Things to Do in Capdepera: Hilltop Castle, Sea Caves and the Beaches of Cala Rajada
Capdepera is the last municipality before Mallorca runs out. Its headland is the easternmost point of the island and the closest land to Menorca, which is why there has been something fortified up here for as long as anyone has kept records.
The result is a municipality with an unusually complete set of things to do. There is a walled medieval castle above the old town, a dune beach protected from development, two cave systems in the cliffs, a chain of watchtowers along the headland, and — down at the water — Cala Rajada, a working fishing port that turned into one of the island's most popular resorts without entirely losing the harbour underneath.
The castle on the hill
The Castell de Capdepera is not a ruin with a rope around it. It is a complete walled enclosure on the hill above the town, and you walk the ramparts the whole way round. Inside the walls are a chapel, a governor's house and a good deal of open ground, because this was not a single keep but a fortified village — somewhere the townspeople could retreat to when a sail appeared on the horizon.
From the walls you get the reason it was built here: the whole eastern coast, the headland, and on a clear day Menorca sitting on the horizon.
- What it is: A complete medieval walled enclosure above the old town
- Why come: One of the best-preserved castles on the island, and the view from the ramparts
- Insider tip: The climb from the town square is short but steep and shadeless — do it early or late, not at midday
Plaça des Sitjar, 5, 07580 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Cala Mesquida and the dunes
Cala Mesquida is the wildest of the big beaches on this coast. A broad arc of sand sits at the mouth of a valley, backed not by hotels but by a protected dune system with boardwalks threaded through it. The development that exists is set back and low, and the result feels much emptier than its popularity suggests.
It is also the beach on this coast that catches the wind. When the northerlies blow, the sea here gets a genuine swell and the surfers appear — pleasant if that is what you came for, less so if you wanted flat water for children.
- What it is: A wide sandy bay behind a protected dune system
- Why come: The most natural-feeling large beach in the east
- Insider tip: Check the wind direction before committing — a northerly turns this beach from calm to choppy
07589 Capdepera, Balearic Islands, Spain
07589 Capdepera, Balearic Islands, Spain
The Coves d'Artà
Despite the name, the Coves d'Artà are in this municipality, in the cliffs above Canyamel. They are entered through a mouth high in the rock face, looking straight out over the sea, and the first chamber is enormous — the kind of space that makes people stop talking.
Inside, the formations are stalagmites the height of buildings, lit theatrically along a walking route. Guided visits go through in groups. Of the island's show caves these are the more dramatic in shape; the Drach Caves along the coast in Manacor are the more famous.
- What it is: A dramatic sea cave system in the cliffs above Canyamel
- Why come: The scale of the entrance chamber and the cliff-mouth setting
- Insider tip: It is cool underground and there are a lot of steps — bring a layer and sensible shoes
Carretera de las Cuevas, s/n, 07589 Canyamel, Illes Balears, Spain
Canyamel: a tower, a beach and a golf course
Canyamel is the quiet corner of the municipality — a low-rise resort at the end of a valley, with a long sandy beach and a good deal of pine behind it. Set back from the sea stands the Torre de Canyamel, a squat medieval defensive tower on the flat, which you can look round and which anchors the valley historically.
The valley also holds a golf course laid out against the hills, and at the top end one of the island's grander modern hotels.
- What it is: A quieter low-rise resort with a beach, a medieval tower and golf
- Why come: Space and calm, within reach of the caves and the castle
- Insider tip: This end of the municipality is where to base yourself if Cala Rajada sounds too busy
Carrer Nuredduna, 07589 Canyamel, Illes Balears, Spain
Carretera Artá, Ctra. de Canyamel, km 5 5, 07580 Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
Ctra. Coves de S'Ermita, Km.8, 07589 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Cala Rajada and its beaches
Cala Rajada is the busy half of the municipality, and it wears it cheerfully. The harbour still lands fish and the promenade round it is the best part of the town, particularly in the evening when the whole resort walks it.
The beaches are small and close together rather than long: Cala Gat, a sheltered pocket of sand reached through pine woods below the lighthouse road, and Son Moll, the town beach, which is straightforwardly convenient. Cala Agulla, north of the town, is the biggest of them.
