Let’s take a trip round the corners of Mallorca that leave you speechless, though they’re only within reach if you know where to park. On the island, the most impressive spots aren’t beside a main road or a car park: they’re wedged between cliffs, tucked round hairpin bends, or hidden well off the beaten track. The unspoilt coves where the sea looks like a natural swimming pool do take a little effort to reach.
Getting to Mallorca’s most hidden coves calls for a little skill behind the wheel, a little planning, and above all a clear idea of exactly where to leave the car before you set off on foot.
In this article, ROIG explains how to reach the coves of Mallorca where parking is the key that opens the door to paradise.
Why Mallorca’s best coves are the hardest to reach
The Mallorcan coastline has been carved out by torrents that, over the years, have cut through the cliffs and run down to the sea in the form of small coves. To protect these spaces from overdevelopment, Balearic regulations have restricted the building of car parks and services near the coast.
Parking as the real barrier to entry
For the vast majority of the island’s unspoilt coves, the limiting factor isn’t access to the sea itself, but the number of spaces available to park within reasonable walking distance. Local councils have done away with the makeshift parking that used to line verges and rural tracks to protect the surroundings.
As a result, the number of regulated parking spaces acts as a natural cap on numbers: once the official car parks fill up, road access is effectively closed off to everyone else.
Why you need a car to get there
Public transport routes connect the main towns and the big tourist beaches, but they don’t reach the access points for the wilder, more remote coves.
Having your own car hire in Mallorca gives you the freedom to bring parasols, cool boxes and walking shoes right to the parking spot, as well as the flexibility to change plans if an area has already reached its daily quota. But if you’d rather not drive, ROIG also offers transfers in Mallorca and chauffeur-driven cars in Mallorca for maximum comfort.
The golden rules for parking without ruining your day
To park near Mallorca’s unspoilt coves during the summer months, you need to know the rules of the game. One slip-up or a poor last-minute decision can turn an idyllic day at the sea into a hefty fine or a trip to the tow yard.
Get up early (the one rule you can’t break)
If you want to secure a space in the authorised car parks near the most sought-after coves, timing is everything. Arriving before 8.30 or 9 am is the only real guarantee of parking without any stress.
From around 10 am in high season, most of the small car parks put up the “full” sign, and frustrating tailbacks build up along the rural access roads.
Restrictions and fines in high season
Parking is strictly forbidden on the verges of secondary roads, on vegetation, at the entrances to private land, or in a way that blocks emergency escape routes.
Local police and the Guardia Civil step up patrols along coastal access roads in summer, and fines for parking in protected or restricted areas range from 100€ to 300€, on top of the cost of having your vehicle towed by the local council. Always pay close attention to the road signs and the yellow lines painted on the tarmac.
Apps and reference car parks to check before heading off on foot
Before setting your car’s sat nav, look into the exact location of the official or park-and-walk car park for the cove you’re planning to visit. In many areas, such as around Santanyí or the coves near Manacor, well-signposted pay car parks or blue zones have been set up as the starting point for the walk down.
Checking real-time map apps or local sources before heading for the coast will save you from driving blind down dead-end roads.
If you’d rather take things at your own pace, you could book one of the organised activities in Mallorca instead. ROIG offers a wide range of experiences in Mallorca that let you discover the island with local guides, with transport included for extra convenience.
The unspoilt southeast, between Santanyí and Ses Salines
Mallorca’s southeast is well known for its turquoise waters and stone cliffs. Even so, it’s worth knowing where to leave the car if you want to explore its best-known coves.
Caló des Moro and Cala s’Almunia
Caló des Moro is probably the most photographed and famous cove on the whole island: a narrow sliver of sea wedged between stone walls, with water so clear it looks like a swimming pool. Right next door, Cala s’Almunia has a charming traditional jetty carved into the rock.
Driving into the Sa Comuna urbanisation is strictly forbidden. You must leave your car in the free public car park at the entrance to the Cala Llombards urbanisation (clearly signposted from the Ma-6100 road).
From there, it’s a 15 to 20 minute walk along the urbanisation’s paved streets until you reach the steps down to Cala s’Almunia, or the dirt path leading to the upper part of Caló des Moro.
Cala Llombards
A lovely white sand cove that’s easy to reach, ringed by low cliffs and picturesque little fishermen’s huts (escars) with wooden doors, where the traditional llaüts are kept.
