Santa Ponsa Hotels – Dragon Cavern Adventure

In the relaxing resort of Santa Ponsa the beach is the main attraction – but if you want to take the kids on an adventure they will be talking about for years, read on:

At around 50 miles away, this is one of the longer excursions I would recommend if you are staying in one of the Santa Ponsa hotels, but it’s well worth the journey:

Santa Ponsa hotels - Excursions - Cuevas del Drac

The Cuevas del Drac are a set of stunning underground caves that will get your kids wide-eyed with wonder.  The name means “Caves of the Dragon”, and according to an ancient myth a dragon used to live deep in the cave – so you never know what you might find around the next corner!

Each one-hour tour of the cave starts off with a fascinating journey downwards into the cave, past literally thousands of spectacular stalactites (holding on “tite” to the ceiling) and stalagmites (pushing up from the floor with all their “mite”)!

Then, you reach a vast underground lake, first discovered in the year 1896, called Lake Martel.  Although it was discovered in 1896, the lake is many thousands of years old – in fact, it’s been here even longer than the towels on the sunbeds at some Santa Ponsa hotels.  You have a choice here – you can take a little gondola trip across the lake, or walk across a bridge instead.  The kids will probably want to go on the gondola – leave them to it if I were you, or you’ll only get soaked!

The icing on the cake is something very unusual – musicians play a short 10-minute set of live music against the backdrop of a natural amphitheatre right in the depths of the cave.  The acoustics make this an amazing experience that’s a nice change from the usual evening entertainment on offer in most Santa Ponsa hotels, and if your kids normally listen to Westlife or Dizzee Rascal, the live violins might just inspire them.  Well, we can hope..

When you finally come up into the bright sunlight once more, it’s just a short 500 metre hop to the very pretty Porto Cristo – ideal for a refreshment stop or a bit of sunbathing on the sandy beach in this quaint little resort before heading back to your Santa Ponsa Hotel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is it?

The Cuevas del Drac are just south of Porto Cristo, on Majorca’s east coast.  To get there from Santa Ponsa, you could take an organised excursion, details of which can be obtained from reception in most of the main Santa Ponsa hotels.

Alternatively, and this would be my preference, hire a car for the day and make your own way there.  It’s about an hour in the car, and you then have the advantage that you can stop for a break or explore the hidden beach that you happen to spot from the car.

From Santa Ponsa, take the main to Palma, go round the ring road and look for signs to Manacor – directly east.  At Manacor, look for the MA4015 to Porto Cristo, and then join the MA4014.  The caves are on this road less than a mile before you reach Porto Cristo.  There is a large car park.

How much does it cost?

The entrance fee is 10.50 euros, but children under eight go free.  If you go on an arranged excursion where the transport is all included, expect to pay around 30-35 euros but then of course you can just sit back and enjoy it without having to worry about driving.

When is it open?

You are taken into the caves on one of several tours that take place at these times:

1 April to 30 October: tours at 10am, 11am, 12:00 noon, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm.
1 November to 31 March: tours at 10:45am, 12:00noon, 2pm, 3:30pm.

Top Tips

• It’s a popular place, so arrive early to get your tickets or you may need to wait for a later tour.
• In high season, the tours at 10am, 4pm and 5pm are the least busy.
• Pushchairs are not recommended in the cave because of narrow paths and steps.
• Photographs are not allowed in the cave, because the flashing would spoil the enjoyment of other visitors.
• The temperature in the cave is ALWAYS 20 degrees C, so you won’t need to wrap up.

Hope your kids like the caves!  Thanks for reading.

If you are about to book a holiday to Santa Ponsa, you can get the best deals and check availability here: Santa Ponsa hotels and holidays.

BBC weather for Santa Ponsa