I visit Cala Llamp multiple times a summer and often even in the off-season. It’s one of my favorite places to snorkel and freedive, plus it’s easily accessible while still offering secluded areas away from the crowd. To top it all off, the beach is right below Beach Club Gran Folies, a popular restaurant serving Mediterranean food and relaxing cocktails to an unbeatable view.
Whether you’re in Mallorca for a day or a year, I recommend putting this rocky cove at the top of your list.
Cala Llamp
Basic Information
| Type of Beach: | Rocky cove |
| Closest Town: | |
| Body of Water: | Cala Llamp |
| Best Hotel: | Villa Cala Llamp |
Rankings
Mallorqueta Superlatives
Best Beach for Snorkeling
Best Virgin Cove
Best Seaside Dining
How to Get to Cala Llamp
Cala Llamp is a large cove (I’d honestly call it more of a bay than a cove) on the other side of La Mola from Port d’Andratx. While the entire cove is well developed, beach access is limited to a small strip in the center in front of Beach Club Gran Folies since the rest is formed by cliffs. There is a small parking area by the beach club, or there is street parking in the extensive resedential area, requiring you to walk down to the beach.
Driving
From Palma, take the Ma-1 autopista west in the direction of Calvià and Andratx. You can either by take the Ma-20 beltway west towards Andratx and then merge onto Ma-1 after the tunnel, or you can get on the Ma-1 directly as it passes through Palma as Avinguda de Gabriel Roca that runs along the port and passeo maritimo.
You simply follow the Ma-1 all the way to Port d’Andratx, but be careful when nearing Andratx. You must veer right on Ma-1 to bypass the town. If you continue straight, you will merge onto the Ma-1B, which goes through Andratx.
Once you reach Port d’Andratx, you’ll come to a small roundabout on the edge of town. A sign for Cala Llamp points you to the third exit, Ma-1020. Continue straight through the next roundabout and then up a steep hill until you enter the Cala Llamp residential area. Then follow signs for the beach winding down the hillside until you’re on Carrer Tintorera.
It’s easy to miss, but as you drive down Carrer Tintorera, you’ll see a sky-blue sign directing you to Cala Llamp on a small side street to your right. Take this down to where it wraps around under Carrer Tintorera, leading you through a short, narrow tunnel to the small parking area.
Early in the day or at non-peak times, you can park easily, but it can fill up on summer weekends. Either way, this is the entrance to the beach, so if you have to park above on the street, walk down to the parking area and Beach Club Gran Folies.
The drive takes about 40 minutes in total.
TIB Bus 101
There is no bus that reaches the Cala Llamp residential area, so your only option is to walk from Port d’Andratx after taking TIB Bus 101 from Plaza España to the S’Aluet stop, which takes about 50 minutes.
Then you have to walk up the steep hill to Cala Llamp, which can be a bit strenuous and takes about 20 minutes. From there, walk down to the beach club, which takes another 15 minutes but is far from strenuous and provides an incredible view of one of Mallorca’s most spectacular coves.
Altogther, the walk is about a mile and half, around 35 minutes.
From the Beach Club
From the parking area, you’ll walk into the restaurant of Beach Club Gran Folies, which can seem a bit weird if you’re not expecting it. Don’t worry, they’re used to people coming through. Just head left past the bar, and you’ll come to the beach club area with shaded sunbeds you can rent.
From this deck, you can see the beach down below, which consists of a flat, smooth stone face angling into the torquise water. Two large stairscases descend towards it, or…
Local Tip: If you continue down the deck to the end, it turns into a dusty trail walking along the ridge overlooking the cove. Take this just 30 yards or so, and you’ll reach a small inlet leading back into a cave. You can climb down and set up here away from crowd, or you can continue just a little farther to another flat stone beach.
Best Hotel: Villa Cala Llamp
I stayed in this villa for a week a couple years ago and have been obsessed with it ever since. I always point it out to friends and family when I bring them to Cala Llamp. Just a brief stay is enough to cleanse the senses and reset your worries through natural beauty.
