Cala des Degollador (Cala Santandria North Cove)
While visitors queue for the famous beaches further afield, many Ciutadella residents spend their summer evenings at Cala des Degollador, a tiny limestone cove barely ten minutes' walk from the city centre. The water is the improbable turquoise of a swimming pool, the rocks are flat and warm, and there is almost no infrastructure — which is precisely the point.
A Cove That Rewards the Curious
The cove sits just north of the more developed Cala Santandria, separated from it by a low limestone headland that most tourists never bother to cross. A rough path leads around the rocks to a sheltered inlet perhaps 40 metres wide, with clear water over white sand and a depth that goes from paddling-shallow to proper swimming depth within a few strokes.
The rock platforms on either side are where locals spread their towels, often with a cool box of drinks and a speaker playing quietly. There are no sunbeds, no parasol rental, no beach bar — just the sea, the limestone and the late afternoon light that turns the water an almost theatrical shade of green-blue.
Getting There and Making the Most of It
From Plaça des Born, walk or cycle south along the coast road towards Cala Santandria (about 1.5 km). Just before the main Cala Santandria beach, a signed footpath branches right along the cliff edge — follow it for 200 metres to reach the cove. The path is uneven in places so wear shoes rather than flip-flops for the approach.
The best time to visit is late afternoon from 5 pm onwards when the sun drops behind the western headland and the cove fills with soft, diffused light. Snorkelling around the rocky edges reveals sea urchins, wrasse and occasional octopus in the clear water.
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