Whenever friends visit me in Mallorca, Caló d’en Monjo is one of the first places I take them to experience Mallorca’s natural beauty and the joy of swimming in virgin coves full of life. With rocky and pebble areas as well as a small amount of sand, there’s something for all preferences, and protective buoys make it a great place to swim and snorkel. A nearby cave and natural pool round out the experience.
Caló d’en Monjo
Basic Information
| Type of Beach: | Pebble cove |
| Closest Town: | |
| Body of Water: | L’Olla |
| Best Hotel: | Hotel Petit Cala Fornells |
Rankings
Mallorqueta Superlatives
Best Beach for Snorkeling
Best Virgin Cove
Best Nudist Beach
How to Get to Caló d’en Monjo
Caló d’en Monjo is located just outside of Peguera at the edge of the small town of Cala Fornells. South of the beach town is a preserved natural area, but road reaches into it, allowing you to park at a trailhead leading to the cove. The hike is less than 10 minutes.
Driving
From Palma, take the Ma-1 autopista west towards Calvià and Andratx. You can do this either by taking the Ma-20 beltway west through the tunnel and then merging onto Ma-1, 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.
Get off Ma-1 at exit 23 towards Peguera/Cala Fornells and head south on Carrer de la Talaia. After passing through much of Peguera, this brings you to a large roundabout opening into the Peguera promenade on your left. Continue opposite the promenade onto Bulevar de Peguera to the next roundabout and take the third exit south onto Carrer 866. This takes you to Cala Fornells.
In Cala Fornells, you seemingly reach the end of the road with Platja de Cala Fornells on your left and Hotel Coronado directly ahead. However, you can continue to your right along Carretera de Cala Fornells as it turs into a dirt road. You’ll soon see cars parked in the large gravel area, but if there’s no room, you can continue deeper.
TIB Bus 102
Unfortunately, no bus reaches Cala Fornells, but bus 102 does get you from Palma to Peguera. Your best bet is to get off at the Garrovers 1 stop in front of Lidl on Bulevar de Peguera. You can then walk the rest of the way to Cala Fornells. This adds about 20 minutes and a little under a mile (1.2 km) to your hike.
The Hike From the Parking Area
Whether you get to Cala Fornells by car, bus or unicycle, you have to walk a little bit to get to the cove. It’s flat and well-marked, so it’s far from strenuous and takes less than 10 minutes, measuring just a few hundred yards from the parking area, about half a kilometer.
Best Hotel: Hotel Petit Cala Fornells
Cala Fornells has a number of hotels packed in along the area’s beautiful coast. However, Hotel Petit certainly has the most character of them all with tiled terraces overlooking the sea, an outdoor restaurant and elegant rooms with various interior designs.
Caló d’en Monjo Rankings
Natural Beauty: 7/10
Tucked away in the woods, Caló d’en Monjo captures Mallorca’s natural world better than the nearby developed beaches in Cala Fornells and Peguera. From certain angles, the nearby cave and natural pools area backdropped by the sparkling horizon.
Family Friendly: 2/10
The cove has minimal sand, and the entrance into the water is rich with plant life. It’s not especially conducive to kids’ beach activities, though they may enjoy splashing in the water. Older children could paddle board or snorkel.
It’s also worth noting that Caló d’en Monjo is a nude beach.
Accessibility & Parking: 5/10
You can’t park right at the cove, but all things considered, it’s pretty accessible for a virgin beach. The drive from Palma to Cala Fornells is a bit more involved, but except on the busiest days, you can easily park in the designated parking area. The final hike to the cove is just a few minutes.
Space & Crowd: 7/10
On summer weekends, Caló d’en Monjo draws a big crowd. However, with three entrances to the water and large rock and pebble areas, you can almost certainly find room.
When you first come to the picnic area overlooking the cove, you’ll see an inlet with an old boathouse. This area fills up the most. Consider continuing down to your right or passing over the ride above the boathouse. These areas tend to be less crowded.
Activities: 5/10
Despite being a virgin cove, the nearby town of Cala Fornells makes Caló d’en Monjo a popular place for activities. One of the most popular is deep-water soloing, and you’re likely to see well-equipped excursions jummping into the water beneath the cliffs, especially early in the morning. Other people bring kayaks or paddle boards from their cars since the hike is not long or strenuous.
On the western side of the cove near its entrance to the sea is a large open cave as well as a secluded inlet washed by the tide. This area is fun for snorkeling and freediving, though the depth doesn’t exceed around 30 feet or 10 meters. It’s also very romantic.
Swimming: 8/10
The depth from the various beaches of Caló d’en Monjo increases very gradually. There is some plant life at first, but it doesn’t prevent easy swimming. The nearest part of the cove is protected by buoys, so you don’t have to worry about boats.
Sea Life & Snorkeling: 9/10
Caló d’en Monjo is one of the most popular places on the island for snorkeling because it is one of the few virgin coves protected by buoys. Additionally, there is small island in the center of the cove that attracts a lot of sea life. Don’t forget the cave, either, though this is beyond the buoys.
Resaurants & Amenities: 3/10
This is a virgin cove, so there aren’t any restaurants on the beach, nor are there public toilets. There is a large picnic area just above with trash containers.
Cala Fornells is also nearby, so you can spend the day at the cove and then grab dinner all without having to move your car.
Nudity: 9/10
Caló d’en Monjo is expressly denoted as a nude beach, so expect to see many people in their birthday suits. At peak times the beaches may be densely packed, but otherwise, there’s no reason you can’t strip down and get some extra sun.
Safety: 4/10
There are no lifeguards at Caló d’en Monjo, but there are buoys that protect swimmers from boats. There are normally other people to help in an emergency, and first responders can easily get to the cove by driving along the trail that is otherwise blocked to traffic. Cala Fornells and Peguera are closeby.