Christmas in Cala D'Or

[PEJ]

Regular viewers will know that I relocated the boat to Cala D'Or this summer. One of the down sides to CD, I was told, was that it was dead in winter. Well despite this advice I decided to go there anyway after Christmas and see the new year in in Mallorca. I wanted to see for myself just what it is like and also to experience the weather.

Was it dead? Errrr.........Yes. As a door nail!

CD marina has too many restaurants and shops to count but I reckon it must be about 20. They were all closed except one. In the town there were about 3 places open but two of them were take away places. Next to CD is Cala Egos which is a busy little resort in summer. In winter it was a ghost town. Nothing open at all, streets deserted.

The one restaurant that is open on New Years Eve is fully booked from months before so we de-camped to Palma. Got two nights in the real club nautico for 112 yoyos. Shortish walk from there to experience plenty of life and had a great NYE in the town.

The weather was great though. The sea on the 2 hour passage to Palma and back was flat as a flat thing. We stopped at Mandrago and we were the only boat there (for a while). Daughter even had a swim in the sea. Short sleeves during the day but chilly at night so take a coat if you are going to be out after dark.

So overall I would go back in winter but I would definitely re-locate to Palma for NYE if weather permits.

 

[freddy the frog]

I am not surprised i was in the marina back in May only people on the boats were the cleaners and maintanance guys.
Although they were just finishing the road and the new berths on the far side, place was really looking sharp.

It is a fantastic place should be a great escape for new year if you have a boat in the marina, i was told the place virtualy shuts down in the winter, well at least you had a good trip out in some nice weather and conditions

 

[CLOUD9]

Was it dead? Errrr.........Yes. As a door nail!

Hi PEJ.
You certainly did the right thing for NYE. Cala d'Or isn't the place to be unless you want to be alone!
I moved CLOUD9 to Cala d'Or in February 2016 and have been out at least once every month since. We chose Cala d'Or despite the warnings of it being very quiet out of season... It is still a bit of a shock when you realise that 'quiet' does in fact mean that you feel like the only guy left on the planet! I was last there just before Christmas. It is bizarre to see Porto Cari absolutely rammed with, I guess, local business Christmas lunches when absolutely everything else is closed down. Porto Petro has more year-round residents. I went round on the tender in December. Restaurant Es Bergant was open and is very good IMHO.
The restaurant Botavara was open when I was in Cala d'Or in late February to at least give some choice! Others start to wake up by easter which was the end of March 2016. Easter is mid April this year which may have an effect though. IIRC the little supermarket on the marina opened at the beginning of May. The good news is that you have all the best to come. We really enjoyed our first season there. Such a friendly atmosphere and a nice buzz about the place in the summer. I hope to see you there before too long. R

 

[PEJ]

Hi PEJ.
You certainly did the right thing for NYE. Cala d'Or isn't the place to be unless you want to be alone!
I moved CLOUD9 to Cala d'Or in February 2016 and have been out at least once every month since. We chose Cala d'Or despite the warnings of it being very quiet out of season... It is still a bit of a shock when you realise that 'quiet' does in fact mean that you feel like the only guy left on the planet! I was last there just before Christmas. It is bizarre to see Porto Cari absolutely rammed with, I guess, local business Christmas lunches when absolutely everything else is closed down. Porto Petro has more year-round residents. I went round on the tender in December. Restaurant Es Bergant was open and is very good IMHO.
The restaurant Botavara was open when I was in Cala d'Or in late February to at least give some choice! Others start to wake up by easter which was the end of March 2016. Easter is mid April this year which may have an effect though. IIRC the little supermarket on the marina opened at the beginning of May. The good news is that you have all the best to come. We really enjoyed our first season there. Such a friendly atmosphere and a nice buzz about the place in the summer. I hope to see you there before too long. R

Yes, I am pretty sure that we were the only boat with anyone on board in the entire "river" section of the marina when we were there!

