The village of Porto Cristo in Majorca - Caves of Harpoons (Coves dels Hams)

[Photos] [Presentation] [Location] [Visits] [Culture] [Practical Information] [Other topics]

[Previous topics] [Balearic Islands] [Parent topics] [Via Gallica]

Introduction

Caves of Harpoons, or Caves of hooks, are karst caves located in Porto Cristo on the east coast (county of Levant) of the island of Majorca.

Their originality lies in the transparent stalactites shaped spears and their beautiful underground lake.

Etymology and toponymy

Caves of Harpoons (Coves dels Hams in Catalan Spanish Cuevas dels Hams in Castilian Spanish) owe their name to stalactites and stalagmites shaped spears or hooks (hams in Majorcan Catalan) of one of the rooms.

Location

Harpoons caves are in the municipality of Manacor, about 1200 m west of the coastal town of Porto Cristo, on the road from Manacor to Porto Cristo.

Visits

Caves of Harpoons (Coves dels Hams)
The Caves of the Harpoons (Cuevas del Hams) were the first caves Mallorca to be open to the public in 1910. This is Lorenzo Caldentey, a son of the discoverer of Harpoons caves, the caves which equipped with an electric lighting system powered by a hydroelectric turbine to organize shows and tours. Multilingual guides lead visitors on a journey of about 500 meters across twelve different rooms, the names more or less lyrical. The caves are home to several lakes, including the "Sea of Venice", the greatest of all, where is presented a show "Magical Mozart"…
The entrance to the Cave
It is here that Pedro Caldentey discovered the cave in 1905 while digging the rock in search of onyx. You can still see the marks of blows peak in stone.

The Hall of March 2 (Sala del Dos de Marzç / Sala del Dos de Marzo)
The name of this room remember the date of the discovery of the cave, March 2, 1905. This room has curious geological formations like eg a herd of elephants, a waterfall or two fountains.

The Owls Hall (Sala de les Òlibes / Sala de las Lechuzas)
Upon discovery of the cave, live owls were found in this room. There are fantastic shapes, a large hanging upside down and a couple of dancers fish.
The Dream of an Angel (El Somni d’un Ángel / El Sueño de Ángel one)
The living "The Dream of an Angel" is the finest, delicate and beautiful cave room, hence its name. This room has many amazing formations that go in all directions, creating a unique landscape of great beauty. These stalactites resemble spears or hooks (hams in Majorcan), which gave their name to the caves. Scientists have not yet found an explanation for these unique tree formations, called helictites.

The Hall of the Images (Sala de les Imatges / Sala de las imagined)
Images in the room we discovered many formations resembling statues, some of which even remember the characters of the nativity scene.

The Valley of Earthly Delights (La Vall de les Delicies / El Valle de las Delicias)
Valley of Earthly Delights is the highest inside point of the cave, it offers a panoramic view of several rooms. A curious formation resembling a cat one notices.

Lake of the Enchanted City (Llac de la Cuitat Encantada / Lago de la Ciudad Encantada)

Lost Paradise (El Paradís Perdut / El Paraíso Perdido)
The room of "Lost Paradise" has a wide variety of formations resembling characters, castles and so on. Extensive training like the Virgin of Montserrat, "La Moreneta". This room takes its name from an epic poem of the English poet John Milton (1608-1674), "Lost Paradise", which was an admirer Pere Calendey.

Lake of the Column (Llac de la Columna / Lago de la Columna)
Lake "Sea of Venice" (Mar de Venecia / Mar de Venecia)
Lake "Sea of Venice" is the largest sheltered in caves Harpoons lakes. Its water is slightly salty (2% salt), which implies a communication with the sea, and contains small crustaceans specific blind caves. This is what made the show "Magical Mozart". This underground lake is less extensive than that of the Dragon Caves.
Graveyard of the Fairies (El Cemetiri de les Fades / El Cementerio de las Hadas)
Cemeteries of the Fairies contains stalagmites resembling cypress or a pantheon with a statue that suggest different forms. Ceiling is a curious mushroom-shaped stalactite. We also discover different types of rocks of various colors: white rocks are calcium carbonate, brown rocks, iron oxide, gray-green rocks, copper oxide.

The Imperial Palace (Palau Imperial / Palacio Imperial)
The room "Imperial Palace" present formations whose dimensions suggest sumptuous palaces with large columns supporting the roof. This is the last room of the cave.

History, geography, arts, traditions, flora…

History
Harpoons caves were discovered March 2, 1905 by Pere Caldentey which ended exploration in 1907.

Practical Information

General information

The Caves of Harpoons, unlike the Dragon Caves, photographs - without flash - are allowed.

Visiting hours

Caves Harpoons (Hams) in Mallorca - Prospectus. Click to enlarge the image.

Caves Harpoons (Hams) in Mallorca - Map of the caves. Click to enlarge the image.

Coves dels Hams

Harpoons caves are accessible by road Manacor, Porto Cristo, 1 km from Porto Cristo.

Address: Carretera Ma-4020 Manacor - Porto Cristo, Km 11

Phone: 00 34 971 820 988

Site on the Web: www.cuevas-hams.com

Summer hours (from 16 March to 31 October): daily, from 10:30 to 17:00.

Winter hours (November 1 to March 15): 11:00 to 16:30.

Price high entry: 19 € with the spectacle of light and sound!

The tour, led by multilingual guides (in eleven languages …) groups, takes about half an hour.

Caves Harpoons (Hams) in Mallorca - Magical Mozart. Click to enlarge the image.

Caves Harpoons (Hams) in Mallorca - The "Sea of Venice". Click to enlarge the image.

Visitors can also enjoy the show "Magical Mozart" concert music (excerpts from "The Magic Flute") accompanied by the play of light: musicians sail on the lake "The Sea of Venice" in a boat decorated with planks candles. A show somewhat similar to that of the Dragon Caves (Coves del Drac).