Cala Millor is close enough to the Caves of Drach that this is, genuinely, the easiest of the resort day trips on this site. Ten kilometres. A ten-to-fifteen-minute drive. A direct local bus. A taxi that will not dent your holiday budget.
There is also an option unique to this stretch of coast: arriving by boat. A scenic coastal cruise from Cala Millor or Cala Bona drops you at Porto Cristo harbour, a short walk from the caves — which is a completely different thing from the underground boat ride inside the caves themselves, and worth being clear about before you book anything.
The short version: Everything works from here. Drive, bus, taxi or boat — pick based on what kind of day you want, not out of necessity.
Why This Origin Point Is Different
From Palma or Alcúdia, getting to the caves takes real planning. From Cala Millor, it does not. You are close enough that:
- A spontaneous same-day visit is realistic, even without checking a bus timetable in advance
- You can reach any session, including the quiet first slot of the morning
- A taxi is genuinely affordable, not just an option for groups
- A direct local bus exists, terminating right at the cave entrance
The one thing that does not change: book your timed ticket online, especially in July and August, when slots still sell out regardless of how close you live.
Driving from Cala Millor
Distance: about 10 kilometres. Time: 10–15 minutes, via Son Servera and the coast road down to Porto Cristo.
Mallorca has no toll roads, so this costs a few euros of fuel each way.
Parking: a large free car park right by the ticket office, with the cave entrance about 200 metres away. It can fill between mid-morning and early afternoon in peak summer — another reason to go early or late.
Car hire locally: you do not need to hire at the airport. Cala Millor, Cala Bona and Sa Coma all have rental offices, several within walking distance of the beach. Hiring for just the day of your cave visit is often smarter than carrying a car for your whole stay.
The Direct Bus — This One Actually Works
Unlike the situation from Alcúdia, public transport here is straightforward.
Several TIB bus lines run from the Cala Millor area straight to the “Coves del Drac” stop, right at the cave entrance:
- Line 425 — the most useful. Runs Cala Bona–Cala Millor–Sa Coma–S’Illot–Porto Cristo–Coves del Drac, roughly hourly, daily, from early morning to evening. It is a seasonal summer line, typically running mid-May to mid-October.
- Line 424 — a seasonal service from Cala Ratjada that passes through Cala Millor and also terminates at the caves.
- Line 401 — the year-round Palma–Cala Millor route. Some weekday services stop directly at the caves; others drop you in Porto Cristo centre, a signposted 15–20 minute walk away.
The journey itself is short — well under half an hour from Cala Millor.
Seasonal caveat: lines 425 and 424 do not run outside roughly mid-May to mid-October. Outside that window, use the year-round 401 or simply drive or taxi.
Paying
Interurban transport is free in 2026 for residents holding the local travel card. Visitors should tap a contactless bank card on boarding and alighting — cheaper than a cash single, with one card covering up to five passengers. Given how short this hop is, the fare is small, a fraction of the Palma or Alcúdia journey cost.
Arrive by Boat: The Local Speciality
This is the option that sets Cala Millor apart from every other origin point on the island.
Glass-bottom boats and small cruisers run scenic trips along the coast from Cala Millor and Cala Bona down to Porto Cristo, passing coves and sea caves along the way. Operators include established local companies running this route regularly through the season, with departures typically mid-morning and return sailings in the early-to-mid afternoon.
You disembark at Porto Cristo harbour, from where it is a 15-minute walk to the caves.
The clarification that matters
This boat trip is not how you get inside the caves, and it does not include cave admission. It is a surface cruise along the coastline. Once you are in Porto Cristo, you walk to the caves and buy a separate, timed cave ticket.
This gets confused constantly. The boat ride inside the Caves of Drach — the short crossing of Lake Martel after the concert — is a completely different thing, included in your cave admission, and happens entirely underground. The coastal cruise from Cala Millor gets you to Porto Cristo. It does not get you into the caves.
If a boat trip and a cave visit both appeal, plan the day as two separate bookings: the coastal cruise for the journey, a timed cave ticket for the visit.
Verify before booking: boat schedules are seasonal and weather-dependent, and quality varies between operators — some travellers report a harder sell at harbourside kiosks than with pre-booked reputable operators. Book a named operator in advance rather than deciding on the day.
Other Experiences You Might Enjoy
This corner of the island packs a lot into a short radius. Alongside the Caves of Drach, day trips from Cala Millor, Cala Bona and Sa Coma take in the Coves dels Hams at Porto Cristo, the pearl workshops and Rafa Nadal museum at Manacor, Capdepera castle, the Coves d’Artà at Canyamel, and glass-bottom boat trips along the east coast.
Organised Half-Day Tours
Coach excursions from Cala Millor, Sa Coma, S’Illot, Cala Bona and Son Servera are shorter than their Palma or Alcúdia equivalents, given the short distance.
