Cala Esmeralda – Mallorca beach guide!

Cala Esmeralda 

Mallorca is a gold mine of gorgeous cove beaches. This rocky island features inlets all over the island that wind into small beaches with calm and clear blue water.

The Cala D’or resort area of Mallorca is especially packed with some stunning cove beaches. One of the 5 in this area is the gorgeous Cala Esmerelda.

Cala Esmerelda is sandwiched between two better known beaches, Cala Gran and Cala Ferrera.

I love this beach because there is slightly more sand than some of the others, and a unique design of the sandy areas moving up in steps lets additional people have the opportunity to watch the gentle waves roll up the shore.

The water really is as gorgeous as pictures make it seem. You can lounge on the sand or jump into the water from the rocky paths lining either side of the shore.

Quick Facts

• Other Names: Cala Esmeralda, Platja de Cala Esmeralda
• Known For: Being 1 of 5 amazing mini beaches in the Cala D’or resort area
• Facilities: Showers and bathrooms (for hotel guests but not enforced)
• Lifeguards: No
• Parking: Plenty in the city area on street sides
• Cost: Free
• Other: Neighbor of Cala Gran and Cala Ferrera

Location

Cala Esmeralda is in the Cala D’or resort area on the southeastern coast of Mallorca. If you are coming from the main airport in Palma, the drive will take you about an hour.

This part of the island is not as crazy at the areas surrounding Palma, meaning the crowds won’t be as bad, but there won’t be nearly as much nightlife either. I like the slower pace of the Cala D’or resort area.

Crowds at Cala Esmeralda

Like most Mallorca beaches you will be enjoying it with a crowd. Cala Esmerelda had slightly less people lounging and swimming than the next door options of Cala Ferrera and Cala Gran, but it wasn’t a huge difference where I would choose one or the other based on this alone.

Tiered Sand For Laying Out

One downfall on some of the gorgeous cove beaches is that crowds pack in so tightly that you won’t have space to lay out anywhere near the water. On other Mallroca beaches I’ve had to spread my towel out where I don’t even have line of sight to the water.

There are raised tiers to the sand at Cala Esmerelda, which enables everyone, even if crowded to be able to watch the gentle waves roll up the shore.

Parking

One huge perk of the urban calas is that parking typically isn’t a challenge. Like most of the other calas in city centers, there is plenty of parking along the side of the streets in the area. I had no problem finding an open and free spot close to the beach both times I visited.

I think the parking here is especially easy due to most visitors walking to the beach from nearby hotels.

What Else To Do In The Area

You can visit the other 4 cove beaches in the Cala D’or area, and Cala Gran and Cala Ferrera are super quick walks away.

There are also plenty of restaurants and shops if you want to walk around the city area. 

Conclusion

While the 5 calas of Cala D’or are all highly similar, you might be able to avoid the worst of the crowds by coming to this one instead of it’s more popular neighbors.