David's Diary: Sunday, March 25, 2002

Caves and Castles

Outside of the harbour of Porto de Cabrera are caves carved out of the rock. We saw one of the largest caves when we entered the harbour yesterday and today we set off in the dinghy to explore it. The caves are called Cuevas Azul (Blue Caves) because of the aquamarine color that is reflected in the water nearby and inside the caves. The picture above only gives a rough approximation of this remarkable color.

We paddled right into the cave. It was a calm day, but still swell slapped into the back of the cave. As the cave roof closed over us, our paddles glimmered in the blue water and as we turned around to stare out the entrance we sat entranced at the colors and sounds that surrounded us. We explored more of the nearby caves, but none left as strong an impression on our senses as the first cave and its spectacular colors.

Puerto de Cabrera

Overlooking Porto de Cabrera is a castle. In the afternoon, we took the dinghy to the only approved landing spot on the island and walked up the hill to see the castle. A tiny spiral staircase led us upwards where we came out on the castle roof. We enjoyed spectacular views over the harbour and its entrance, while also seeing Mallorca in the distance. The history of the castle is not well-known, but is believed to have been erected in the 14C in order to defend against pirates. After enjoying the views, we descended back to the tiny village by the landing platform. The Army Cantina was open and we stopped for a drink as the sun slowly sank in the western sky.