Cala Formentor

This lovely narrow beach, on the Formentor peninsula, is lined with pine trees. You’re always close to the clear sparkling water of the Mediterranean when you want to cool off and the views across the Bay of Pollensa, with boats bobbing nearby, are dreamy. You can arrive here by boat from Puerto Pollensa or by car. The drive from Alcudia or Pollensa is spectacular. Cala Formentor is one of my favorite beaches in Mallorca. I visited quite late in the day when there were very few people. The beach has an almost Thai vibe about it.

Es Calo des Moro

This must arguably be the most beautiful beach in Mallorca. A private foundation owns and cares for this beach, so it’s beautifully maintained and you won’t see any hotels or beach bars here. You do have to scramble down a lot of rocks to get here but I think the extra effort to get here makes it even more special. The beach itself is really small, so I imagine in the summertime it could get a lot more crowded than when I was there in mid May. Calo des Moro is one of Mallorca’s best kept secret beaches, that everyone knows about. For a long time, this tiny stretch of fine white sand and translucent turquoise blue water, was relatively unknown because of the difficulty in reaching it, but lately the word has spread.

S’Amarador Beach

S’Amarador is surrounded by natural sand dunes, forests, and rocky coves instead of resorts. S’Amarador is an award-winning glorious white sand beach that is part of the protected Mondrago National Park (south east Majorca, close to Cala d'Or), and so is beautifully unspoilt. Its relatively isolated location means only those with cars or boats can access it. There are sunbeds and parasols to rent, and a small bar for refreshments. Toilets and showers are available. Free car parking is available about a five minute walk away. 

Sa Calobra Beach

The drive to Sa Calobra with its breathtaking drops and many hairpins was probably the highlight of visiting Mallorca, from a scenery point of view. It’s a truly spectacular road. At one point the road cleaves between two cliff faces with barely room for a coach to pass through. The setting down there is beautiful. To get to the actual beach and you have to walk through a long tunnel in the mountainside. The beach is made up of small stones instead of sand, but the water is so amazingly clear that I think it’s worth the visit. This might actually have been the prettiest place I went swimming in Mallorca, as there were lots of fish and the surrounding cliffs made for some dramatic views.

Cala Llamp

Cala Llamp is about 5k from Port Andratx and is in a secluded spot, surrounded by mountains. The water in the rocky Cala Llamp is crystal clear and thus perfect for snorkelling. The bay has no sandy beach but a sea water pool, a restaurant and a bar. You can arrive by boat, drop anchor and a motor launch will bring you onshore. The Gran Folies beach club, situated here, is a great place to spend a day, hire a sun lounger and book a table for lunch. Tucked round the corner from Port d'Andratx, Cala Llamp Bay has one of the most stunning views in Mallorca. The Tramuntana mountains create high cliffs all around, forming a crescent bay with calm, beautifully clear water.

Illetas

This small sheltered beach has sparkling clean water and soft golden sand, and is one of the more attractive beaches on the coastline to the southwest of  Palma. It’s not a very large beach, so I recommend arriving early to stake your claim to a patch of this paradise. You can hire sun loungers and parasols on the sands or chill out at one of the two good beach clubs you’ll find there, Virtual Club and Las Terrazas. Illetas is a small upmarket resort nine kilometres to the south-west of Palma. The beach is not that big, with a length of around 100 metres and around 50 metres deep. Sun beds and parasols are available to hire, and there are toilets, ramps for the disabled and lifeguards on duty. It's a popular beach with yachts as it boasts a sheltered bay. There are also lots of water sports available to indulge in.