Camp de Mar - exclusive seaside resort on a perfect bay

Camp de Mar is a small community on the Southwest Coast Mallorca, just a few minutes' drive from the town of Andratx. The seaside resort is one with an exclusive ambience and differs is quite different from tourist strongholds such as El Arenal on the south coast of Mallorca, Alcúdia in the north of Mallorca and Cala Millor on the northeast coast of Mallorca. Camp de Mar was not a natural settlement - instead it was deliberately created as a resort. This is a place of small, chic and exclusive hotels and restaurants rather than lively beach bars, noisy discos and soulless hotel blocks.

Platja de Camp de Mar is a coastal gem. The beach is located between two rocky headlands and is not as crowded as other Top 10 Best Beaches in Mallorca on the island. The place is never crowded even in the main season. Camp de Mar is ideal for a tranquil beach holiday. Travellers appreciate the tranquillity of this part of the Mallorcan coast, which is also due to a lack of tourist entertainment options.

History of Camp de Mar

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Camp de Mar doesn't have much of a history as the place was built as a tourist resort. The entire stretch of coastline between Port d‘Andratx on the southwest coast of Mallorca and Peguera on the southwest coast of Mallorca was the target of frequent pirate attacks in the Middle Ages. The rugged coast, with its bays and cliffs, afforded ample shelter for the North African buccaneers' ships to launch their raids on the interior of the island. For this reason, until the 16th century numerous fortifications and watchtowers were built to protect the coasts. In the municipality of Andratx and Calvia alone, a dozen watchtowers have survived to this day.

The first Mallorcan Hotels - Mallorca holiday flair was built in 1932 and this was the inception of Camp de Mar as a holiday resort. British secret agent Thomas Harris was among its most famous residents after the end of the Second World War. The former spy bought a house on this stretch of coast in 1949 and devoted the rest of his life to painting before dying under mysterious circumstances in a car accident.

Later, Camp de Mar developed into an exclusive destination. The result was small, exclusive hotels near the beach, which were mainly booked by wealthy holidaymakers. Numerous clifftop villas owned by Celebrities in Mallorca, tycoons and movie stars. Also, Claudia Schiffer, the German supermodel, owned a finca in the resort until recently.

Platja de Camp de Mar - dream beach between two headlands

The Platja de Camp de Mar is an beautiful beach with fine sand and is bounded by two rocky headlands. The protected location makes the glistening turquoise water seem smooth and gentle. The scent of pine trees fills the air and waves are extremely uncommon. Due to the shallow waters this is a popular place for families with small children.

Numerous tourists go out, equipped with flippers, snorkel and mask, to snorkel on the edge of the cliffs. The Platja de Camp de Mar is about 180 m long and up to 60 m wide. The seabed is partly rocky. Made exclusively of rocks, the neighbouring Platja de ses Dones, is right next to this beach and is much less crowded.

Platja de Camp de Mar has an excellent infrastructure including showers, sanitary facilities and a pedalo rental station. In the main season between 10 to 18 lifeguards keep watch. Umbrellas and sunbeds are rented out. There is also easy access for the disabled.

The small offshore rocky island is something of a rarity and is connected to the mainland by a wooden plank bridge. The island has a restaurant which when viewed from the mainland, seems to be floating on the sea.

Activities in Camp de Mar

Camp de Mar is located at the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains and is an excellent starting point for hikes in the mountain range. A popular Hiking & Climbing in Mallorca is the mountain village of Es Capdella. It is located on Puig de Sa, one of the Tramuntana mountains. Cap Andritxol is a headland which borders the beach of Camp de Mar. At the top are the remains of a 16th-century watchtower built to protect the coast. A short hike will take you to the historic walls.

There are no Scuba Diving in Mallorca or Surfing in Mallorca in the small resort, but you can go on a day tripping boat from the harbour to locations such as Sa Dragonera on the southwest coast of Mallorca. The uninhabited island is a nature reserve and home to the endemic Balearic lizard. Eleanor hawks, Balearic shearwaters and several gull species have also chosen the island as a breeding ground. Golf de Andratx is also nearby. The 18-hole course is playable all year round and has become a meeting place for local celebrities. You may encounter Hollywood star Michael Douglas or his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones at the tee.

Restaurants in Camp de Mar

Camp de Mar has a whole range of fine, exclusive restaurants. In 2016, the Accana Summer Club on the beach at Camp de Mar opened its doors to visitors. The restaurant is open seasonally and welcomes its guests with its luxurious African safari lodge atmosphere. Light Mediterranean dishes and exotic cocktails are served.

In 2012, the Italian chef René Bernasconi and Brigitte Zwygart from Switzerland opened La Tulipe restaurant in Camp de Mar. The restaurateurs serve up Mediterranean cuisine, which is characterized by Swiss influences. You can also find Zurich sliced meat with rösti on the menu, as well as salmon with pistachio crust in orange sauce.

With a young avant-garde cuisine and a fantastic location on the bay of Camp de Mar, the Flor de Sal is well worth a visit. They mainly use local produce in the preparation of their Mediterranean delicacies. In addition to ubiquitous Tapas in Mallorca, you can also order some avant-garde dishes too.

With its exclusive location, Restaurante Campino offers a fantastic view of Golf de Andratx course from its terrace and spoils the palate with a range of Italian delicacies.

Excursions in the area

The small coastal town of Sant Elm is located just a stone's throw from Camp de Mar and is an attractive destination on the southwest coast of Mallorca. It has a 200-metre-long beach with a handful of small hotels around the sea front. The place can be reached within the by bike ride or on foot.

If you want to swap the small coastal town tranquillity for a bit of more mainstream tourist excitement, you can visit the port town of Port d‘Andratx Harbour. It is considered a meeting place of the rich and beautiful and offers excellent Mallorca Shopping.

At Andratx you can visit the CCA Andratx Cultural Centre. In the exhibition rooms you can admire works of art by international and Mallorcan artists. A special feature is the fact that you can purchase certain works of art directly if you fancy an extravagant holiday souvenir.

If you would like to take a ride in a glass bottom boat, plan a detour to the neighbouring municipality of Peguera. There, "Submarine Vision" departs twice a day for a voyage of discovery into the coastal waters. On board there is a small bar and the boat makes short stops allowing you to swim and snorkel.

We hope, this has aroused your interest in the small resort of Camp de Mar on the southwest coast of Mallorca.