Porto Cristo is located approximately 65km to the east of Palma, on the island of Mallorca. The town has a long history as a fishing village and the fishermen can still be seen setting off from the harbour as they have done for centuries.
Mallorca's climate is typical of the Mediterranean, with hot and dry summers and pleasantly cool winters with temperatures rarely reaching zero.
Because of this favourable climate the beach at Porto Cristo plays an important part in most people’s holidays here. The beach has golden sand and is sheltered by a rock wall at its northern end. Lining the road on the landward side of the beach is a stretch of small shops, bars and restaurants for when the beach gets too hot.
The discovery during the 1930s of the spectacular Caves of Drach brought a great boost to Porto Cristo’s popularity. The caves were formed by the erosion of limestone and there are many stalactites and stalagmites to see. There is also a large lake in the caves.
Near to the caves is the popular Porto Cristo Aquarium which has many exotic fish from various parts of the world, including piranhas from Brazil and many small animals from the Mediterranean area.
Mallorca, generally, is less well developed as a tourist area than some of the other islands and the visitor is still able to view archaeological verification of the earliest human habitation. Not far from the centre of the town there are two sites containing prehistoric relics. One is at Sa Gruta and the other is Son Moro. The port that was built by the Romans can be visited during a visit to the present harbour as it is located next to it. Another interesting Roman building within Porto Cristo is a Roman basilica.
