It is essential to arrive before 10 a.m., says the guidebook, so that you do not find yourself in the middle of the big avalanche of coaches. Return after 3 p.m., otherwise you will experience the same thing again. Sa Calobra seems to be well visited. But Sa Calobra is still worth a visit! In this article, I’ll give you some more helpful tips for a fabulous road trip in Mallorca!
Sa Calobra: A perfect day tour for a Mallorca road trip
Sa Calobra is a very unusual part of the island. There’s a beach, sure, but the pebbles don’t make sunbathing very comfortable. But behind it, there’s the spur of the Torrent de Pareis, an actually breathtaking gorge – if you have a guide who knows the area. And is a really experienced hiker with the appropriate equipment. Otherwise, you’ll only get a few metres in, but still – it’s worth a visit.
Torrent de Pareis – Hiking tours and open air concerts
The Torrent de Pareis is the main attraction in Sa Calobra. It is a riverbed that is completely dried up in summer and has been making its way through the mountains of the Tramuntana for thousands of years. Concerts often take place on the extensive area in summer, with shuttle service to Palma. The sound is supposed to be spectacular!
Without a concert the Torrent de Pareis is rather inconspicuous. If you arrived without hiking equipment and local guides, the more exciting part of the canyon (where it gets narrow and steep and bumpy) is impassable.
The really spectacular part is the drive to Sa Calobra
Coming by car from Inca, you drive through various mountain villages, up, down, up, down, and winding through dense forest. Until your foot cramps on the clutch, from the constant shifting up and down. Until you get dizzy from the many curves and you long for at least twenty meters of dead straight asphalt.
Actually, this would be enough excitement, but then the last wild descent begins. It’s a hairpin bend up the last hill and then…
…steep downhill. In curves, tight, tightest. No crash barriers. Slopes into the deep void. No view of what’s around the bend. Nothing? Oncoming traffic? A giant bus that fills the entire width of the road?
Adventure on the road
This track is not fun for everyone, not even as a co-driver. Or maybe especially not as a co-driver. But I loved it! Especially when you are rewarded with views like these.
If you want to save yourself the drive, you can take a boat from Soller to the bay of Sa Calobra and back for 30€. But you’ll miss out on the very best!
