Camí de Cala Bóquer is a must do hike in the Spanish island of Mallorca. This beautiful walk through the Bóquer Valley (Vall de Bóquer) showcases the scenic landscape of the north of the island without having to trek too far. As the name suggests, the route leads to Cala Bóquer, one of Mallorca’s lovely little rocky ‘cove’ beaches.
Key information:
- Where: Located in the north of the island, starting from Port de Pollença
- Distance: Around 5.5km (return)
- Difficulty: Fairly easy. The hardest part is the relatively short but rocky descent down to the beach (and back up again). Note however that the hike would still be worth doing even if you are unable to go right down to the cala.
As a solo traveler I can say this walk is very safe and accessible. There is no need to worry about being on your own or possibly getting lost in the middle of nowhere – the path is very easy to follow. In fact, the walk is great for most – whether a solo traveler or a family with kids. The trail is pretty open – even if you want to just stroll along at a leisurely pace you won’t be bothering anyone, there is plenty room for everyone out there. It really is an excellent (and must do) addition to any Mallorca itinerary.
As the walk doesn’t take that long, say around 1.5hr return (plus however long you choose to spend at Cala Bóquer), it’s not something you need to dedicate the whole day to, which is great I’d say. There is plenty time either side to enjoy Port de Pollença itself before/after, especially if you have travelled up from Palma just for the day.
Don’t forget to take:
- Water – there are no water supplies and the walk is very much in the open, there is no sheltering from the sun.
- Hat – as per the last point, you will want this to shade yourself from the Spanish sun.
- Good walking shoes – trainers are fine (you will be thankful to not be in flip-flops when you reach the rocky path to/from the beach).
- Snacks/lunch – be sure to pack some snacks or a picnic lunch that you can enjoy once you reach Cala Bóquer itself.
How to get to Camí de Cala Bóquer?
As noted, Camí de Cala Bóquer begins from Port de Pollença and is therefore easily accessible from Mallorca’s main city, Palma. Buses run throughout the day, every day, from Palma to Port de Pollença. Head to the Estacio Intermodal in Palma city from where you can take a direct bus. Simply tap on with your bank card and reach Port de Pollença in around an hour.
Note, I do recommend to stay in Palma if you want to experience the island on a whole as much as possible, especially if you are a solo traveler. You can check out my Mallorca guide here for more insights into this.
Of course not everyone is going to be staying in Palma, just note that it will be more difficult to reach Port de Pollença if coming from a town on the east or the west of the island. This is because you tend to have to return to Palma to then take the bus up north.
However, perhaps you are staying in the beautiful north in Port de Pollença itself or the lovely Alcúdia. If staying in Alcúdia you will be just a short bus ride away.
Honestly I would LOVE to spend more time in the north of the island. If not looking to move around so much, Port de Pollença or Alcúdia would be great options if you don’t fancy basing yourself in Palma. Especially so if you are an active, nature loving person – this is a great area for hiking and biking in general. I will hopefully go back one day and get to explore more trails out there!
When you disembark the bus in Port de Pollença, whether coming from Palma or elsewhere in the north, you are in the perfect spot from where to easily begin the walk. The path begins literally 2 minutes away from the main bus stop. Simply walk to the roundabout just next to the bus stop and head to your left (take the first exit).
You will see a sign post ‘Camí de Cala Bóquer’ which marks the beginning of the trail.
Camí de Cala Bóquer – The Walk
From the ‘Camí de Cala Bóquer’ sign you will go up the path which leads to a gate to the ‘Cases de Bóquer’. Go through the gate and be sure to close it behind you. From here you will be already be rewarded with a view. Look to your left and admire the scene down over Port de Pollença.
Keep going and you’ll reach a cool rock formation, after which you go through you see the view open up to the beautiful Bóquer Valley. It really is so scenic and in a sense feels worlds a way from what you have just left behind in Port de Pollença. The path through the valley is flat and very easy to follow.
You will admire the landscape all the way, accompanied by goats, before coming to a halt when you see the sea view as Cala Bóquer emerges from beyond the valley. Definitely stop here for some photos and to admire the scenes before you.
Perhaps you are short on time, or for whatever reason aren’t able to/don’t want to descend to the cala and back again, in which case you could just turn around here and still be satisfied with the walk, I’d say.
That’s to say, the trickiest part of the walk comes after that initial view of the cala. It becomes a little more technical, just in the sense that the path turns rocky and it’s easier to lose the actual path. No need to fret if you feel you’ve gone off the ‘path’, just keep heading down and you’ll be good. Essentially, there are now multiple paths down. You’ll soon reach Cala Bóquer itself, where you can relax on the small pebble beach. Albeit quite small, it doesn’t tend to get overly busy (because you can only access it via the trail. That’s the beauty of it.).
After walking down to the cala, you’ll find this is a lovely lunch spot. So, I’d recommend taking a little picnic with you, especially if you’re a budget traveler like I am! However, do be careful with any food. Those goats know!! Luckily I had finished my lunch before they came snooping, it wanted my baguette wrapper that was in the side of my backpack real bad! It got a hold of it at one point and the whole beach was entertained by the show down.
I wouldn’t say its the most beautiful beach out there, but because of its more remote location and hike that it takes to get there it’s a special little spot on the island of Mallorca.
After enjoying the beach it’s time to hike back up the rocky ‘path’ to the main trail. People were climbing up over different areas of the rocks, as said there are essentially multiple ‘paths’ here – I definitely did not follow the same climb up as I did on the descent, but again as long as you keep going up, you should be grand. You’ll then join the main trail and head back the way you came through the Bóquer Valley, the gates and back down to Port de Pollença.
I felt so satisfied after this hike, it made my day! Maybe because I didn’t really know what to expect which usually brings good things. Anyway essentially I wanted a proper little hike real bad, but dealing with a running injury at this time didn’t really want to go hard on hiking. Camí de Cala Bóquer completely satisfied my need of a nature filled escape from the bustle of the towns (without having to overdo it and mess up my injured leg more). Perfect! It’s an amazing chance to see a more remote area of the island without spending money (besides for the bus!) too – budget travelers I got you!