I have flights booked for February half term. They only cost £28 so it is not the end of the world if I don't use them. I am in two minds as to whether to bother or not. Also got a week at easter booked and will defo come then. I. too, hope to meet up with you during a visit soon.

 

[Steruth1]

Hi Pete. We are also booked for HT in Feb I think there will be a few brits out there. Will hire a car though so we can get out and about if the weather isn't great.

 

[matm]

Will prob make it out around HT time too. Might also go in mid-Feb just to do a few jobs etc but will take food supplies!

 

[Montemar]

I know Roses well up in the Costa Brava. It too is grim in winter however there can be some lovely sunny days.
Check out when the fiesta in Feb/March is on that is held at the start of Lent.
If they have one nearby go for it! We went most years to the fiesta in Roses and it was amazing.

 

[oldgit]

Porto Petro just round the corner.
10 euros by taxi.
Several basic eating places on water front.
Local tradesmen start their day with a bottle of brandy on the breakfast table.

 

[Bigplumbs]

If all of you that are there saying it is dead coordinated a bit and went at the same time in winter it would be less dead

Dead

 

[Steruth1]

The bars and restaurants would still be shut though.....

 

[PEJ]

Hi Pete. We are also booked for HT in Feb I think there will be a few brits out there. Will hire a car though so we can get out and about if the weather isn't great.

Will prob make it out around HT time too. Might also go in mid-Feb just to do a few jobs etc but will take food supplies!

Oh, well, we have a quorum for a piss up then! I think the Port Pub was open at Christmas but I didn't go in there.

The big Eroski was open with 70% off beer if you bought two. 1 euro a litre for San Miguel.

 

[MedDreamer]

We must be the odd ones out because we love Cala D'Or out of season, granted we are land based rather than afloat but I felt the same when we had our boat in Alcudia. However I would say that a car is essential and a long weekend is enough!

We enjoy the tranquillity and the way it feels different, and although we are not exactly spoilt for choice there is always somewhere open - either Acuarius or Cari in the marina or Es Bergant and one or two others in Portopetro which is enough and the Euroski supermarket is open normal hours.

We were out in November for a weekend and back again next month and already looking forward to it.

 

[Truro Ex Pat]

Having had our boat there for a couple of years and trying out of season which in my opinion is anytime between September and June as it was very quiet each time we visited.
We went in Feb and had only 1 restaurant open so I think you will find the same in Feb as you have seen at Christmas.

We moved to Denia and was there just after Christmas and it was far from dead and had most restaurants open, we actually did Benidorm for NY which was quiet for Benidorm but a nice atmosphere with not hen or stag do in sight which is the norm!!.

 

[Brenny]

Will the marina be finished for Easter?
We were there last week and there is plenty of work to do!

 

[terrysquires]

Will the marina be finished for Easter?
We were there last week and there is plenty of work to do!

just got back y/day after looking around the whole island to see if we would like to put our boat out there cala d or was dead only 2 resturants open no s/market we would not like as we use boatb all around the other marinas were ony just started to get going
it seems palma or porta nous is the onlyb places to go
terry

 

[itspaul]

Did you look at alcudia ? Most of the marina restaurants close for the winter but there is always a good selection of restaurants open in the port area all year round.

 

[terrysquires]

yes we did them all even port pollenca but there were some resturants open but most places were not open yet but coming to easter I think it would be different we use our boat all year round so palma is probably the only place for us but as its a tourist island I suppose we were expecting more to be open as a lot of people say its best for boating

 

[PEJ]

Will the marina be finished for Easter?
We were there last week and there is plenty of work to do!

Yes, I think so.

I used to be a groundworks contractor and I could get it done in time with enough blokes working on it but as the owner himself said "... but this is Spain". The problem may be that the quayside works are all complete so the restaurant owners will be happy but the mooring lines may not be finished so the boats will not be able to take up residence by Easter.

There are 3 restaurants open now. Portofino just opened.