Cuevas del Drach · Porto Cristo, Mallorca
Walk through galleries of stalactites to Lake Martel, where a live classical quartet plays from boats.
Live music has played on this lake since 1935, among stalactites that grow by no more than 1.6 mm a year.
Excursion or your own ticket
The main ticket on this site is not a plain entrance ticket. It is a five-hour coach excursion from Palma that includes cave entry. The caves also sell their own timed tickets, so here is how the choices differ.
A coach excursion from a central meeting point in Palma, with fast-track entry, the concert and the boat on Lake Martel included. A guide travels with the group in Spanish, English, German and French, and the stay at the caves runs a little over two hours. Lunch and drinks are not included.
Check Drach caves dates ↗The caves sell timed tickets of their own, online, in their app and at the ticket office, but not by phone. Online tickets cost less than the office's, and the cave advises buying early. Changes and refunds are not accepted, and the concert and the crossing are part of the ticket.
Another excursion collects guests from resorts in the south of Mallorca, including Arenal, Can Pastilla, Magaluf, Santa Ponsa and Paguera. The pickup may be at a nearby stop, not the hotel door, and the operator emails the stop after booking.
The Caves of Hams, about a kilometre west of Porto Cristo, are a separate system with their own concert, a light show and a lake called the Sea of Venice. A plain entry ticket is on the third card. It is a different cave, not a way into the Drach caves.
Under Porto Cristo
The name Drach, which means dragon, first shows up in print in the 17th century, in Dameto's history of the Kingdom of Mallorca. The first known map came later, drawn by the German officer and entomologist Friedrich Will at the invitation of Archduke Ludwig Salvator. In 1888 the French artist Gaston Vuillier visited and wrote about the caves.
In September 1896 the French speleologist Édouard-Alfred Martel arrived with Louis Armand, under the Archduke's protection. They found new chambers and a large underground lake, now called Lake Martel. The cave's own history page counts Martel as the father of modern speleology.
The visit ends at the lake with a short concert. A quartet of cello, harpsichord and two violins plays four works of classical music, and the cave has offered a concert since 1935. Afterwards the lights brighten slowly in an effect called 'Sunrise on the lake', designed by the Catalan engineer Carles Buïgas.
The visit in six stages
Whichever ticket you hold, the visit inside follows one route. These are the stages, in the order most groups meet them.
The visit can vary from day to day, so follow the staff's directions on the day.
01The way in
A path of about 200 metres links the car park to the entrance. Entry is by time slot, and the cave asks you to arrive about 15 minutes early. Once inside, groups keep together and stay on the marked path.
02The galleries
The route runs for about 1,200 metres through galleries hung with thousands of stalactites and stalagmites. The rock is carbonate laid down in the Upper Miocene, between roughly 11 and 5.3 million years ago, from coral reefs and sea shells. Water has shaped it ever since.
03The four caves
The system is usually described as four connected caves: the Black Cave, the White Cave, the Cave of Luis Salvador and the Cave of the French. Martel's 1896 expedition added two caves to those Friedrich Will had mapped, along with the lake.
04Lake Martel
The lake is about 117 metres long and 30 wide, and between 4 and 12 metres deep, by the cave's own figures. Visitors sit above it in a natural amphitheatre, with the stalactites lit and reflected in the water.
05The concert
The quartet plays from small boats on the lake. The cave puts the programme at four works of classical music and about ten minutes. Visitors are asked to stay silent, and nobody may take photographs or film while the music plays.
06The crossing
After the lights come up, visitors cross the lake by boat or on foot over the bridge, at no extra cost. The excursion on this page includes the boat ride, and then leaves time outside for the gardens, the café and the pearl exhibition.
Inside the caves
The lit path, the lake, the boat the musicians play from, and the curtains and columns the route passes between.
