Cala d'Or

History

The Es Forti fortification was erected in 1740 and rebuilt after being destroyed by an earthquake in 1793. It protected the coastline against pirates. Today it is a historical site in Cala d'Or and Santanyí. Its four sides are 26 meters each. On the sides facing the sea, there are hatches for cannons to fight oncoming ships. On the sides facing the land, there are holes to shoot through and fight against oncoming troops. The fort had four cannons and 19 soldiers. In 1932, Josep Costa Ferrer (1876–1971), an artist, illustrator and architect from Ibiza, later called Don Pep Costa, planned a modern settlement for tourism and vacations. He originally named the new village after Cala d'Hort on the island of Ibiza, but Mallorcan settlers changed it to Cala d'Or ('Golden Bay').

Geography

Cala d'Or area belongs to the municipality of Santanyí, which lies further inland. The capital city Palma and Palma airport are approximately 60km (37.3mi) away. The Village of Cala d'Or unfolds on three promontories along the southeastern coastline. It consists of three principal areas: Cala d'Or (centre), Cala Egos (west) and Cala Ferrera (east). The part east of Avenida Felanitx belongs to the municipality of Felanitx. The rough coastline is interrupted by several bays with sandy beaches. From east to west these are: Cala Esmeralda ('emerald green'), Cala Gran ('big'), the namesake Cala d'Or (bay and beach), ('golden', also called Caló de ses Dones) and Cala Llonga ('long', also called Cala d'es Forti) with its small Caló d'es Pou. In the district of Cala Egos, located to the west, these are: Cala Egos (bay and beach), Cala Galera and Caló des Llamp. In the eastern part of Cala Ferrera (belonging to Felanitx) these are Cala Ferrera (bay and beach) and Cala Serena ('serenity'). The nearby village of Portopetro can be reached by bus or car within five to ten minutes.

Most-observed species

• Sardinian Warbler

  Curruca melanocephala (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  1,701
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,531
• European Stonechat

  Saxicola rubicola (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,459
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,410
• Yellow-legged Gull

  Larus michahellis J.F.Naumann, 1840 · Aves
  1,296
• Kentish Plover

  Charadrius alexandrinus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,212
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,078
• European Goldfinch

  Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,078

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2005-01-21
  4 km WNW of Vilafranca de Bonany, Spain
• M 2.5 — 2001-11-03
  39 km NW of Ciutadella, Spain
• M 3.8 — 2001-11-02
  38 km NW of Ciutadella, Spain