If you also like adventure (but the real thing) you will want to explore with me the secret passages of an abandoned military battery, walk on the edge of the abyss in one of the most imposing viewpoints of Mallorca, discover a beautiful wild cove that is like a small fjord or a mountain river embedded between the rocks, enjoy one of the best sun sets at 100 m high and end the day tasting a pa amb oli in a truly authentic place. And, by the way, learn about the history of one of the most sinister capes and the most mythical lighthouses of Mallorca. Do you feel like it?
| Aerial view of Cap Blanc and its surroundings. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
But you should know that here I propose two different plans, one to comfortably enjoy the views and the sunset from a viewpoint that can be easily reached by car (a plan to spend the afternoon that does not involve having to walk), and another for those who have more time and desire to sweat, because you have to dedicate the whole day and walk more than 12 km.
What am I going to offer you in this post?
- A plan for half a day or a couple of hours, comfortable and for everyone.
- Another plan for the whole day that requires sports shoes and desire to walk.
- What to see and do in Cap Blanc.
- Where to eat 100% island products.
- Where to watch the sunset from: the best boxes.
- Where to take a refreshing swim: the best coves.
| Lighthouse of Cap Blanc. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
The great half day plan
If you only have half a day and you come with little desire to walk then I recommend you to go to the cliffs of the lighthouse of Cap Blanc and look out over the cliff, hallucinate with the views from its almost 100 m high and sit here to watch the clouds and the boats go by, a therapy that could well be prescribed against stress and anxiety. Another good idea (and something very popular here) is to bring food and drink from home and sit and wait for the performance of the supreme craftsman, the sunset over the bay of Palma, a spectacle that looks different every day and for which you don't have to pay. Before the climax you can explore the passages of the Cap Blanc coastal battery, just 350 m from the lighthouse. Take a flashlight and large doses of courage and daring to get into these narrow and dark corridors. Imagine (it will be easy) what the lives of those who guarded these military installations would have been like. Still standing are the barracks and the place where the terrible Vickers cannons of 30.5 cm in diameter were hidden from view (now dismantled), those that were brought from the port of s'Estanyol, which was built in 1950 to disembark the cannons and proceed to their transfer in absolute secrecy.
| View from inside the Cap Blanc coastal battery. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
Another good place to continue exploring military ruins is at the nearby Punta Llobera - Cap Roig, where you will find the Refugi de s'Àguila, a very authentic bar/restaurant/shop where you can sit and watch the sunset while tasting a pa amb oli made with care and local products (you can buy oil and other food produced on the farm), after visiting the ruins of what is perhaps the most spectacular bunker in the area. To do so, all you have to do is kindly request permission from the owners of the establishment, who will give you the appropriate indications.
The full day plan
If you have the whole day and you feel like walking then get up early and start the excursion from the Cap Blanc lighthouse to Cala Pi, because I do not know if you know that there is a beautiful path that runs along the sea offering unparalleled views. It's beautiful! Be careful if you go with small children: do not let them get too close to the edge to see how the waves crash against the cliff.
I don't know if you know that just before reaching the lighthouse, on the road coming from Palma, there is what is sadly called "the suicide cape". Right here they had to put some barriers next to the road to avoid "voluntary exits from the road" [...] If you look out you can still see what is left of the cars that intentionally plunged into the void. I remember the first time I saw them, the shattered cars, it was from the water, sailing, and I thought it had been deliberate, but to wreck a stolen car or something. But no. The car was the least of it... It was those lives. Shattered. What really mattered. If only there was a magic formula to convince us that maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow all our problems would be solved and life would make sense again. Rest in peace.
The excursion we started at the lighthouse in the direction of Cala Pi first passes by the tower (one of those mythical watchtowers built to prevent the arrival of the Saracens), where other tormented souls have also found peace. A commemorative plaque recalls that: "In this beautiful place providence took you to heaven. Noble as they come, it wishes you to rest in peace, your soul friend. Grateful I will be until the end of time for having your support in my worst moments...". How sad. It makes my hair stand on end every time I pass by and read it.....
| A section of the excursion that runs along the sea shore from Cap Blanc to Cala Pi. © El Playólogo/Maremecum.