Built into the side of the mountain, the villa is expansive yet cozy at the same time. Playing hide and seek with my young cousins, we constantly found new parts of the house to explore and admire. However, nothing beats the view from the pool and living-room level except maybe the same view from the accessible rooftop.
Cala Llamp Rankings
Natural Beauty: 9/10
Cala Llamp is truly one of the most beautiful places on the island. The “cove” is very wide, impressing you with the immensity of the sea. Nevertheless, it’s bookended by towering cliffs whose shadows dance about the landscape on summer mornings. Nearly year round, the water is a soothing blue, transparent to the white-sand seafloor.
Family Friendly: 6/10
Many families stay at the beach club, and while the stone may not be as fun for children as a sand beach in Alcúdia, the many natural pools are entertaining. Older children will also enjoy the easy snorkeling in the transparent water, all safe from boats thanks to anchored buoys. (These buoys only surround the main beach.)
Depending on the wind, time of year and other conditions, there may be purple people eater jellyfish. These aren’t dangerous, but the sting can be painful, especially to unexpecting children.
Accessibility & Parking: 6/10
The drive from Palma is pretty simple, but access via public transportation less so. Parking is also simple if you get there early enough for a space in Beach Club Gran Folies’s small lot. Otherwise, things can get tricky.
Space & Crowd: 7/10
For it’s unparalleled beauty, I am always surprised by how few people there are at Cala Llamp. The main beach is certainly frequented but far from overcrowded, and if you walk just a couple of minutes farther down the coast, you’re likely to find a secluded spot to be alone.
That said, what Cala Llamp usually does have a lot of is boats. These can fill up the area just in front of the beach and can feel a bit overbearing if you want to swim or snorkel.
Activities: 4/10
Cala Llamp is mostly residential, so there aren’t many places to rent paddle boards or similar equipment. Additionally, the stone beach isn’t as conducive to games as sand. Nevertheless, snorkeling as well as cliff jumping where safe certainly make fun a possibility.
Swimming: 8/10
As long as there aren’t too many jellyfish, the swimming in Cala Llamp is some of the best because the water is calm and transparent. The main beach is also blocked off from boats, so you can do so safely.
Sea Life & Snorkeling: 9/10
I love snorkeling and freediving at Cala Llamp. The seafloor is white sand, so the water is bright and transparent. However, the numerous boulders, outcrops and seamounts provide spaces for coral to thrive and the sea life that goes with it.
There seems to be no end to the fish, and I have experienced mesmerizing swarms of harmless fried egg jellyfish. Crabs scuttle the rocks, and octopuses make their dens in the crags. If you are a skilled diver, underwater caves and tunnels sparkling with fractured light transport you to the realm of the subaquatic.
To reach depths over 30 feet or 10 meters, you do have to swim a bit into the cove. There are a lot of boats, so use a buoy.
Restaurants & Amenities: 8/10
Even though Cala Llamp is otherwise a residential area, the Beach Club Gran Folies is all you need if you want seaside dining, drinks or lounging. Although it is on the pricier side, the typical Mediterranean dishes, prepared by renowned Chef Alex Arquero, perfectly complement the smell of the sea and view of the aquamarine cove. Even if you’re not interested in eating, I recommend trying one of the cocktails at the bar.
Nudity: 7/10
Because the main beach is family area with direct access to the beach club, there’s no nudity there. However, if you go just a little ways down the coast, you can find secluded areas where nudism is common.
Safety: 5/10
The main beach near the beach club is fairly safe, especially since it’s blocked off by buoys. There are no lifeguards, but there are beach club employees nearby in case of an emergency.
If you leave the main beach, you aren’t quite as secure since there’s no protection from the many boats, and the rocks can be loose or slippery. Many people also like to jump off the rocks into the water, which can be dangerous if you aren’t sure of the depth.