So, you’re planning on visiting the Drach Caves (aka Cuevas del Drach) in Mallorca! Well, you’ve come to the right place; I visited with my family last month and we really enjoyed it! To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a lot. But, I was surprised at how beautiful the caves are. However, it was really busy when we visited and that was a bit of a bummer as it felt too crowded at times (more on that below).
Before visiting the Drach Caves, there are a few things you need to know. Such as what time it opens, how much tickets cost, and how to get there. That’s why I’ve put together this detailed guide to help you out and ensure you have the best time at one of Mallorca’s top attractions!
So, let’s dive in, shall we? Here are 10 things you need to know before visiting the Drach Caves in Mallorca.
What are the Drach Caves?
The Drach Caves or to use their Spanish name Cuevas del Drach, which literally means ‘cave of dragons’ are a series of four interconnected, breathtakingly beautiful caves near the town of Porto Cristo on the island of Mallorca, Spain.
The four caves are called the White Cave, Black Cave, the Cave of the French, and the Cave of Luis Salvador. This series of caves extends to around 4 km long and sections of the cave are as deep as 25 meters. It was formed by water from the Mediterranean Sea being forced through the entrance and many researchers believe it was formed millions of years ago.
On a visit to the Cuevas del Drach, you’ll witness massive stalactites and stalagmites and see bright blue underground lakes. The scenery really is awe-inspiring!
Where are they located?
The Drach Caves are located on the island of Mallorca, a Balearic Island – 125 miles off the coast of Spain. They can be found in Porto Cristo in the Manacor region. And are around an hour’s drive from the island’s biggest city Palma.
How do I get to the Drach Caves?
Your best option is to drive there yourself, that is if you have a car or rental car. The Drach Caves are around an hour’s drive from Palma, an hour and 20 minutes from Soller and, 30 minutes from Cala d’Or.
You can get public transport directly to Drach Caves. For example, the 401 bus from Cala Millor, the 428 bus from Cala d’Or, and the 424 bus from Cala Rajada all pass by the caves.
Another alternative if you don’t have a set of wheels is to book a guided tour to the Drach Caves. These tours include return transfers to your hotel (anywhere on the island) and often a tour of a nearby pearl factory, too.
How much does a tour of Drach Caves cost?
The cheapest way to do a tour of the Drach Caves is to drive there yourself and pre-book your ticket on their website. This will cost you €17 per adult and €10 per child.
If you don’t have a car, then your best bet is to book a guided tour to the Drach Caves. This excellently rated tour includes pick-up from pretty much anywhere in Mallorca and your entry ticket to the caves. You’ll also get around 20 minutes to explore the nearby town of Porto Cristo before being dropped back at your hotel. Prices for this tour are around €54 per person. And as I said, it’s got over 380 excellent reviews.
Another great guided tour option is this half-day tour from Palma. It will pick you up and drop you back to your hotel in Palma and includes your entry to the caves as well as a tour of a pearl factory. It costs from €54 per person.
If you wish to use public transport to get to the caves, you’re in luck as there are a couple of buses that pass close to the caves. These include the 401 bus from Cala Millor, the 428 bus from Cala d’Or and the 424 bus from Cala Rajada. Ask to be dropped off at the Coves del Drac bus stop. This stop is a 2 minute walk from the entrance to the caves.
What are the opening hours of Drach Caves?
During the busier months (from March to the end of October) tours of the caves happen on the hour. The first tour is at 10 am and the last tour of the day is at 5 pm.
Off-peak (from November to the end of March) the daily tours of the cave are as follows: 10:30 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 3:30 pm.
The Drach Caves are closed on December 25th and January 1st.
How long is the tour of the Drach Caves?
A tour of the Drach Caves typically lasts around one hour. However, we were in the caves for an hour and 15 minutes but I think this is because it was such a busy tour and so it took us longer to get through the caves. A big part of the tour is the concert which takes place in the underground amphitheater – this features classical musicians in boats and lasts around 15 minutes.
When’s the best time to visit the Cuevas del Drach?
Weekends and school holidays are the busiest times at Cuevas del Drach, so if you can, try to visit mid-week and aim to get there as soon as it opens. As I said, the first tour of the day is at 10 am or 10:30 am, depending on the time of year you visit.
We visited on a weekday in September and did the 4 pm tour and it was surprisingly busy! I didn’t expect it to be so busy! However, a local told us later that the morning tours are typically quieter.
A good tip is to check the website’s calendar for the days with low ticket availability. As this tells you what days will be the busiest.
Is Drach Caves expensive?
No, I wouldn’t say the Drach Caves are expensive. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s great value-for-money.
If you book your ticket online you will pay €17 per adult and €10 for children (aged between 3 and 12). When you purchase your tickets at the ticket office on-site you will pay €18 per adult and €11 per child. Infants aged 2 and under go free.
My experience visiting the Drach Caves
We visited the Drach Caves at the end of September and booked the 4 pm tour. It was a cloudy day and it was about to pour down with rain as we waited to enter the caves. This may explain why it was so busy at 4 pm on a weekday (as people left the Mallorcan beaches to explore the covered caves). I don’t know why but I was surprised by how many people were on our tour – at least 200 at a guess.
