Mallorca's Show Caves: Which One to Visit

Mallorca is hollow underneath. Millennia of rainwater have drilled the island's limestone into caverns the size of churches, and five of them have been lit, railed and opened to anyone in walking shoes — no ropes, no helmets, no fear of the dark. They are not interchangeable. Coves del Drac, at Porto Cristo, is the headline act: a short classical concert played from illuminated boats on Lake Martel, one of the largest underground lakes on earth. A two-minute walk away, Coves dels Hams answers with its own live music across the Sea of Venice, a garden of free-flying birds and a documentary projected in deep blue — the pair fold neatly into a single Porto Cristo morning. For sheer drama, drive up the coast to Coves d'Artà above Canyamel, where the halls reach 45 metres and the mouth of the cave opens onto a cliff over the sea. For the opposite mood — quiet, unhurried, kid-easy — the Coves de Campanet under the Tramuntana offer a short, level loop with an audio guide and barely a crowd. And if you only have a Palma afternoon, the small, central Coves de Gènova are the cave you can visit without leaving the city. Five caves, five reasons. Pick by the day you're having.

Nota del editor

All five are lit, surfaced and visitable year-round — no caving gear, just sensible shoes. Two sit side by side at Porto Cristo, so Drac and Hams pair into one morning.