In this quick Porto Cristo guide in Mallorca, find out 10 reasons to book a Porto Cristo holiday in Mallorca, and why this small port town isn’t just a destination for a day trip, but the perfect place to go for your Mallorca holiday.
Porto Cristo is as its name suggests a port town located on the East coast of Mallorca. It is also home to some of the island’s most popular attractions. It’s also a town that is fabulously connected to other coastal areas, sights and beaches on the East Coast. But what is Porto Cristo like for a holiday destination in its own right? Let’s find out.
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Contents Quick Links
1. Porto Cristo Guide: What is Porto Cristo like as a holiday destination?
Porto Cristo is a great summer holiday destination for those looking for a small compact place to stay that is easy to get around.
Because of its fishing heritage, you will find a residential population here, which gives the town a more relaxed atmosphere than you would find in many of the other holiday resorts around the island.
There is a lovely sheltered sandy beach, a great selection of hotels and a weekly market and a fabulous choice of restaurants catering for all budgets.
What’s more, you are perfectly positioned to explore not only the hugely popular tourist attractions that people come from all over the island to visit such as the Caves of Drach and the Caves of Hams, but this town also provides a great centre for exploring the other resorts nearby.
2. Porto Cristo Guide: Porto Cristo Beach
Porto Cristo beach is just lovely and the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean sea lap onto the golden sands along this 300-metre-wide beach.
Just like all the beaches in Mallorca, it can get busy during the Summer months, the calm and sheltered waters mean that this is a fantastic beach for families.
Just a word of warning though, for those travelling to Porto Cristo who have mobility issues, just be aware that there are steps leading down to the beach, so this beach isn’t quite as accessible as others on the island.
However, there is quite a steep ramp on the far (north) side of the beach, which you can use to gain access. I would recommend having someone with you if you are in a wheelchair.
For beaches with great access, try Palmanova, Alcudia, Puerto Pollensa or Cala Millor and Cala Bona.
The beach is lifeguarded during the Summer season, from May to October, and has sunbed and sun umbrella rentals.
The beach umbrellas also have a safety deposit attached for you to leave your valuables when you go into the sea.
3. Porto Cristo Guide: Hotels in Porto Cristo
Porto Cristo’s most iconic hotel – the THB Felip hotel which you can book here lies directly on the waterfront in front of the beach.
It is an adult-only hotel that is also open year-round and features a pool, spa, a gym and amazing views over the waterfront.
In fact, if you are looking to stay over Christmas, then the Hotel Felip is the one hotel in this area that lays on a gala New Year’s Eve dinner.
There are several other hotels that are located away from the main beach area which you can find on expedia.com
4. Porto Cristo’s Mini-train
The main hotels are connected to the resort centre by the mini-train (mini tren) which you can see in this video playing on the page.
This mini-train connects the Hotel Monteverde, Insotel Cala Mendia, Cruce Punto Reina, Romantica, Club del Mar, with Porto Cristo centre, Cala Magrama, Cala Anguilla and the Caves of Drach.
Tickets cost 5€ for a return and 2,50€ for children and it leaves hourly from 9:30 until 12:30. And then from 14:30 until 20:30. The entire route takes around 55 minutes. There is also an audio tour on board so you can find out more about what you the areas you are passing through.
5. Porto Cristo Guide: Things to do in Porto Cristo
Staying in Porto Cristo means having easy access to some of Mallorca’s most popular attractions and of course, you cannot leave Porto Cristo without seeing either one or both of the cave formations.
The Caves of Drach is Mallorca’s biggest underground cave attraction and is hugely popular with visitors to the island.
You can book your tickets here with the option for choosing a hotel transfer from locations all over the island and select either a full-day (incorporating the Hams Caves) or a half-day tour.
Alternatively for under 15€, you can also book a ticket to the Hams Caves, which is a smaller but an equally impressive cave formation.
To find out more about the Hams Caves, check out the video on the Experiences page here.
New to Porto Cristo is Dinosaurland which is a great interactive theme park for kids giving a fascinating insight into dinosaurs and their habitats.
You can buy a combination cave and Dinosaurland ticket here, which at 22€ is also fantastic value.
6. Porto Cristo Guide: Days out from Porto Cristo
As well as taking the mini-tren around Porto Cristo to explore attractions and coves, this holiday destination is surrounded by other great places to visit and all are accessible by Mallorca’s TIB bus system.
To find out more about getting the TIB bus in Mallorca check out this article here.
From Porto Cristo, take the bus to Cala Millor and enjoy this amazing resort, with its huge beach and enviable walk/cycle way to Cala Bona.
In fact, I really recommend getting a bus here and renting a bike or safari bike to explore these two resorts. Don’t forget your swimwear.
