Coves de Gènova is a show cave in Gènova, a residential neighbourhood in the Ponent district of Palma on Mallorca. Discovered in 1906 while a well was being dug, it descends about 36 metres below ground through a chain of limestone galleries hung with stalactites and stalagmites and lit for visitors. The cave is entered through a restaurant building and toured with an audio guide or on a guided tour. A visit takes between ten minutes and half an hour.
Coves de Gènova
Show cave of illuminated limestone galleries beneath Palma's Gènova neighbourhood, entered through a restaurant.
- Entrance
- Paid entry; tickets are sold online, on the caves' own website and through ticket resellers.
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible: the entrance has no wheelchair access, and the cave is toured on stone steps with uneven, damp stretches. Visitors need to be steady on their feet.
- Parking
- Free car park about 40 m away; the neighbouring Ca na Joana car park is for customers only. Free street parking and paid parking are also available nearby.
- Difficulty
- Stone steps down into the cave and back up, damp and uneven in places. Not strenuous, but you need to be steady on your feet; ten to thirty minutes underground.
- Transport
- City buses stop on Camí dels Reis: Camí dels Reis, 19 about 60 m away and Camí dels Reis, 12 about 100 m away.
- Advance booking
- Tickets can be booked online ahead of the visit.
- Hours
- Daily, 9:30–17:30.
- Address
- Carrer del Barranc, 45, Ponent, 07015 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
What makes it special
A door in a restaurant building opens onto stone steps, and the street noise drops away as you go down. What replaces it is humid air and the slow drip of water. Narrow limestone corridors open into galleries crowded with stalactites and stalagmites, and the lighting picks out each formation in colour, so every corner reads clearly.
The cave reaches about 36 metres below Gènova, roughly the height of a twelve-storey building. The scale is intimate. The big show caves on Mallorca's east coast move visitors through in large groups; here the galleries stay quiet enough to hear the water at work, and the whole thing sits a bus ride from central Palma.
Good to know
- The audio guide runs on your own phone via a QR code; there are no handsets. Signal drops underground, so download it before you go in.
- Children without a phone cannot follow the audio guide on their own, so plan to share yours.
- Extras bundled with online tickets, such as a guided tour or a glass of sangria, have not always been delivered.
- Inside it is humid, and the stone steps are damp and uneven. Wear shoes with grip.
- The visit is brief, ten to thirty minutes underground. Pair it with a meal at the restaurant or a day in Palma.
Getting there
The caves sit in Gènova, a residential neighbourhood on the western edge of Palma, and a city bus or a taxi covers the distance from the centre. Buses stop on Camí dels Reis, the nearest stop about 60 m from the caves and a second one about 100 m away.
By car, there is a car park about 40 m away, with a customers-only car park belonging to Ca na Joana beside it and street parking around the neighbourhood. From there it is a short walk to the restaurant building, which is the way in: the cave begins at the foot of stone steps inside.
Best time to visit
Best: a hot summer day or a wet one, and mornings for the quietest galleries.
Avoid: a special journey from the far side of the island for this alone.
A cave keeps its own climate whatever the weather above, so it works as shelter from both sun and rain, and the visit is short enough to fit around other plans in Palma.
Sun & daylight
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Coves de Gènova on the map
The stone steps and floor inside are damp and uneven, and a slip on wet limestone is the main risk. Wear shoes with grip and keep a hand free.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does a visit to Coves de Gènova take?
Between ten minutes and half an hour underground.Is there a guide?
The visit uses an audio guide on your own phone, opened by scanning a QR code; there are no handsets. Signal drops inside the cave, so download it before going in. Guided tours are also run.Can wheelchair users visit?
No. The entrance is not wheelchair accessible, and the cave is toured on stone steps with uneven, damp stretches.Is it suitable for children?
Yes, for children who are steady on steps. The audio guide needs a phone, so children without one will need to share an adult's.Can I get there by bus?
Yes. City buses stop on Camí dels Reis, about 60 m from the caves.