Cala Figuera
Encyclopedia
Santanyí
Santanyí is a municipality on Majorca, in the Balearic Islands of Spain.This municipality in the South of Majorca is home to the towns of Santanyí, Calonge, s’Alqueria Blanca and es Llombards, as well as the coastal districts of Cala Esmeralda, Cala d'Or, marina de Cala d’Or, Portopetro, Cap d'es...
on the island of Majorca, in the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, around 60km to the south east of Palma
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
.
The traditional town was first mentioned in records in 1306 but it was not until the end of the 19th century that the first houses were built in the area. Cala Figuera encompasses a small traditional fishing community of 577 permanent residences which rises during the tourist season when owners of the many high price holiday villas and apartments descend on the town for the summer months.
The town of Cala Figuera stretches from high cliffs to the south of the town to the fishing harbour at the end of a Fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
-like inlet which holds some of the most picturesque traditional buildings in the whole of Majorca, as well as a number of millionaires' mansions overlooking the scenic harbour entrance.
Cala Figuera offers no tourist beaches or easily accessible swimming areas, as a result of which it remains largely untouched by mass tourism.
Even at the height of tourism in the town there were only a handful of medium-sized hotels, the largest of which (the 3 Star Hotel Cala Figuera) was torn down in 2006 to make way for 84 private apartments. Building started in May 2007.
The sheltered port area only caters for a small number of visiting yachts. The harbour is home to a small fleet of local fishing boats which are permitted, by exception, to fish the coastal areas of the Mondragó Natural Parc, a protected wildlife area.