Don't give up. Keep walking, sweating and enjoying the views until you reach Cala Beltrán, where you will not know if what you find is a cove, a river or a small fjord. Take your diving goggles and enjoy, because the place deserves it. There is hardly any beach but the scenery is beautiful. With all those trees lining the shore. And if you still need to cool off, keep walking to Cala Pi, which you have next door, and there you can eat a sandwich on the sand and spend the afternoon at dolçe far niente before returning to watch the sunset from Cap Blanc. From the cape to Cala Pi there are about 6 km of hiking, quite light because there is hardly any accumulated slope. But I am sure that after climbing all the stairs up to the road you will feel like going back by cab.
| Cap Blanc Tower. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
What to see and do in Cap Blanc
Selfie at the artillery lighthouse: the Cap Blanc lantern.
Before I strongly recommend you to come and see any day what is probably the best sunset in the bay of Palma, I am going to tell you a little bit of the history of the lighthouse, so that you realize with which monument you are going to share the experience.
The lighthouse of Cap Blanc was inaugurated in 1863 and since 1970 it has the oldest optic in operation of all the Balearic Islands, a catadioptric optic that had been installed in 1859 in Cap d'Artruch (Menorca).
| Lighthouse of Cap Blanc © El Playólogo/Maremecum
| Lighthouse of Cap Blanc © El Playólogo/Maremecum
| Lighthouse of the Cap Blanc © El Playólogo/Maremecum
When you are sitting on the edge of the abyss, amazed by the verticality of the cliffs, you will surely find it hard to imagine that the old boat service brought the fuel and supplies to the lighthouse by a path that ran along the cliff, because it is almost 100 m high! But bringing it by land was even more tedious.... Before the comfortable road that will bring you here was built, the lighthouse was as isolated from the world as the neighbors who lived on the cape. So much so that the lighthouse keepers ended up acting as teachers for the children of the area who received classes at the lighthouse because of the difficulty of getting to Llucmajor.
| Can you imagine the children receiving their classes with these views? © El Playólogo/Maremecum
Exploring the Cap Blanc coastal battery: shadowy bunkers
About 350 meters from the cape and 200 meters from the cliff you can explore the dismantled remains of a coastal battery that had 4 Vickers cannons of 30.5 cm in diameter, which together with the 3 cannons of Cape Refeubeitx had the main mission of preventing naval bombardment at a great distance from the anchorage and installation of the Naval Base of Palma.
| Bunker of the Cap Roig/Cap Blanc coastal battery. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
Did you know that in the fifties they had the port of S'Estanyol built to be able to disembark the cannons and bring them from there as discreetly as possible? Disembarking them in the port of Palma did not seem to be a good idea, since they wanted maximum discretion, and bringing such cannons by road from there, besides being dangerous due to its dimensions, was too much to talk about...
| Bunker of the Cap Roig/Cap Blanc coastal battery. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
The Cap Blanc battery fired its last shot on May 24, 1994 and has been abandoned since 1996. The Cap Refeubeitx battery was kept in a perfect state of use until it was dismantled in August 1996, when all its parts were blowtorched. It is precisely because it was military land that the whole area was kept out of the reach of construction companies, so that, except for the remains of the battery, it is an area that is totally unspoilt.
| Lighthouse and coastal battery of Cap Blanc. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
Excursion to cala Beltrán and cala Pi: walking to the edge of the abyss
Did you know that you can reach Cala Beltrán and Cala Pi by walking along the edge of the cliff from the Cap Blanc lighthouse? It is a beautiful route that can be done in less than 4 hours (about 13 km round trip), although going in a group with two cars you can leave one at the lighthouse and another in Cala Pi, or return from Cala Pi to the lighthouse by cab, and save half the journey. You will be amazed with the views from the 100 m high cliff! On your way you will find one of the mythical watchtowers, more remains of military buildings, vegetation sculpted by the wind, the layout of what was to be an urbanization, old abandoned huts and caves and karst rocks shaped by the elements. Take with you sunglasses, sunscreen, a good hat and plenty of water, there is not a single shade.
| Cap Blanc Tower. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
| Cala Beltrán. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
Where to eat in Cap Blanc
The bunkers and passages of the Costa del Cap Roig - Punta Llobera battery are very well preserved thanks to the fact that they are located within a private estate, where the small bar/shop Refugi de s'Àguila is located. To see them you have to ask for permission at the restaurant, which is located on the Cap Blanc road p.k.16,4 (once past Tolleric, between Tolleric and the Cap Blanc lighthouse). Coming here to taste any of their pa amb olis or salads made with local and quality products (most of them are grown on the farm) at the right time of sunset is a priceless experience. You can also buy oil and other products from the farm. The place is 100% authentic and still retains its character, and the owners manage it with sympathy. You can call 608 64 30 33 for information and book by WhatsApp. Credit cards are not accepted.
