The perfect outing: the Hams caves

The Coves dels Hams are a remarkable underground cave complex that are well-known around the world. They are easy to miss, however, and many people visit Mallorca without knowing about them. One reason for this oversight is that they are in Porto Cristo, very near the better-known Coves del Drach, which are a more popular attraction.

The Hams caves were discovered in 1905 and have the honour of being the first caves opened to the public in Spain, which occurred within 5 years of their discovery, in 1910. Ham is the Mallorcan word for a hook, and the cave is named after the similarity between its shape and the hooks used for fishing.

The caves have been carefully maintained, with spectacular lighting of the stalactites and stalagmites as well as the underground lake. The resulting image is one that visitors tend not to forget. The route starts with a descent to the Round Cave, where there is a huge botanic garden and where visitors are offered a small hospitality snack consisting of a traditional local liqueur and a tapa.  The main event comes next with the visit to the Classic Cave, with 12 galleries and an underground lake, the Mar de Venecia, where a music performance adds the final touch to a route that is well worth taking.

5 recommendations to make your visit to the Hams Caves a perfect outing

Besides your visit to the caves themselves, which are spectacular enough on their own, we can take advantage of the trip to visit other places and do other things to make the day even better:

1. Visit Porto Cristo, a pretty fishing village which has everything you could ask for: great restaurants, bars and cafés, outdoor activities and a natural harbour.
2. There is a lot to see in Porto Cristo, but above all there is the charming statue of a mermaid in carrer San Jordi and the church of Mare de Déu del Carme, the patron of sailors, in the plaza del Carmen.
3. Give yourself time for a leisurely visit to the Torre dels Falcons, so you can appreciate the details of this watchtower that was stood guard above a hidden cave since 1577.
4. We can visit Manacor, which is only 12 kilometres away from the Hams Caves, to see its pearl factory and do some shopping in its street market and upmarket stores.
5. We can round off our trip by visiting the nearby village of Sa Coma, where there is a popular sandy beach for the whole family and where you can visit a fun safari zoo.

The facilities of Hotels VIVA are located in the northern half of the island, which makes them the perfect starting point for trips to many of the bays, beaches and interesting places that are features of the island, like Porto Cristo and its caves. We would like to recommend the Aparthotel VIVA Cala Mesquida Resort & Spa for this adventure, as it is located only 30 minutes from the Hams Caves, right in front of the beach and offers perfect comfort and fun for both adults and children. Enjoy your holidays in Mallorca like never before!