Typical structure: round-trip coach transport, pre-booked skip-the-line cave entry, the Lake Martel concert and boat ride, and — almost universally — a stop at the Majorica pearl factory near Manacor. Some products extend to a full day and add the Coves dels Hams or more time in Porto Cristo.
These suit travellers who would rather not think about logistics at all, though given how easy the DIY options are from here, a tour buys you less convenience-per-euro than it does from further afield.
The east-coast half-day tour in the project data is the closest match for this origin point — a coach trip with pickup, cave entry, the Lake Martel concert and the boat crossing: Check availability & prices →
Taxis — Genuinely Worth Considering Here
At a 10–11 minute ride, a taxi from Cala Millor to Porto Cristo is a real option, not just a fallback for groups with no other choice.
Split between two or three people, it competes well against bus fares plus walking time, and gives you complete control over timing — including hitting the first session of the day, which no coach tour will do for you.
Verify before booking: fare estimates vary by source. Confirm with the driver or a booking app before setting off.
Timing: Making the Most of the Short Distance
The caves run fixed timed sessions:
- Summer (16 March – 31 October): 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00 — no 13:00
- Winter (1 November – 15 March): 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 15:30
- Closed 25 December and 1 January
Because you are so close, you can make any session, including the first one — something visitors from Palma or Alcúdia often cannot manage. Coach tours from Cala Millor generally still time their arrival for late morning, so if you are going independently, take the first or last session of the day to have the amphitheatre to yourself.
Book your timed ticket online in advance regardless of how close you are. Proximity does not help if the 11:00 session sold out three days ago — it just means you found out later than everyone else.
For ticket types, session rules and how far ahead to book, see the Drach Caves tickets guide.
Walking and Cycling
The full walk from Cala Millor is not realistic for most people, but cycling is a genuine option — a signed coastal route runs via Sa Coma, S’Illot and Cala Morlanda into Porto Cristo, connecting to a dedicated cycle lane for the final stretch. Bike hire is available in Cala Millor.
Once you are in Porto Cristo itself, the caves are a 15–20 minute walk from the town centre.
Making a Half-Day or Full Day of It
Given the short distance, most Cala Millor visitors treat this as a half-day outing rather than a full day away.
Good additions:
- Porto Cristo — town, harbour, beach, a short walk from the caves
- Coves dels Hams — the second cave system, easy to pair for a two-cave morning
- Manacor (~15 min) — Majorica pearls, the Rafa Nadal Museum, the Monday market
- Cala Romàntica or Cala Mendia — a swim to finish the day
A simple half-day plan
- Morning — first cave session, then walk into Porto Cristo
- Lunch — at the harbour
- Afternoon — Coves dels Hams, or straight back to the beach at Cala Millor
A sea-based alternative
- Morning — coastal boat from Cala Millor or Cala Bona to Porto Cristo
- Midday — walk to the caves for a pre-booked afternoon session
- Return — by boat or bus
If you are pairing the two caves, the Coves dels Hams vs Caves of Drach comparison explains what each one does differently, and the Hams entry ticket can be booked separately. For the town itself, see the Porto Cristo guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is the Caves of Drach from Cala Millor?
About 10 kilometres — a 10–15 minute drive, and one of the shortest resort-to-cave trips on the island.
Is there a direct bus from Cala Millor to the Caves of Drach?
Yes. Seasonal lines 425 and 424 run directly to a stop right at the cave entrance, typically from mid-May to mid-October. The year-round line 401 also serves the route, though some services drop you in Porto Cristo centre instead.
Can I take a boat from Cala Millor to the Caves of Drach?
You can take a boat from Cala Millor to Porto Cristo harbour, then walk 15 minutes to the caves. The boat trip itself does not include cave admission — book that separately. Do not confuse this coastal cruise with the underground boat ride inside the caves, which is a different thing entirely and included in your cave ticket.
Is a taxi worth it from Cala Millor?
Yes — it is a short, inexpensive ride, and unlike from further afield, genuinely competitive for two or three people, especially if you want to hit the first session of the day.
Can I visit the caves without planning ahead from Cala Millor?
Largely, yes — this is the one origin point where a same-day decision is realistic. The exception is peak summer, when timed sessions can still sell out regardless of how close you live, so book online if you can.
What’s the best session to book from Cala Millor?
The first session of the day, or the last two in the afternoon. Coach tours from this area still cluster around late morning, so being able to reach the quiet slots is exactly the advantage of staying nearby.
Is parking free at the Caves of Drach?
Yes — a large free car park, about 200 metres from the entrance. It can fill in peak summer.
Can I cycle from Cala Millor to the caves?
Yes. A signed coastal cycling route runs via Sa Coma, S’Illot and Cala Morlanda into Porto Cristo, with bike hire available in Cala Millor.
What else can I combine with the caves from Cala Millor?
Porto Cristo town and beach, the Coves dels Hams, Manacor’s pearl factory and Rafa Nadal Museum, and the coves at Cala Romàntica or Cala Mendia.