Above the harbour sits Sa Torre Cega, a clifftop estate whose gardens hold a serious collection of modern sculpture — an unexpected thing to find in a beach resort, and worth the detour.
- What it is: A fishing port turned resort, with several small beaches
- Why come: The harbour promenade, the sheltered coves, and the sculpture gardens
- Insider tip: Cala Gat is a short walk from town through the pines and is calmer than the town beach
07590 Capdepera, Balearic Islands, Spain
Juan March, 2, 07590 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Where to eat
The municipality splits neatly in two for eating. Up in Capdepera town the restaurants sit around the square below the castle and are quieter, more local and more Mallorcan. Down in Cala Rajada the choice is far wider and geared to visitors, with a long-established German following that shows in the menus.
- In the old town: Mallorcan cooking around the square, calmer and more local
- In Cala Rajada: A wide choice along the harbour and back streets
- Insider tip: Book on the harbourfront in high summer — the promenade tables go first
Plaça de l'Orient, 2, 07580 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Ctra. de Artá-Canyamel Km 5, 07589 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Avinguda d'Amèrica, 12, 07590 Cala Rajada, Illes Balears, Spain
Carrer Monturiol, 28, 07590 Cala Rajada, Illes Balears, Spain
Playa Son Moll, s/n, 07590 Cala Rajada, Illes Balears, Spain
Where to stay
Three quite different holidays are available inside one municipality. Cala Rajada puts you in a full resort with everything walkable. Canyamel and Font de sa Cala are quieter and greener, better if you want a beach and an early night. Capdepera town itself is the least touristic option, and the one where you will hear most Catalan.
- Busy: Cala Rajada, for the promenade and the choice
- Quiet: Canyamel or Font de sa Cala, for space
- Local: Capdepera town, below the castle
Urb. Atalaya de Canyamel, Vial A, 12, 07589 Canyamel Platja, Illes Balears, Spain
Avenida Canyamel, 50, 07589 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Getting around
Cala Rajada is compact and walkable, and buses connect it to Capdepera town and along the coast. Everything else rewards a car: the caves at Canyamel, the quieter beaches, and the tracks out to the watchtowers on the headland.
For a single day, take the castle first thing, drive to the Coves d'Artà before the middle of the day, and spend the afternoon on a beach — Cala Mesquida if the wind is kind, Cala Gat if it is not.
Mentioned in This Guide
Explore all the locations mentioned in this guide on the map below.
Cala Mesquida
07589 Capdepera, Balearic Islands, Spain
Platja de Cala Gat
07590 Capdepera, Balearic Islands, Spain
Cap Vermell Grand Hotel
Urb. Atalaya de Canyamel, Vial A, 12, 07589 Canyamel, Illes Balears, Spain
Beach Club Font de Sa Cala
Avenida Canyamel, 50, 07589 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Torre de Canyamel
Carretera Artá, Ctra. de Canyamel, km 5 5, 07580 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Torre de Son Jaumell
07589 Capdepera, Balearic Islands, Spain
Platja Son Moll
07590 Cala Ratjada, Balearic Islands, Spain
Sa Torre Cega
Juan March, 2, 07590 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Castell de Capdepera
Plaça des Sitjar, 5, 07580 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Coves d'Artà
Carretera de las Cuevas, s/n, 07589 Canyamel, Illes Balears, Spain
Canyamel Golf - Mallorca
Ctra. Coves de S'Ermita, Km.8, 07589 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Euforia Tapas
Avinguda d'Amèrica, 12, 07590 Cala Rajada, Illes Balears, Spain
Cucum Beach House
Playa Son Moll, s/n, 07590 Cala Rajada, Illes Balears, Spain
Restaurant Los Arcos
Carrer Monturiol, 28, 07590 Cala Rajada, Illes Balears, Spain
Porxada de Sa Torre
Ctra. de Artá-Canyamel Km 5, 07589 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
Arenal de Canyamel
Carrer Nuredduna, 07589 Canyamel, Illes Balears, Spain
Cafè-restaurant l'Orient
Plaça de l'Orient, 2, 07580 Capdepera, Illes Balears, Spain
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