When we entered the caves we were blown away by how beautiful they were. It was like being on a movie set with HUGE stalactites and stalagmites everywhere and icy blue pools. But, because it was so busy it was difficult to take photos without people in them.
Also, you are only supposed to stop in the designated photo spots to take photos and the ushers will usher you on if you are blocking the path. Because the crowds in front were continually stopping to take photos it took us a little longer to get to the concert area, which annoyed the ushers, I think.
It’s very family friendly!
I will add my girls (aged 4 and 2) loved the whole experience as I made up a story of a family of dragons living in the caves. And I pointed out different sections of the caves as the dragon’s bedroom, kitchen, swimming pool, etc. They were mesmerized!
When we got to the underground amphitheater I was seriously impressed by how beautiful it was. No phones or cameras are allowed during the concert and they dim the lights so it’s completely dark. But we were waiting around 15 minutes for the show to start as we had to wait for the rest of the tour group to find their way to us.
We weren’t expecting the orchestra to appear in little boats in the lake in front of us! It was awesome. The music was beautiful and had there been fewer people I feel it would have been an otherworldly experience.
After, the concert which lasts around 10-15 minutes you have the option to walk to the exit or get a boat. My top advice is NOT to get the boat unless the queue is short. The boat literally takes you on a few minutes-long boat journey and you must walk the rest of the way. It’s not worth queuing 30 minutes for (which was the length of the queues when we visited)!
Are the Drach Caves worth visiting?
Yes, the Drach Caves are definitely worth visiting!
The scenery is awe-inspiring and if you get to explore it in the off-season I can imagine it will feel like walking through a dream. Unfortunately for us, it was extremely busy when we visited! Which took away from the magical experience it should be. Still, we managed to get some awesome photos, the concert was amazing, and my two young daughters (aged 4 and 2) REALLY loved it.
Plus, because tickets for adults cost only €17, it’s quite a cheap activity in Mallorca. in short, after visiting, I can see why it’s one of the top things to do in Mallorca.
Where to Stay in Mallorca
We spent a week at the Protur Safari Resort in Sa Coma and loved it! It’s so family-friendly, the staff is very helpful and there are loads of facilities. I counted 5 swimming pools, including a fab kid’s pool with a mini water park. There are also 4 additional restaurants that you can choose to dine in, besides the buffet restaurant. An Italian, an Asia, a Tex Mex, and an Indian restaurant. We dined at all of them (but we couldn’t get a booking at the Indian) and were impressed by all of them.
Our room (the family room) was spacious with a large balcony overlooking the main pool and a small kitchenette. Overall, I’d highly recommend this hotel for families visiting Mallorca. We paid around €200 per night, all-inclusive!
Some other great hotels in Mallorca, include:
In Palma:
We highly recommend Helios Mallorca in nearby Can Pastillo. It scores an impressive 9/10 on booking.com and offers guests an indoor and outdoor pool. As well as other fun facilities like a mini golf course. It’s located next to Palma Aquarium and so as you can guess it’s very popular with families. We stayed here when we spent a day in Palma recently and really rate it. It’s very reasonably priced for Palma, too – with rates at €125 per night.
In Cala d’Or:
We loved Hotel Cala d’Or this 4-star beachfront hotel. It’s a smaller boutique-style hotel with a great outdoor pool (with a pool bar). The rooms here are light-filled and spacious – ask for a sea view room. Rooms start from €110 a night.
In Cala Domingos:
And one of the most stunning family-friendly hotels in Mallorca is the Iberostar Cala Domingos on the Southeast of the island. And it’s less than a 20-minute drive from the hotel to the Drach Caves. The rooms here are set in bungalows and there are loads of kids activities on offer for free. There are not one but 3 swimming pools and the gorgeous Cala Domingos (with its bright turquoise waters) is within walking distance. Expect to pay around €200 per night here.
Why Rent a Car in Mallorca
We rented a car via Discover Cars for our week in Mallorca and it was a brilliant choice for us. We were staying out at Sa Coma and it enabled us to go on day trips to places like Poller, Palma, Cala Ratjada, and of course the Drach Caves. It cost us around 250 for the week for a 7-seater vehicle. That included fully comprehensive insurance and two car seats.
The cost of renting a car in Mallorca can be expensive. However, there are some ways you can save money. We tend to always book our rental car through Discover Cars. This is a search engine for rental cars and allows you to filter by price if you’re on a budget or by vehicle type if there’s a specific car you’re after.
You should always try to rent your vehicle from the airport as this is the cheapest option. As you would expect, hiring a car in the low tourist season months of November through March will be cheaper than if you book one in the height of summer.
Thanks for Reading!
I hope this blog post has given you plenty of inspiration for visiting the Drach Caves in Mallorca. Considering the ticket prices are quite cheap and all you’ll get to see inside the caves I can see why it’s one of the most popular things to do in Mallorca!
While you’re here, it’s worth checking out my other Spain blog posts –
How to Spend 3 Days in Alicante, Spain
12 Best Things to Do in Alicante, Spain
The 8 Best Day Trips From Alicante
Our Guide to 24 Hours in Alicante, Spain
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Last Updated on October 16, 2024 by snaphappytravel