| Bar/shop/restaurant Refugi de s'Àguila, in Cap Roig/Cap Blanc. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
Where to watch the sunset: the best boxes at Cap Blanc
Or sitting on the edge of the cliffs next to the Cap Blanc lighthouse or in the chairs of the Refugio del Águila while sipping a cold beer. Those are my favorite boxes. Although if you are looking for something wilder, try the ruins of the military battery next to the lighthouse, imagining a guard with his eyes fixed on the horizon. Will they come today to shoot at us...?
And to give envy in your social networks be sure to take pictures at the Mhares Sea Club, the famous beach club of the Delta, where in addition to a magnificent sunset over the bay of Palma you can enjoy chill out sessions and very, very elegant live music performances. A romantic dinner with your date, some fashionable drinks... who knows? who knows, but you might end up celebrating your wedding here.
| Sunset from Cap Blanc. © El Playólogo/Marememecum
Where to take a dip: the best coves of Cap Blanc
Cala Beltrán. Is it a cove or a river?
This small cove with hardly any emerged sediment (just a handful of gravel, rocks and detritus swallowed by the sea) has the particularity of adopting a shape similar to that of a high mountain river, as if it were any Pyrenean stream. The sea penetrates between the cliffs and meanders in a prodigious way until it reaches a corner where the pebbles and gravel accumulate under the shade of a large pine tree of colossal size, compared to that of this small cove. To come to sunbathe in the old style is not worth it, but to enjoy a different excursion, short but intense, starting from the tamed beach of Cala Pi, or longer and more panoramic, leaving from the lighthouse of Cap Blanc, is a great idea. Are you in?
| Cala Beltrán. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
But do you sweat or dnot?: Yes, here you do. You have no choice but to walk at least a thousand meters, going up and down quite a few stairs (those of Cala Pi), or take the 7 km long walk from Cap Blanc.
Cala Pi. The Majorcan fjord
Geologically, cala Pi is a perfect example of how the lithostatic uplift and the lowering of the sea level in Mallorca happened. Its origin is linked to the presence of a watercourse that flows over the substrate and erodes it. When a regression (lowering of the sea level) occurs, the watercourses form more or less open canyon-shaped grooves. When the opposite phenomenon occurs, that of transgression (rising sea level), the process is reversed and the sea waters penetrate inland, eroding even more and, in turn, accumulating sand at the bottom of the inlet and creating this unique fjord-like cove. It is worth coming to see the anchored boats levitating over its crystal clear waters, or to take a selfie with its famous tower.
| Cala Pi. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
But do you sweat or not?: Some, but not enough to give up. You have to walk down a few stairs before reaching this paradise of calm and crystalline waters, although you can still leave your car close by. Cheer up, it's not that bad!
Delta. The coves created by man
It is difficult to imagine that on this side of the bay of Palma there could be any beach, because the cliffs are so vertical that you can hardly cling to the sand. But yes, there are some: tiny, beautiful, flirtatious... anarchic! And rocks to lie on. And corners for two... And all thanks in part to the hand of man. Let me explain: these cliffs have areas where the sandstone rock (pedra marés) is of sufficient quality to be used in construction. From here excellent ashlars were extracted for the cathedral of Palma, etc., and the rectilinear hollows left along the shore serve today as natural pools where the sand accumulates forming small coves. You only have to walk a little bit until you find your favorite spot. This is for naturists and lovers of the wild, and for the more comfortable and lovers of luxury you have the Mhares Sea Club, a beach club where you can indulge yourself (swimming pool, hammocks and Balinese beds, high level gastronomy, etc.) and enjoy yourself without lacking anything.
| Delta. © El Playólogo/Maremecum
But do you sweat or not?: Well, if you want, little or nothing, because if you arrive early you can park very close, and if you don't even want to walk to the shore (you only have to walk a few dozen meters) you can go straight to the pool of the Mhares Sea Club and order a cocktail in the shade of those Balinese hammocks.
