Located in the north of the island of Mallorca, Cala Figuera is a striking sea inlet, which leads to a spectacular beach framed by cliffs. Surrounded by fig trees, the turquoise waters and blue sky, look wild to create an incomparable postcard.
At the back of Cala Figuera, the Fumat peak is crowned, 335 meters high, and in front of it two imposing rocks. A redoubt of peace and tranquility with a Mediterranean and romantic personality.
It has two inlets in the bay, Caló d’En Boira and Caló d’En Busques, delimited by two shallow cliffs. The fig trees that surround it are the ones that give Cala Figuera its name.
In Cala Figuera you can always see boats moored for its fishing activity, as well as the traditional Mallorcan “laüts”. It is also a fantastic place to go paddle surfing or kayaking. All of these can be rented at www.redstartours.com.
Keep in mind that Cala Figuera has no sand but a space of pebbles, being more a place to enjoy the sea, tranquility and sport. It is a place where you will not find overcrowding or low quality tourism.
Its waters are crystal clear and on the seabed you can find rocks, sand and lots of marine vegetation. It is a wonder to be able to find starfish, fish, sea urchins or anemones.
The entrance to the sea is not easy because at the beginning, the rocks can be uncomfortable. A few meters further in, the seabed is completely sandy and the water is very clear. It should also be noted that Cala Figuera does not have a great sea depth, not exceeding 5 meters.
Location of Cala Figuera
Cala Figuera is almost 60 kilometers from the capital, Palma. The village of the same name is on the left side of the bay in the shape of a Y-creek. You can photograph the beautiful picture that creates the sea with its fishing boats and the small houses that serve as garage of these.
Cala Figuera belongs to the municipality of Santanyí, whose town, in the south of Mallorca, is located five minutes away from the Cala. It is reached via the MA-6102 road that connects Cala Figuera with Santanyí.
North of Cala Figuera is the 750-acre Mondragó Natural Park, which serves as a sanctuary for birds and protected species of animals and plants. It is home to 75 species of birds as well as goats, rabbits, weasels and turtles.
To the south of Cala Figuera we find Cala Llombards and Cala Santanyí. The first is a paradisiacal cove of fine sand, which resembles a fjord. Later we will talk about the connections between Cala Figuera and other directions.
Characteristics of Cala Figuera
This cove is totally virgin and does not have any type of service, showers, hammocks or lifeguard. To enjoy all these services, it is more advisable to visit Formentor Beach, which is a more crowded place.
Anchoring is allowed in its waters, but keep in mind that usually blows northwest wind, complicating the maneuvers. It is recommended to enter leaving the two islets to the left. The nearest port is 10 miles away.
Next to the cove is a picturesque fishing village, framed by cliffs and pine trees. The fishermen’s houses and boat sheds are painted white, contrasting with the green of their windows.
In many cases, the houses have a terrace next to the water. The style is classic Mallorcan with palm and almond trees. The walls delimit the properties and the fishermen sit to repair their nets.
Although Mallorca has been changing over the years and the tourist furor, Cala Figuera still maintains its original essence intact. It had its heyday in the late 80s but knew how to preserve its identity to remain a fishing village of less than 1000 inhabitants.
On the left side of Cala Figuera we find the charming port. Wooden boats share space with yachts, “llaüts” and sailboats. In the restaurants you can enjoy the typical Mallorcan seafood and fish.
Sitting on the terrace at the edge of the sea, you can enjoy the busy life of the seafaring work. Thanks to the disappearance of the crude hotel complexes built in the 70s and 80s, Cala Figuera regained its original image.
How to get to Cala Figuera
This cove does have good connections with the big towns. To arrive at Cala Figuera from Palma, we will take the central highway MA-13 until the exit 40 direction Pollensa. From there we continue to Puerto de Pollensa and at the traffic circle we take destination Formentor.
If we come from the north of the island, we take the MA-12 road that leads to Puerto de Pollensa, crossing Can Picafort and Playa de Muro. The second exit of the traffic circle will take us to Formentor.
The road to Formentor is very narrow and full of curves. We must be especially careful due to the presence of bicycles and buses. In summer 2022 the passage of cars to the lighthouse has been restricted.
We start descending and after a couple of kilometers we will see the sign to Formentor. We turn left and continue another 3 kilometers along the same road until we reach the Cala Figuera exit.
There we can take advantage of the free parking to leave the vehicle and cross the esplanade of half a kilometer that precedes some stone stairs, after descending which, we will step on Cala Figuera.
Activities in Cala Figuera
Diving in Cala Figuera is very popular. The best known point is called Cap de Catalunya and is north of the cliff. It is for experienced divers since you can descend to 50 meters, where there is a cave of 200 meters inside the mountain.
In the surroundings you can also practice cycling or hiking. It is also very common to see people enjoying the cove riding kayaks or paddle surfing. If you want you can rent the necessary equipment at www.redstartours.com.