Cala d'Or History and Culture

It all began during the 1930’s when Don José Costa Ferrer, “Don Pep”, also known as Picarol”, who although was born in Ibiza decided to search Mallorca for a place to start an adventure where his friends, who were artists, painters and writers could come and join him. He lived from 1876 till 1972 and it is said that among other things he was an artist, political caricaturist, writer, art dealer and even had a fond taste for archeology.

 

In one of his searches on the island he came across and fell in love with the area of Cala D’Or, then known as Cala D’Hort or “Playa de Ses Dones” ( The Women’s Beach), and he believed to have found paradise.

 

In those days the whole area was just rocks, stones and bushes, unproductive and barren land with very little value to the locals but with an extraordinary beauty where bays with transparent turquoise waters were hidden behind the pines which captivated the artists soul. So, in 1933 he bought the land that now has become the touristic centre between the Marina de Cala Llonga and the beach of Cala Gran, and documents state that the price was of 13,000 Pts, today’s 78 €.

 

He began his idea to create a small summer holiday village with white houses with flat roofs, beamed ceilings, arches and Arabic tiles surrounded by pine trees, reminiscent to his homland Ibiza.

 

His artist’s hand began to draw up the plans of Cala d'Or dividing the land into small plots and one hotel situated in between the two beaches. The price of the plots varied between 1 and 3 Pts. per square meter in which he offered a variety of simple and noble Ibiza style houses full of character with a maximum of two floors. All the plans were drawn by himself by hand and the price per house was between 6,000 and 12,000 Pts. depending on size.

 

Today the urbanistic normative imposed by “Don Pep” is still respected but is best expressed in the area known as “Old Cala D’Or” found between the Port and the Cala Gran Beach where peace, tranquility and harmony intermingle with the aromas of the pine trees and the sea as if time had just stopped.

 

The charming house situated right on the Cala D’Or beach kown as “The Old Costa House” and now property of his niece Margarita Serra, affectionatly known as “Cuqueta”, is a living example of this.

 

Over the years the nucleus has been extending to the West to Porto Petro and the East as far as Cala Esmeralda, and even further by absorbing other beaches such as Cala Ferrera and Cala Serena which belong to the municipality of Felanitx. Nowadays its has become one of the most important tourist destination in the Mediterranean with a fixed population of some 3,700 people and an unfixed population of some 30,000 with more than 52 hotel establishments with all sorts of commodities, as well as a luxury Marina with 563 moorings, commercial areas and internationally known restaurants.

For more information regarding Cala D’Or we would like to invite you to visit the following web pages, www.calador.es and www.mallorca-calador.com.

If you visit this little paradise you will fall in love just like “Don Pep” did so long ago, and you will see that there is still a chance to become part of his dream. Still today there are properties for sale with the Old Cala D’Or style and charm, quite a luxury for his soul. One other recommendation is that you should not leave without visiting the lovely terraces of the Bar Fernando, situated right in the center of Cala D’Or, an authentic and true classic of this town and it’s beginings. From these pages we wish to render our best regards to the Costa Family and most especially to “Cuqueta” in homage and thanks to her grandfather “Don Pep”, an artist and today proven visionary that opened the doors to this mediterranean paradise.

Thank you Don Pep ¡.

 

D. Fernando Magnasco Serra .Director. Inmobiliaria Cala D´Or. A.P.I nº 603

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