huge attraction is the parrot. As you approach you will be faced with a small shed. In this shed lives a parrot. Don’t be deceived by his splendid colours and majestic way of balancing along his beams, he is fast and angry. I can see his point of view though. He’s trying hard to have a peaceful life and people stare at him, coo and take pictures of him while constantly encroaching on his personal space. (I’m taking a big liberty here calling it a he, I have no idea how to sex a parrot). I’d recommend that you observe his splendour from a respectful distance, zoom in on your camera (as I did) if you have to. Also, for their own safety, I’d keep children well back.
Photo – parrot
The tower is accessible along a drawbridge. There are no safety barriers at either side so please keep your wits about you while walking along it. You will then enter what feels like a large brick cube with some artefacts displayed in cabinets in front of you and a spiral staircase to your left. There are 2 floors, the final floor is the roof. The view from the roof is spectacular. You can see the whole bay from Cala Millor to Cala Bona and beyond. If you look the other way you see Sa Coma, another little seaside village. Enjoy and relax, take in the views while you visit.
Walk to Sa Coma
Now, if you haven’t had enough of a walk, you can continue on the path through the watchtower which will eventually take you to Sa Coma. This can be reached in approximately 10 minutes. To your right you will pass a horse ranch before reaching the edge of the promenade. The strange road that you’re about to step on is where the little train rumbles down. I say train, it is a couple of carriages pulled by trailer. The stop is on the opposite side. Once you’ve had a walk and explored this little village, you might want to get the train back. For a one way ticket to Cala Millor, it cost €2.50 per person. Or you may want to do a little horse riding.
Photo – the horse ranch at Sa Coma
Walk to the Nature Reserve
Photo – path through the nature reserve
A 200 hectare nature reserve lies between Cala Millor and Sa Coma. There are trees, shrubs and pines galore. The paths are made of sand. I’d recommend wearing shoes that don’t fill up with sand unless you want to empty them every few minutes. This is a regular horse riding route so be aware of all the dung. Parts of the dunes are roped off to enable regeneration. Here you will find your fill of flora and fauna. We were out a little late to see much but we did catch sight of a rabbit.
Photo – outskirts of nature reserve
Nightlife
If you’re looking to party until dawn, I wouldn’t advise Cala Millor. It is a sleepy seaside town where rest seems to be the primary offering. The cafes and bars do offer entertainment, from a singer with a guitar to bands. We did however find one happening spot that provided nightly entertainment. This lively establishment is called Cafe del Sol (the one I mentioned earlier) and is located on the seafront. This cafe bar has a different band on each night. One band we watched called ‘Without Strings,’ was one of the memorable acts. Not only did they play, they put on a performance to remember. The music was varied, from Elvis to Blur. If you go, seek them out, they’re well worth a watch and regularly play at this bar.
Eating Out
There’s no shortage of amazing cafes and restaurants to try, from plastic chair budget cafes to higher end restaurants. You’ll also find other cuisines including Indian and Chinese. There are bars galore that serve different beers, we even spotted a Guinness Bar.
Food is reasonably priced. On average, I think you could do a full breakfast for €4, a lunch of pizza/baguette for €5-€10 (be aware that most cafes serve huge portions, you may wish to share and order a side too) and evening meal approximately €8-€20 depending on how high end you want your food to be.
It’s cheaper to drink beer than anything else. Many places sell a beer for €2, I often paid more for cola. Coffee is generally cheap. It definitely pays to shop around.
Photo – Cala Millor High Street runs parallel to the beach
There are a few good deals on tapas. Sometimes the portions are larger than you expect too. My personal favourite is the calamari, croquettas and the patatas bravas. I also love the fried peppers. Tapas are a must do here. Some offer half a bottle of house wine and four tapas for a deal price. Be sure to shop around.
Self Catering
There are Spar shops everywhere, when I say everywhere, I mean the resort should be called Spar too! I did spot an independent bakery in Cala Bona but I feel I didn’t look hard enough in Cala Millor. If you’re hungry on your way out of a Spar, you can pick up a gherkin and a sausage to eat as you go. (Makes a change from sweets at the till). If you head back towards the main road, away from the beach, there is a larger supermarket.
Beach
I’m not going to bore you with long descriptions of the soft golden sand or the cool lapping sea. The beach is everything you’d want from a beach. Sun loungers are available to hire by the day at approximately €4. If safety is a concern though, there are lifeguards positioned in look out towers at regular intervals. We were lucky enough to see them in training one evening. Rest assured, if you get cramp while swimming too far out, these people are more than competent to drag you back to land. We watched them pulling real people out of the sea before giving mouth to mouth and chest compressions to CPR dummies.
Photo – Cala Millor beach
Car Hire
Prices from €28 per day for a basic runaround.
Excursions
Many tourist offices will do a variation of the trips below plus more. They start from approximately €15.
Glass bottomed boat trip.
Island tour by train, tram and boat.
Palma with trip around the harbour and Playa del Palma.
Paradise Tour (Sineu Market, West Coast and Fornalutx).
Alcudia with market, Formentor and Lluc Monastry.
Palma Cathedral and Shopping.
Palma Aquarium.
Marineland.
Son Amar.
Accidents or Illness
If you have an EHIC card, you can use it at UB Cala Millor (details below) to receive treatment. If you have private insurance, there are clinics and doctors located on most streets. I sincerely hope that you have no requirement for this information.
UB Cala Millor
National health service medical centre. Located at Calles es Molins 15, 07560 Cala Millor, Mallorca.
Tel: 971 586 621
Essential Phrases
Hello – Hola.
Good morning – Buenos días.
Good evening – Buenas noches.
Bye – Adiós.
Yes – Sí.
No – No.
Sorry – Lo siento.
How are you? – ¿Cómo estás?
I’m fine – Estoy bien.
Please – Por favor.
Thank you – Gracias.
How much is it? – ¿Cuánto cuesta?
Can I have the bill please? – la cuenta por favor?
I only speak English – Sólo hablo inglés.
Where are the toilets? – ¿Dónde están los baños?
If you’re going to Cala Millor, I hope you have a fabulous time and enjoy it as much as myself and my husband Nigel did. Feel free to add recommendations of your own in the comments section below. Or if you want to drop a picture of Cala Millor, please do so. Selfies in front the sea are welcome too.
If you love a read while on holiday, check out the first book in my crime series, The Next Girl.
Carla Kovach
Twitter : CKovachAuthor
Facebook: Carla Kovach Author
(Copyright – N Buckley & C Buckley)
The Next Girl
She thought he’d come to save her. She was wrong.
Deborah Jenkins pulls her coat around her as she sets out on her short walk home in the pouring rain. But she never makes it home that night. And she is never seen again …
Four years later, an abandoned baby girl is found wrapped in dirty rags on a doorstep. An anonymous phone call urges the police to run a DNA test on the baby. But nobody is prepared for the results.
The newborn belongs to Deborah. She’s still alive.
If you love Lisa Gardner, Patricia Gibney and Robert Bryndza, you’ll love this jaw-dropping new crime thriller from Carla Kovach. The Next Girl will keep you guessing until the very last page.
UK links
GB: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Next-Girl-gripping-heart-stopping-Detective-ebook/dp/B078S55Z34
http://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-next-girl
US links
USA: http://www.amazon.com/Next-Girl-gripping-heart-stopping-Detective-ebook/dp/B078S55Z34
For a horrifying and thrilling holiday read, check out my latest novel Whispers Beneath the Pines.
Carla Kovach - Author 