Cala de Banyalbufar

Banyalbufar's cove sits at the foot of the village, below the dry-stone terraces that step down to the sea, and it's more an old boat slip than a beach: round pebbles, big rocks and concrete ramps where fishing boats were hauled up, with a few boathouses and boats still there. What makes it unusual in Mallorca is the fresh water that springs from the rock face and falls into the sea as a small waterfall, which people use as a shower to rinse off the salt; after a few days of rain it pours, and by late summer it can shrink to a trickle, partly because some of the water is piped off for the village. You walk down from the village in 10 to 15 minutes on a very steep lane and some steps, and the climb back in full sun is what reviewers remember most; you can drive down to a tiny car park by the cove, but it fills before midday. When the sea is calm the water is very clear, gets deep quickly, and snorkelling among the rocks means plenty of fish; some people spot goats on the slope and, from the path above, the sun setting over the sea. The downsides: no facilities whatsoever, little room for a towel, occasional jellyfish, and with a swell there are waves and swimming is sometimes banned. Dogs aren't allowed. One for swimmers and snorkellers; not for small children, anyone with limited mobility or those after sand.

Reviewed in November 2026