Alternatively you can experience the nightlife in Cala Bona which you can read about here, or the nightlife in Cala Millor which you can read about here.
It’s also worth taking a trip to the Son Servera market just 10 minutes outside of Cala Bona which is also easily acessible from Porto Cristo. Read this article here and watch the video to find out more.
The best bus to take to explore the resorts around Porto Cristo is by taking the 424 bus. Check the summer timetable here.
There are many opportunities to get out on the water on the East Coast Sea Odessy which you can book here. The good news is that this 4.5-hour cruise is accessible by wheelchair from Porto Cristo pier.
Staying in Porto Cristo doesn’t mean missing out on exploring Mallorca’s capital Palma and it’s perfectly possible to make the hour-and-a-half journey for a fantastic, cheap day out. To check out the timetable, check this link.
During the Summer months, you can also take the 427 TIB bus which you can see here not only to Palma, but use this line to explore some of the other coastal areas around Porto Cristo including Cala Anguila, Cala Magrana, Cala Mendia, Cala Romàntica and Cales de Mallorca.
7. Porto Cristo Guide: Eating out in Porto Cristo
Restaurants in Porto Cristo cater for every budget and taste.
A line of fantastic restaurants line the beach area, offering great food and views, and offer a great getaway from the beach for lunch.
For those looking for just snacks to take to the beach, then there are also well-stocked Spa shops to pick up light bites. Or head on over to Bar Marina for a generously filled baguette priced at around 4,50€.
It’s also possible to pick up a fish or chicken with chips and salad main course for under 10€ which is brilliant value.
For even greater value, check out the restaurants on the side streets and the back streets where you will normally find the locals eating which will be cheaper than the restaurants along the port.
However, for the most popular restaurants in the evening, head to the harbour and waterway to the right of the beach.
If you are seeking a great paella, then check out Restaurant Siroco. There is a great choice of paellas to be enjoyed here. But just make sure you book a table on Sunday as this restaurant is popular with local residents.
You will find that many of the restaurants have great vegetarian options too, even if you’re looking for a vegetarian paella dish. Prices range from around 14€ per person.
If you are setting a budget for eating out in Port Cristo, then budget around 25€ to 30€ per person for a fabulous evening meal.
There are plenty of ice cream shops around Porto Cristo, and families travelling with teens will be delighted to find a bubble tea shop right behind Porto Cristo beach.
8. Porto Cristo Guide: Shopping in Porto Cristo
Porto Cristo is a great town to pick up traditional Mallorcan products, bags, clothes, souvenirs, and handbags and belts. You will find most of the shops on Carrer del Port and alongside Plaça de s’Aljub.
If you visit Porto Cristo in October then expect to find the very generous end-of-season sales where many products will be on sale for 50% off.
There is also a Majorica Pearl jewellery shop in Porto Cristo which is close to the Caves of Drach.
9. Porto Cristo Guide:Porto Cristo Market
You will find Porto Cristo Market takes place on a Sunday from around 8:30am until around 13:30 on the road just behind the beach.
The market is small but it is great to visit, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to pick up locally-made products such as buñelo donuts, cheese and cured meats as well as locally made products such as jewellery and toys.
So if you are visiting or staying in Porto Cristo on a Sunday, get down and support the local traders.
10. Porto Cristo Guide:Nightlife in Porto Cristo
Much of the nightlife will be centred around the hotels in Porto Cristo, however, if you want to get out into the town then there are a couple of options to enjoy.
Of course, Porto Cristo isn’t going to have the same level of nightlife that you will find in other areas of the island.
But nightclubs can be found. There is a jazz club – TinTin Jazz, which you can find on Carrer del Port 14, and Es Metro on Carrer la Gerreria, 4 which is a lively bar.
You can also find Hat Trick (Es Carreró) is a lively nightclub on Carrer la Gerreria, 2 but with all nightlife in Mallorca, this nightclub doesn’t get lively until well after midnight.
11. Porto Cristo Guide: Port Cristo Guide to Getting There
To get to Porto Cristo from Palma International Airport during the Summer months (so from May to October), take the A42 bus. Check out the timetable here. You can find the bus stop to the left hand side of the taxi rank at Palma airport.
Arrivals at Palma Airport can be busy, so you can take jump straight into your own private transfer here which you can also book here.
Alternatively take a taxi to Porto Cristo from the airport. The fare is approximately 75€ to 90€ depending on the time of day, and takes around 50 minutes to an hour. Find out more about taking a taxi in Mallorca here.
Another option for full felxibility to your holdiay is to hire a car which you can do here to find the best value car hire deals in Mallorca.
