Cala Figuera: Fishing Harbour and Coastal History

Cala Figuera combines an important fishing harbour with historic landmarks and a waterside walking route. The harbour is located in the municipality of Santanyí on Mallorca’s southeast coast. Fishing is the main activity there, alongside a sizeable fleet of leisure boats. This gives the area a clear focus when choosing a holiday destination: maritime life and coastal history go hand in hand with views of the Mediterranean.

A fishing harbour full of visible details

Caló d’en Busques is a natural fishing harbour. At Caló d’en Busques and Caló d’en Boira, you can see wooden boats, fish markets, small fishermen’s houses, nets drying in the sun, traditional moorings and preserved little stone houses. Together, these details give the harbour area a vivid character shaped by fishing. If you are travelling with children, what they can see offers a good starting point for talking about the role fishing plays in the harbour.

Sa Torre den Beu and the history of signals

Sa Torre den Beu and the lighthouse stand in the eastern part of Cala Figuera, on a 27-metre-high sea cliff. Sa Torre den Beu was part of a defence system in which towers relayed signals by smoke during the day and fire at night. They warned of ongoing pirate and corsair attacks and threats. The change in signal type helps illustrate the tower’s former purpose; with children, you can use it to explain how towers passed on warnings. Construction is said to have begun in 1569 and lasted 16 years, though these details are not precisely confirmed. Sa Torre den Beu was rebuilt in 1654, and the tower was most recently restored in the 1980s.

The lighthouse as a walking destination

The Cala Figuera lighthouse was installed in 1953 to make it easier for fishermen to enter the harbour at night. Its purpose therefore differed from that of the defence tower: the lighthouse guided boats into the harbour, while the tower provided warning signals. From Cala Figuera, a route follows the harbour to the lighthouse and takes about 30 minutes; along the way, there are views of the Mediterranean. The approximate duration gives you a useful timeframe for planning your day, while the sea views also make the route a scenic one.

Views and choosing a holiday destination

A viewing promenade about 30 metres long, paved with Santanyí stone slabs and featuring four benches, was built on Carrer Tomarinar. If you are looking for a holiday apartment for a stay focused on the harbour and coastal history, you can include Cala Figuera in your choice of destination. Fishing, the history of the signal towers and the route to the lighthouse offer specific points of interest, without requiring you to focus your holiday on just one of these themes.

Discover more destinations: Cap Des Moro, Cala Santanyi, Portopetro, S'alqueria Blanca, Cala D'or, Calonge, S´amarador, Cala Llombards

For the main travel overview: Santanyi.