The resort of Cala Bona and its nearest neighbour Cala Millor, are both part of the municipal district of Son Servera on Majorca's quieter east coast. Although the transfer time by coach for the 65km journey east from Son Sant Joan International airport at Palma can vary, it usually takes around 2 hours to make the transfer into the resort.

For the independent travellers who prefer to hire a car at the airport and make their way into the resort, driving to Cala Bona from Palma is fairly straightforward, once you've adjusted to driving on the "wrong side of the road", although a slight complication certainly worth mentioning is that in recent years the local Government on the island has re-numbered most of the roads on Mallorca, so please make sure that you have an up to date map before setting out!

For those visitors wishing to drive, the Ma-15 Carretera de Palma a Manacor will take you all the way to Sant Llorenc des Cardassar, and from there the Ma-4030 takes you into Son Servera, after that it's quite well signposted for the final few miles over to the east coast and Cala Bona.

On a good day an experienced driver should do it in around 1.1/4 hours, but as in the UK if you get stuck behind a lorry or tractor, this will increase the journey time substantially.

As with the other resorts on the island, a more detailed version of this route, complete with links to maps where appropriate, is available from the Route Map link on the left hand frame of this page.

If for whatever reason you do not have the luxury of a coach transfer and prefer not to drive, there are always plenty of taxis available from the ranks outside of the arrivals hall, although on occasions you should be prepared to queue.

In theory at least, they should all operate on a fixed price basis, typically charging around €75 to €80 for the journey to Cala Bona, however experience has shown that this "fixed price" may vary slightly depending upon the number of suitcases, the time of day or night of the journey, and of course the number of passengers carried.

Also an important consideration for families with small children, is that these taxis do not as a rule carry child seats, therefore children may have to sit on their parent's knee for the journey. If this is a cause for concern, we strongly recommend that you make arrangements for a pre-booked taxi to be waiting for you, and clearly specify at the time of booking that a child seat is needed for the journey.

Cala Bona is not a purpose built holiday resort, but more of a small traditional fishing village that has grown and adapted to cater for the islands tourist market. The town today still has its original narrow streets, which from a drivers point of view can be an absolute nightmare to navigate without incurring the wrath of another drivers horn, along with a small working harbour, around which you'll find a wide variety of open air cafes and bars. Although, many of the other resorts on the island have developed a very German feel, Cala Bona still remains a favourite of the British tourist.

As little as 50 years ago much of this area of Majorca was still little more than a lonely dune covered stretch of coastline. But with almost 2km of fine sandy beach running from Cala Bona ('The Good Bay') to Cala Millor ('The Better Bay') and an every increasing demand for beds, the area has grown to become the major resort development on Mallorca's east coast.

In all fairness to the local council, considerable efforts have clearly been made to maintain "green zones" and extend protection to areas of special environmental interest, the most notable of these being the Punta de n'Amer headland to the south of Cala Millor, which we'll cover in more detail on our Attractions page.

Cala Bona itself also boasts a number of small sandy beaches situated between rocky outcrops, however, in recent years there has been a particular problem with seaweed gathering here. Thankfully now the local Council have recognised the problem and are gradually bulldozing it away.

Once you move away from the larger hotels, the town itself has few attractions for the active family, when compared to the likes of either Palma Nova or Magaluf, which may be an attraction in itself. However, it is possible to walk along the new promenade from the harbour at Cala Bona to the more lively resort of Cala Millor approximately 15 to 20 minutes away to the south.

I'm sure that we've said before on a number of occasions, but public transport around the east coast is very limited, so it may be worth considering car hire to see more of the surrounding area. For those visitors with a very strong sense of adventure, the local bus operator Aumasa does actually run a service over to Alcudia on the north west coast of the island, and even Soller, which is deep in the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range.

Evening entertainment here is not rowdy and is generally hotel based, although over the past few years a number of more lively bars have started to appear. For those of you who remember the 1960's, the singer "Leapy Lee" is a local celebrity who during the summer season, frequently appears at many of the live venues in the area.

In all fairness, Cala Bona is not particularly suited for those families seeking an active holiday, but perhaps more so for those looking for a relaxing break with the option of the "bright lights" of the more lively Cala Millor around 5 minutes away by taxi.

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This website was launched on 1 May 2002

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