Cala de Llucalari

The cliffs above the cove open straight onto the southern sea horizon, and the rocks up there are the sunset seat: no obstacle, just bare water. Wild goats hold the rocky terraces, entirely unafraid of people and inclined to see you off, which is half the entertainment. Egyptian vultures call from hollows in the limestone walls. In the water, once you are past the shore stones, the clarity is remarkable and the fish are not timid, because almost nobody swims here — this is a serious snorkelling spot for anyone willing to work for the entry. Son Bou fills with holidaymakers in summer; one cliff away, this shoreline is empty.

• No facilities. No toilets and no drinking water at the cove, and none nearby — carry all the water you will drink.
• Underfoot. The beach head is large smooth grey stones and almost no sand, so finding a spot for a towel takes improvisation.
• Seaweed. Thick banks of dried Posidonia often block the shoreline, and entry on foot turns slimy, awkward and sometimes impossible.
• Footwear. Trainers or hiking shoes for the path, and thick-soled water shoes if you mean to get into the sea over the stones.
• No shade. The route and the shore are sun-baked and completely unshaded, from the first climb to the last.

The driving ends at Son Bou — nothing goes closer to the water. From the eastern end of the beach a signposted marker points to Stage 16 of the Camí de Cavalls, and from there it is 20 to 30 minutes on foot, around 1.2 km: up a steep, rocky cliffside path, then down again into the ravine. No shade at any point on it. Accounts of the effort run from an easy hike for anyone with a little experience to short but intense, and it is the little hills and rocks that do the work. The nearest public parking sits about 1 km away in a straight line, with another car park about 700 m off that belongs to its customers. Bus stops Son Bou - Platja and Son Bou rotonda are both roughly 1 km away.

Best: sunset, watched from the rocks above the cove, where the cliffs open onto the southern sea horizon with nothing in the way.

Avoid: counting on a swim when the shoreline is banked with dried Posidonia — getting into the water on foot can be impossible, and the weed gives no warning from the top of the path.

The cove is sparsely visited at any hour and stays that way through the summer, when Son Bou next door is full. The walk in is unshaded in both directions, so anyone timing it for the sunset should reckon on the return in fading light.