Porto Cristo Holidays

Fly into Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), the island's only airport, about 62km from Porto Cristo (a 55 to 70-minute drive depending on traffic). You can add a transfer when you book and that way, a driver will meet you at arrivals. Or, if you like queueing, you can always grab a taxi at the airport.

The town beach is a small sheltered sandy cove tucked right inside the Z-shaped harbour mouth, which gives it the single best feature for a beach-with-kids: completely calm, shallow water. Which also means you can relax on the beach without worrying about them swimming.

It's not the longest beach on the east coast by any stretch, so expect it to fill up in July and August, but that's what the three nearby coves are for. Cala Anguila, Cala Mandia and Cala Romantica are all within 10 to 15 minutes' drive and each offers a different character as well as gorgeous beaches.

Genuinely world-class and the reason many people choose Porto Cristo as a base. The Caves of Drach (Cuevas del Drach) are a network of four interconnected chambers stretching 2.4km, with Europe's largest underground lake (Lake Martel) at the heart of it. The standard 90-minute tour walks you through illuminated stalactite and stalagmite chambers, then culminates with a live classical-music concert performed by musicians on boats on the lake, with the audience watching from stone tiers cut into the cave wall. Boat rides across the lake follow. Book online in advance in peak season, it sells out.

Excellent, with one of the stronger cases on the east coast. The sheltered town beach is genuinely kid-friendly, the Caves of Drach are a proper memory-maker from about age seven up, the Aquarium handles rainy afternoons, three easy-access coves add beach variety, and self-catering aparthotels like Porto Drach Aparthotel and Aparthotel Santa Maria give families space and kitchen flexibility. The resort is quiet after dinner, which suits families with younger kids who aren't trying to do nightlife anyway.

Not essential if you're happy spending most of the week around the town beach, the harbour and the caves. Recommended if you want to get to the other three coves properly (they're drivable though all have parking issues in peak summer), day-trip to Cala Varques, visit the Majorica pearl factory in Manacor, or do a Palma City day out.

Peak summer (July and August) is Porto Cristo at its warmest with sea temperatures at 25°C+, the harbour in full swing, and the caves tours running every half-hour. June and September are quieter alternatives for date-flexible travellers, still hitting 25 to 28°C with comfortable weather and the water pleasantly warm. May and October are properly lovely for cooler-weather holidays around 22 to 25°C, with the caves and coves genuinely at their best without peak crowds, and the Festes del Carme fishermen's festival in mid-July adds proper local colour to a summer visit. Winter (November to March) is mild and peaceful at 14 to 18°C, with the caves open year-round and quieter than anywhere else in peak months.