Porto Cristo is a small town on the eastern coast of

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...

. It is from the town of

Manacor Manacor () is a town and municipality on the island of Mallorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the second largest town in Mallorca, after the capital of Palma. The municipality has tourist areas such a ...

and is within the Manacor municipality.

Geography

The village is located in a major tourist area between

Costa de los Pinos Costa may refer to: Biology * Rib (Latin: ''costa''), in vertebrate anatomy * Costa (botany), the central strand of a plant leaf or thallus * Costa (coral), a stony rib, part of the skeleton of a coral * Costa (entomology), the leading edge of ...

and

Cala Murada Cala (or CALA) may refer to: Geography * Cala, Eastern Cape, a town in South Africa * Cala, Huelva, a town and municipality in Huelva province, Spain * Cala Gonone, a civil parish of Dorgali municipality, Sardinia, Italy Acronym * Club Atlét ...

. Its small bay opens to the southeast and seems almost closed on the right, by a large rock called Es Morro de Sa Carabassa. At its end, a lighthouse built in 1851 rises. The slope called Punta d'Es Pelats partially closes the pier of Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo and a stretch of sea rises a quarter mile west juts and twists later, at a right angle, in north direction prolonging itself some three hundred meters more. This hardly navigable area constitutes the last primitive vestige of the port, which has been gradually blinded by the alluvial lands, now converted into fords and small orchards, at the end of the depression, which reaches about two kilometers, The height of the

Caves of the Hams A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

, was the pier during the Roman domination. By road is communicated from north to south by four routes: * Ma-4023 towards

Son Servera Son Servera is a municipality in northeast Majorca, in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Founded in 1300 by James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was ...

(9 km) * Ma-4024 towards

Son Carrió A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

(6 km) * Ma-4020 towards

(12 km) * Ma-4014 towards Porto Colom (18 km)

Tourism

Porto Cristo remains a modern but unspoilt all year round location. Though in no way a primary tourist destination in Mallorca, Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo promotes itself as a quiet resort and tries to encourage foreign visitors. The main tourist attractions are two sets of caves, the larger

Coves del Drach The Caves of Drach (modern Catalan spelling: ; es, Cuevas del Drach; ) are four great caves that are located in the island of Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, extending to a depth of 25 m and reaching approximately 4 km in length. T ...

and the

Coves dels Hams The Coves dels Hams (; es, Cuevas dels Hams; en, "Fishhook Caves") are a Solutional cave system on the east coast of the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca. The caves are in the municipality of Manacor, about 1 km to the west of the town ...

To improve the traffic flow in the main tourist season a by pass road around Porto Cristo has now been opened. This new road connects the PMV 4023 to the MA 4020 and MA 4014. The name Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo, meaning "The Port of Manacor/The Port of Christ" given to it back in 1260 AD at the time of the Christian invasion of Mallorca, A fishing boat was found washed up on the beach containing a crucifix. Legend has it that an ox was carrying an icon of God through the town, and the ox stopped and refused to walk anymore. Hence the people saw this as a sign and the name was derived from that belief it was a clear sign that Christ wanted to be here. What sets Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo apart from most of the other Mallorcan resorts is that its income is not solely dependent on tourism; Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo still maintains its functions as a Spanish fishing village. Its larger municipality, Manacor, is the centre of the pearl manufacturing industry on Mallorca. Interior de las Cuevas del Drach

Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo Harbour is a natural harbour which still shelters small fishing boats from storms. The addition in recent years of the new marina now provides moorings to high-end pleasure boats. The mix of the new and the old has been done tastefully, as Porto Cristo seeks to ensure it retains its heritage. Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo is a quiet town perfect for a stroll along the main front or a romantic meal overlooking the breathtaking ocean. Crime is rare in Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo and it has a very active police presence ensuring it retains its reputation as a safe place to visit on the island.

Residents

Professional tennis player

Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Parera (, ; born 3 June 1986) is a Spanish professional tennis player. He is currently ranked world No. 2 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has been ranked List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis ...

has a holiday home in Port de Manacor/Porto Cristo.

References

External links

* {{coord, 39, 33, N, 3, 20, E, display=title, region:ES_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Geography of Mallorca Seaside resorts in Spain