Porto Cristo on Mallorca’s east coast is one of the island’s most geologically remarkable places: within two kilometres of each other, two entirely separate cave systems compete for the title of Mallorca’s most spectacular underground experience. The Caves of Drach (Coves del Drac) and the Caves of Hams (Coves del Hams) draw over a million visitors between them each year — and first-time visitors frequently ask the same question: which one should I visit?
The short answer is that they’re genuinely different experiences, each exceptional in its own right. This guide compares them across every dimension that matters: the underground lakes, the formations, the concerts, the crowds, the practical logistics, and the all-important question of price.
The Underground Lakes
Caves of Drach holds Lake Martel — 177 metres long and up to 30 metres wide, consistently cited as one of the largest accessible underground lakes in Europe. The scale is genuinely hard to grasp from photographs: standing at the lakeside amphitheatre and looking out across its still, perfectly reflective surface, you feel as though you have stepped into a different geological world. The lake is deep enough in places that the bottom cannot be seen from the surface.
Caves of Hams has what it calls the “Sea of Venice” — a series of beautiful underground pools whose still surface perfectly mirrors the stalactite formations above. The name is evocative: the reflections genuinely resemble looking at a Venetian canal from a bridge. The pools are smaller than Lake Martel but arguably more intimate and more photogenic at close range.
Verdict: Caves of Drach wins on sheer drama and scale. Caves of Hams wins on photography opportunities and tranquillity.
The Classical Music Concert
This is the Caves of Drach’s signature. Musicians in traditional dress board illuminated boats and drift across Lake Martel playing Chopin, Handel, or Bach — while several hundred visitors watch in almost total silence from the limestone amphitheatre. The combination of the music, the total darkness, and the reflective surface of the lake is genuinely unforgettable. Every standard Caves of Drach tour includes the concert and the subsequent boat ride across the lake.
Caves of Hams does not include a classical concert. It offers a standard guided tour of the formations with atmospheric lighting — excellent in its own right, but a different experience entirely.
Verdict: If the concert is important to you (and it should be — it’s extraordinary), Caves of Drach is the clear choice.
Stalactite and Stalagmite Formations
Both cave systems have world-class formations. The limestone bedrock of eastern Mallorca has been dissolving and re-depositing calcite for millions of years, creating densely packed stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone curtains, and column structures.
Caves of Hams are particularly renowned for their formation density and variety. The Hams cave system takes its name from the fish-hook shape (hams = hooks in Mallorcan dialect) of many of the formations, and the cave path has been designed to showcase them at close range. The lighting at Hams is consistently praised by visitors for making the natural colours of the calcite — cream, amber, rust, pale grey — visible in a way that some cave systems obscure.
Caves of Drach has equally impressive formations (the Lluís Salvador chamber is particularly celebrated), though the cave tour’s primary focus is building towards the Lake Martel experience rather than lingering over individual formations.
Verdict: Caves of Hams edges ahead for formation enthusiasts. Caves of Drach has the more dramatic overall layout.
Crowds and Atmosphere
Caves of Drach draw significantly larger crowds — the combination of the concert, the boat ride, and the fame of Lake Martel makes them one of Mallorca’s top-five visitor attractions. In July and August, the caves process thousands of visitors daily, with multiple concert performances. The timed-entry system keeps groups from colliding inside, but the lakeside amphitheatre can hold hundreds of people simultaneously for each performance.
Caves of Hams are quieter. Not empty — this is peak Mallorca in summer — but noticeably less crowded than Drach. The smaller visitor numbers mean the guided walk feels more personal, and you’ll have more space to pause and examine individual formations.
Verdict: For a quieter, more unhurried experience, Caves of Hams. For the full Mallorcan cave spectacle, Drach.
Visiting Both: The Full-Day Combination
Many visitors — including most who make a dedicated trip to the east coast rather than a resort day tour — choose to visit both caves on the same day. The two cave systems are approximately 2 kilometres apart, and the combined visit typically runs 4–5 hours including travel between them and lunch in Porto Cristo itself.
The most common sequence is morning at Caves of Hams (quieter, so crowds are more manageable early in the day) followed by afternoon at Caves of Drach (timed entry for the concert, boat ride, exit at the gift shop). Combined guided tours are available from most parts of Mallorca and represent excellent value: you get both cave systems plus transport, often for less than buying two separate half-day tours.
Price Comparison
Both cave systems are similarly priced for self-visit entry tickets (approximately €18–22 for adults). Guided tours from your hotel or resort typically start from around €25–40 per person, including transport, and often include one or both cave systems depending on the tour length.
The Caves of Drach tour with the boat ride and concert is broadly considered better value for the experience it includes: there is simply more to see and do in the same entrance price than at Caves of Hams alone. But Caves of Hams is consistently praised for being well worth the standalone price for formation enthusiasts.
Our Recommendation
- First-time visitor to Mallorca, only time for one cave: Caves of Drach — the lake and concert are genuinely one-of-a-kind.
- Formation enthusiast, or photographer, or prefer quieter experiences: Caves of Hams — or visit Hams first then Drach.
- Full day available, based anywhere on the island: Visit both. The combined tour is one of the best single-day experiences in Mallorca.
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The best-rated Caves of Drach tour combines the lake concert, boat ride, and optional Caves of Hams visit — with hotel pickup from all major Mallorca resort areas. See the featured Caves of Drach tour →