Drach Caves or sea caves: which cave trip suits your resort?
Updated October 9, 2026 · 8 min read
If you are staying in the east and can get there yourself, the Caves of Hams ticket for €18.50 is the simplest choice. From Palma, we recommend the 5-hour Drach Caves excursion for €54; from Alcúdia there is a counterpart of the same length at the same price. If by “cave trip” you mean swimming, equipment and physical activity, you need the 4-hour Cova des Coloms trip for €75. Drach and Hams are show caves with paths and staging; Cova des Coloms is a guided sea-cave adventure. These offers are not interchangeable versions of the same outing.
Four cave trips compared
| Tour | Duration | Price | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porto Cristo: Caves of Hams Entry Ticket | 1 hour | €18.50 | 4.2 stars (8,116 reviews) | independent travel in eastern Mallorca |
| Palma: Caves of Drach Entrance, Music Concert, and Boat Trip | 5 hours | €54 | 4.4 stars (1,492 reviews) | an excursion from Palma |
| Alcudia: Caves of Drach Tour from the North with Boat Trip | 5 hours | €54 | 4.4 stars (621 reviews) | departure from Alcúdia and the north |
| Mallorca: Cova des Coloms Caving Trip with Hotel Transfer | 4 hours | €75 | 4.9 stars (1,990 reviews) | guided swimming and a sea cave |
Porto Cristo: short, cheap and no cross-island transfer
The Coves dels Hams ticket covers a 1-hour visit. The booking description mentions an 850-metre walk through 15 different areas and a Mozart show on the underground lake known as the “Sea of Venice”. This option suits you best if you are staying in Porto Cristo or on the east coast and can organise the journey yourself. It is less suitable if you are based in Palma and would first have to arrange a long round trip.
See tickets for the Coves dels Hams
Drach Caves: the same core, booked from the right starting point
The Drach Caves tour from Palma combines skip-the-line entry, more than 2 hours at the caves, a live concert and a boat ride on Lake Martel in one 5-hour outing. It is the practical choice for a holiday in Palma, because the added value is not the cheapest admission but a journey that is already solved.
Check availability for the Drach Caves tour from Palma
The Drach Caves tour from Alcúdia also offers 5 hours, a concert and a boat ride, but starts in a place that suits the north. With an identical price and the same star rating, the starting point decides. Leaving from the wrong side of the island turns half a day into an unnecessarily long transfer.
See dates for the Drach Caves tour from Alcúdia
Cova des Coloms: not a classic show cave
On the Cova des Coloms caving trip with hotel transfer you explore a sea cave with a guide and swim in natural pools. At 4 hours it is shorter than the Drach excursions, but more active, because you swim, and at €75 it costs more. Do not book it as a substitute for a quiet visit to a stalactite cave. With 4.9 stars from 1,990 reviews it is the best-rated of the four tours; if you do not want to swim, you are better off with Drach or Hams.
See availability for the Cova des Coloms tour
Our recommendation by resort
In the east, we recommend the Coves dels Hams with your own transport. In Palma: Drach Caves with the excursion from Palma. In the north: the matching departure from Alcúdia. We recommend Cova des Coloms only if you expressly want to get into the water and into a sea cave actively.
