Cabrera
The Cabrera Islands are a small group totaling 18 islands, located about 10 km southwest of Mallorca’s southern cape, Cape de Ses Salines. Cabrera is also the name of the largest of the islands, which is the only island it is possible to visit.
For most visitors, the trip to Cabrera starts in the holiday resort of Colonia Sant Jordi. From here, the trip to Cabrera takes approximately 40 minutes with a classic tour boat, or you can choose one of the much faster speedboats. The boat trip in itself is a great experience and a good opportunity to see Mallorca from a different perspective.
The trip gets even more beautiful when approaching the Cabrera Islands. First, five smaller islands appear, and then the second-largest island, Illa des Conills. The boat docks at Es Port, where a few houses and fishing boats are located. This is where the few full-time residents of Cabrera live.
Only a few hundred meters from the dock is the island’s old fort, Castell de Cabrera. The fort was built in the 14. century, for the purpose of protecting Mallorca’s transport ships from pirates. During the Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the 1800s, the fort was utilized as a penitentiary for up to 9000 French soldiers, all living under very harsh conditions on the island.
In the current day, the island is far more peaceful and enjoyable. The fort is worth a visit, and the same goes for the beach of Sa Plageta, located just under a kilometer south of Es Port. From the beach, Museo de Cabrera is only a short walk away – a museum covering Cabrera’s history. Further southwest, the old lighthouse is located on the peninsula Punta de Anciola. The surroundings are astonishing.
The greatest sight to see on Cabrera is undeniably the Cova Blaca (The Blue Grotto) in the cove of Cala Gandulf. A large grotto, 160 meters long and 50 meters wide. Light reflecting off the clear water and the white sand on the seabed creates a unique blue light in the grotto. Many of the tour boats stop at Cova Blaca, offering the passengers the opportunity to swim into the impressive grotto.
With its 150 bird species and 450 plant species, Cabrera is a fragile paradise, and the entire group of islands was declared a nature reserve in 1991. For this reason, it is forbidden to go fishing on the island, and picking plants and flowers is also prohibited. There is also a limit to how many tourists can visit the island each day, so make sure to purchase your tickets a few days ahead of time.
See more exciting attractions in Mallorca.
Cabrera map
The Cabrera Islands can be seen south of Mallorca. Most guests come sailing from Colonia Sant Jordi, but trips are organized from other cities as well.