Four ways in
| Option | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Palma excursion with fast-track entry | A coach from a central Palma meeting point, cave entry with the concert and the boat, a guide on board in four languages, and a little over two hours at the caves. Lunch and drinks cost extra. You can cancel until 24 hours ahead. | Visitors staying in or near Palma without a car, and anyone who wants transport and entry in one booking. |
| Excursion with resort pickup | Pickup from resorts in the south of Mallorca, a coach, a guide, cave entry and a visit to a pearl factory. A full-day option adds the Caves of Hams and Porto Cristo. Wheelchair users are advised against it. | Guests staying in the southern resorts who would rather not travel to Palma first. |
| Caves of Hams entry ticket | Entry to a different cave, with its own lake, light show and music. You swap the voucher at that cave's ticket office. Cancel until 24 hours ahead. | Drivers who want a plain cave ticket, or a second cave in Porto Cristo on the same day. |
| The cave's own ticket | A timed entry bought at the caves, online or in their app. It includes the concert and the crossing of the lake. No changes or refunds. Not sold on this site. | Visitors with a car who prefer to book the caves directly. |
Ways to see the caves
The first card is the excursion this guide recommends: a coach trip from Palma with fast-track entry, the concert and the boat. The second adds pickup from the resorts. The third is a plain entry ticket for the Caves of Hams, the other cave in Porto Cristo.
A coach from a central Palma meeting point, cave entry with the concert and the boat, a guide on board in four languages, and a little over two hours at the caves. Lunch and drinks cost extra. You can cancel until 24 hours ahead.
Pickup from resorts in the south of Mallorca, a coach, a guide, cave entry and a visit to a pearl factory. A full-day option adds the Caves of Hams and Porto Cristo. Wheelchair users are advised against it.
Entry to a different cave, with its own lake, light show and music. You swap the voucher at that cave's ticket office. Cancel until 24 hours ahead.
More to book on Mallorca
Before you go down
The caves are on the road to Porto Cristo, on Mallorca's east coast, with a large free car park. Public buses reach the area from several towns, and the cave points visitors to the island bus operator, TIB, for timetables. There is a taxi stand at the caves for the way back.
The excursion on this page leaves from a central meeting point in Palma, and the confirmation names the exact spot and time for your option. If you arrive in Palma by car, the excursion's meeting notes mention the Parc de la Mar car park.
The excursion's notes put the visit at about 320 steps, 119 of them uphill, with lighting and handrails in the main places. The cave's own page says the route has steps and a rail, and that wheelchairs and buggies cannot enter. A baby carrier or a child carried in arms is fine.
Inside it is 17 to 21 °C all year, so a light layer helps in summer. Wear comfortable shoes with grip: the floor can be damp. The cave does not allow bare feet, food or drink inside.
Phone photos without flash are fine along the route. While the music plays, the cave bans photography and filming. Tripods and selfie sticks are never allowed, so leave them in the coach or the car.
Children under 12 must stay with an adult. The cave advises against the visit for people with heart conditions or claustrophobia; anyone with a health worry should ask a doctor first.
Guides to the caves, the lake and the ticket
Choosing your way in How to get into the Cuevas del Drach: the cave's own timed ticket, the Palma excursion, resort-pickup trips, refund terms and who each one suits.
Read the guide → Getting there, timing and the route Getting from Palma to the Cuevas del Drach by coach, car or bus, and what the route inside holds: steps, temperature, rules, the lake and the concert.
Read the guide →FAQ
No. It is a five-hour coach excursion from a central meeting point in Palma, with cave entry, the concert and the boat included. The caves also sell their own timed tickets, which this site does not.
Yes. The caves sell tickets online, in their app and at the ticket office, but not by phone. Online and app tickets cost less than the office's, and they sell about 30 days ahead.
No. The live concert on Lake Martel is part of the cave's ticket, and it is included in the excursion on this page too.
Yes, without flash, along the route. While the concert plays, nobody may photograph or film. Tripods and selfie sticks are banned at every point.
About an hour on the cave's own page. The excursion on this page allows a little over two hours at the site, which includes time outside for the gardens and the café.
No. The route has steps and a rail, and the cave does not admit wheelchairs or buggies. A baby carrier or a child carried in arms is fine.
The excursion's notes say about 320 steps in total, of which 119 are uphill. The paths are lit and have handrails in the main places.
Yes. Cancel until 24 hours ahead for a full refund, and pay later if you prefer. The cave's own tickets accept no changes or refunds.
No. The site is written independently and has no link with the caves or their operator. Reservations are made on GetYourGuide.
Fares shown are per person, in US dollars, and change with the date and the option. Open the calendar to see prices in your own currency.