Drach Caves

Near the end of the visit the whole group sits down in a huge chamber, and the lights go out. The dark is total. Then lit boats slide out across Lake Martel with musicians aboard playing well-known classical pieces, and the cave's acoustics carry every note. The concert lasts seven to ten minutes.

The walk before it winds through twisting chambers crowded with stalactites and stalagmites, large and small, across four connected caves. The lake is about 115 m long and 30 m wide, longer than a football pitch, and its water is crystal clear from the boat that carries you across it afterwards.

• Visits go through unguided, in groups of a hundred to four hundred people; for the first half you move at the pace of the crowd.
• The route has many steps, with a long flight at the exit, and the entrance is not wheelchair accessible.
• The chamber goes completely dark before the concert, which frightens toddlers; the visit suits older children better.
• After the concert you cross the lake by boat or by footbridge. The boat is included in the ticket, and the crossing is short.
• Inside, a T-shirt is enough. On site there are toilets, a café, a souvenir shop and food stalls.

By car, the free car park sits about 110 m from the caves, with a second free one about 500 m away and free parking along the street. A direct bus runs from Palma and stops about 60 m away, so either way the approach on foot is over almost as soon as it starts.

The real walking happens underground: about an hour through the chambers, then out by boat across the lake or over a footbridge, and finally up the long flight of steps at the exit.

Best: a hot or wet day at any time of year, and the months either side of high summer.

Avoid: July and August, when the island is at its busiest.

The chambers keep the same comfortable temperature whatever the weather outside, so the caves suit exactly the days when a beach does not.

Do not touch the formations: the stalactites and stalagmites have taken thousands of years to grow, and the instruction is given clearly at the start. Staff also ask visitors not to take photos or video inside the caves. Stay on the path with your group through the chambers.