Porto Cristo on the Balearic Islands
Porto Cristo is a small town on the eastern coast of the island of Mallorca.
The little village does not only depend on tourism, it still has got a lively fishing industry, because it is a natural harbour which gives small fishing vessels shelter from Mediterranean storms and rough seas. In recent years a new marina has been built with moorings for sailing ships and motorboats.
The biggest tourist attractions in Porto Cristo are the Coves Dels Ham and the Caves of Drach. The Dragon Caves formed by the Mediterranean Sea consist of 4 different caves and an underground lake: the White Cave, the Black Cave, Cave of the French and the Cave of Luis Salvador. The four caves are connected with each other. The Coves Dels Hams which are not far away also hold an underground lake known as "The Sea of Venice".
The nearby town of Manacor, one of the biggest cities on Mallorca, is only ten minutes away by car is the centre of the pearl manufacturing industry on the island. The first factory of the famous Majorica artificial pearls was founded in Manacor in the nineteenth century. Apart from the pearl industry the manufacturing of furniture was one of the main basic industries of Manacor during the twentieth century.
A busy street market is held every Monday of the week. The street market in Manacor is a popular day trip for tourist staying in resorts like Calas de Mallorca, Can Picafort, Cala Mesquida, Cala Millor, Sa Coma, Cala Murada or Cala Ratjada on the east coast of Mallorca. Manacor itself is not a tourist resort, but as the city is the birthplace of spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal it has become well known all over the world.
