Last Updated on May 15, 2023
Sa Calobra sits on the north coast of Mallorca, Spain. It’s a small port village around 1 hour 30 from Palma. I visited Sa Calobra as part of a Mallorca island tour which has travel by coach, boat, tram and train. It can be reached via boat from Port de Soller or the road through the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, which is an attraction in itself! A popular thing to see in Sa Calobra is the hidden Sa Calobra beach. Here’s what you need to know about visiting!
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Sa Calobra Beach
If driving to Sa Calobra, there is a public car park just before you reach the port. It is quite expensive, during the peak season it is €3 per hour. There’s a manned toll booth and a machine (the machine has mixed reviews on its reliability!). It’s then a 5 minute walk to the port.
Tour buses and coaches drop passengers right off at the port. The only problem with an organised tour, is that you may be limited on time. We only had an hour in Sa Calobra and were told that we should join the line for the boat trip as early as possible to get good seats!
There’s a small beach in the main port area. It is very rocky and there’s not a huge amount of space, but we did see a couple of people swimming. The hidden Sa Calobra beach is much more popular though and it’s accessed in a more unique way!
Torrent de Pareis
From Port de Sa Calobra, follow the signs to Torrent de Pareis. The Torrent de Pareis is a large canyon created by water cutting through the landscape. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In ‘dry’ months, it is also a popular (but challenging) hiking route. The canyon can often flood during rainy months though, so it’s important to take care and plan in advance. Sa Calobra beach sits at the mouth of the gorge where it meets the sea.
After passing by a few shops and restaurants for 150m, there’s an information area that has pay toilets (50 cent) and showers. These are the closest facilities to Sa Calobra beach, there are none at the actual beach.
Sa Calobra Tunnels
The beach is then accessed via two caves that pass through the rock face of the canyon wall. The tunnels are narrow and quite dark. There is coloured lighting but it’s only really enough to bright enough to slightly light up the path.
During the summer when it’s busy it can create a bit of a bottle neck. The tunnel is just wide enough for 2 people to pass when travelling in opposite directions. People that don’t like dark confined spaces may suffer from claustrophobia. They aren’t very long but they are narrow.
There’s a small viewpoint between the two tunnels where you can step away from the flow of the traffic and take a breather.
Torrent de Pareis Beach
From Port de Sa Calobra to the hidden beach, is around a 15 minute walk. When you exit the second tunnel, you are greeted by the towering canyon of the Torrent de Pareis gorge. There’s a very large pebble beach but the gorge narrows as it reaches the sea. This makes the beach in this area feel very crowded as everyone gathers here.
Even though the sea is calm at the beach, those with younger children may prefer to paddle in the quieter river areas where there’s plenty of space. Water shoes may also be a good idea for comfort when walking over the pebbles. But remember you’ll have to carry any beach gear through the narrow tunnels!
There are places in the gorge with trees that provide some shaded areas. However apart from that it is very ‘out in the open’. You won’t find any umbrella or sun lounger rentals on this beach.
Despite our tour advertising that you would be able to ‘stop for a swim’ at Sa Calobra beach, there definitely wasn’t enough time. The walk from the port to the beach and back and the short time to take some photos took around 35 minutes. It doesn’t leave much time to have a dip, dry off and then get to the boat in time.
Sa Calobra Mallorca
As mentioned, there are some pay toilets close to the start of the tunnels. You’ll find another set of pay toilets (50 cent) at the first aid centre in the port. There are a handful of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops that sell drinks and ice creams. Our guide told us that the restaurants are expensive just because of how cut off the town is. It’s quite an effort to get the produce there! Many of the restaurants have outside terraces so you can dine with a view of the port.
We opted to get ice creams before boarding the boat. There are benches or walls where you can sit, but only a few areas are shaded.
The boat from Sa Calobra to Port de Soller takes around 40 minutes. It’s a Catamaran with toilets on board (that are free) and a bar. The journey can be quite rough which seems to be a common in the waters around Mallorca.
Sa Calobra Road
The road to Sa Calobra is fun to experience. As it passes over the mountain range, it consists of hundreds of switch backs. It can be slow going with the large coaches needing the space to get around the bends. Sa Calobra road is also popular with cyclists which can also slow down traffic.
There are a couple of unique sections such as the ‘Nus de Sa Corbata’. This section of the road is a tight circular loop that crosses under itself like the knot of a tie.
Another cool section, although a little scary if travelling on a large coach, is the point where two sections of rock are very close to each other. There’s only just enough room for the bus to pass through! (Sit on the back seat to get a good view out of the back window while going through).
Looking for a day tour to Sa Calobra?
Check out this full day Mallorca Island Tour with Boat and Train ride. You’ll see Sa Calobra and the Torrent de Pareis, as well as Port de Soller and the town of Soller, where you’ll get to ride the historic Soller train and tram.
Visiting Mallorca? Check out these Posts!
12 Awesome Things To Do In Cala D’Or, Mallorca | Cala D’Or Guide Spain
Cala d Or Beaches | A Guide To The Best Beaches In Cala d Or, Mallorca
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