Unlike its neighbours, Cala Llombards has a paved car park right on the beach. It’s very handy if you’re travelling with family or laden with parasols, but spaces are limited.
If you don’t arrive first thing in the morning, the access barrier closes, and you’ll need to park higher up in the urbanisation and walk down a long, stepped ramp.
Cala Màrmols
A wild, isolated paradise, marked out by a white sand beach flanked by towering rock walls up to 20 metres high. It’s one of the quietest coves in the southeast, thanks to how hard it is to reach on foot.
There’s no car park nearby. The usual option is to leave the car at the Cap de Ses Salines car park (at the end of the Ma-6110 road). From the lighthouse, you’ll need to set off along a lovely coastal footpath that hugs the cliffs for around 5 kilometres (roughly an hour and a quarter’s walk each way).
Proper footwear, plenty of water and sun protection are essential, as there’s no shade along the way.
The wild east near Cales de Mallorca
Manacor’s eastern coastline is known for its ravines and pine woods running down to the coves. Here, the distance between the last stretch of tarmac and the sand means walking is unavoidable, but it’s well worth it.
Cala Varques
Considered one of Mallorca’s most impressive unspoilt coves, it’s famous for its impossibly turquoise water, its sea cave with underground galleries, and the striking natural stone arch (Es Pont) that towers over the neighbouring cliffs.
The old dirt track access via Es Camí de Cala Varques is closed to traffic. You’ll need to leave the car in the authorised lay-bys along the main Ma-4014 road (between Porto Cristo and Cales de Mallorca), or in other designated spots nearby.
From there, it’s a 30 to 40-minute walk along dirt paths down to the bay.
Cala Magraner and Cala Virgili
Two neighbouring coves tucked between cliffs. Cala Magraner is popular with climbers, thanks to its sheer walls right at the water’s edge, and with anyone looking to escape the crowds, while Cala Virgili is a tiny spot with real peace.
The main parking spot is near the Ma-4014 road, close to the entrance of the Cales de Mallorca urbanisation. Once you’ve left the car, you can continue on foot past the access barrier along a flat rural track for around 25 to 30 minutes.
The hidden north in the Serra de Tramuntana
In the north of the island, the Serra de Tramuntana meets the sea. Here, the coves are stony, the views are stunning, and the route down, by car and on foot, takes an effort that’s well worth making.
Cala Tuent
Sitting at the foot of Puig Major, Cala Tuent is a shingle bay with crystal-clear water, sheltered by pine woods. It’s one of the few wild coves in the Tramuntana that stays genuinely peaceful, even in the height of August.
You reach it via the Ma-2141 road (the same one that leads to Sa Calobra), taking the signposted turn-off for Tuent. After a spectacular stretch of bends lined with age-old olive trees, you’ll arrive at a small, unpaved car park just metres from the shore. Space is very limited, so getting there early is essential.
Coll Baix (Cala des Coll Baix)
In Alcúdia, you’ll find this striking cove with deep blue water, guarded by sheer limestone walls more than 200 metres high.
Drive from Alcúdia towards the Mal Pas area until you reach the unpaved forest track that climbs up to the Coll Baix refuge. You’ll need to leave the car in the designated parking area next to the refuge.
From there, it’s a 30 to 40 minute walk downhill along a path that finishes with a final stretch over rocks right at the water’s edge. Worth noting: closed-toe shoes with a good grip are essential.
Cala Boquer
Cala Boquer sits at the end of the Boquer Valley, near Port de Pollença. This stony cove is fully sheltered by the Serra de Cavall Bernat and offers a mountain landscape that hangs right over the sea. Its clear waters are ideal for snorkelling.
Park at the public car park at the entrance to the Cases de Boquer estate (in Port de Pollença). From there, it’s a gentle 45-minute walk through the whole valley, past native dwarf palms and wild goats, before you reach the cove.
The ideal car to reach them all, with ROIG
To reach the car parks that give access to these unspoilt coves, you’ll need to drive along mountain roads, secondary tracks and dirt or gravel access ways. That’s why ROIG’s fleet of vehicles includes top-category cars that guarantee maximum safety. Take a look at our current car hire deals in Mallorca and enjoy unspoilt, beautiful, natural scenery that you can only reach by driving there.
Reaching these hidden coves is only possible if you plan your route well and have the freedom that comes with your own car. Don’t let parking restrictions or unfamiliar roads limit your Mediterranean summer, and discover Mallorca’s most spectacular coves at your own pace.