When booking a family holiday in Mallorca, you want a resort that keeps everyone entertained. Iberostar Waves Club Cala Barca delivered on every level – from its multiple pools to an action-packed activity schedule, it really is all inclusive. We had a brilliant family holiday and loved this hotel so much. We spent the first 10 days on site without even feeling the need to leave, and we only did one excursion which was organised at the resort. There is so much to do and the beautiful cove beach was just perfect.
Firstly, I want to say how fabulous the wristbands are, they contain your door key too. Such a fabulous idea. No leaving cards in your swim bag or trying to wedge it in to your swimwear, no loosing it in random places and panicking too. All of the bands lasted the 2 weeks without any issues and no glitches with opening doors etc. Perfecto!
Pools & water fun
The pools are a highlight. We spent hours swimming, relaxing, and cooling off in the Spanish sunshine. There’s space for both quiet lounging and splashy family fun in the various pools across the resort. We spent most of our time around the athletic pool (the large rectangular shaped pool), this is where the aqua aerobics is at lunchtime and it’s near the trucks which the kids loved for snacks and the occasional lunch. It is a busy pool, as the waterpolo happens around here but it was just great for us with the teens.
TIP: If you don’t mind getting splashed by waterpolo games (or potentially hit by a ball) sit to the right hand side of the pools in the front row. These loungers were always empty on our trip as people didn’t want to sit in the firing line, but it was actually quite entertaining to watch the waterpolo!
There is another large area with what I called the river pools, it has 2 different larger pools that are long and winding, with differing levels. These were more quiet and shaded by the tall trees. There is a small kids pool near here too, which is perfect to keep them shaded during the day. There are also another set of pools by the garden view blocks and the apartment blocks. Below is a map of the resort:
Activities for teenagers & kids
The hotel runs an impressive activity programme, including sports, games, and creative workshops. Our teens loved the dedicated schedule – it gave them independence while we relaxed. The kids enjoyed sports in the pools, volleyball and football, the teen club did a big hide and seek around the resort too which Noah and Isla loved. They also ran a snorkelling session once a week where the kids walked to one of the coves and they snorkelled and jumped off cliffs into the sea, Noah loved it. We hardly saw him for the first 12 days! Lots of information about the activities in the Iberostar app (check in to the app once you have checked in at reception).
Sports
We hired kayaks and tried paddel – something completely new for us and so much fun. There is a football court and a scuba diving centre on site. The kayaks are 30 euros for an hour, you can paddle out into the cove and beyond, we went to Cala Mondrago for a dip in the clear blue waters and then paddled back. It was brilliant. The paddel courts are near the kids pillow pool, they are really well maintained courts and you can hire equipment from within the gym – you need cash to hire the rackets and balls, 20 euros per racket.
TIP: If you eat around 8:30pm in the main restaurant, sit outside and you will get a table that overseas the stage! You can eat and watch the entertainment at the same time.
Entertainment
Every evening was different. Over two weeks we saw theatre-style productions, live music, African acrobatics, a rock concert, and even an ABBA cover band. We loved it! The rock show was literally like being at a concert, the music was fabulous and one of our other favourite shows was the Disney singing show – I loved singing along to all the songs! Some nights they do a silent disco too, we all loved this, it is much more fun than I thought it would be – it was fun listening to everyone sing along. Some nights there was a karaoke in the sports bar which Noah would watch with his friends, he said it was great fun!
The kids loved the foam party that they do every week too, down by the stage there was a performance and then lots and lots of fun foam. They also had a paint party on one of the weeks we were there too.
Rooms & comfort
Our family room with a garden view was ideal, it was in block 43 (if you look at the map above you will see its near the garden pools) – the room essentially has a lounge area and a bedroom, a garden view, and plenty of space. It made a big difference to have that separation at night, while still feeling connected. The sofas turn into two twin beds, so the kids had the large TV at night which they enjoyed. There are some English speaking channels, they loved watching Film4 at night. There was one bathroom between the 4 of us, which can be difficult in the evenings getting ready, especially when the hairdryer is in the bathroom too – but we knew this was the case when we booked the holiday so it didn’t put us off (it just took us all a combined 2 hours to get ready every evening).
TIP: You need to get the safe key from reception to use the safe. It is free. To set the safe you type in a 4 digit code and then press C (not hashtag which is what reception told us to do). Apparently the stickers were put on incorrectly!
Exploring the area
The location is stunning. Cala Barca is known for its coves, which are perfect for a little adventure away from the hotel. We walked out of the resort (follow the road past the beach and apartment blocks 11 and 12) and you reach the national park pathway. If you walk along that you come to the view below, which is near Cala Mondrago. We spent an afternoon here and the kids explored the cove and caves. The water was so clear, it really was beautiful. There is a lot to see around the resort as it is surrounded by the national park.
The resort is a 15 min drive from Cala D’or which has some great shops, restaurants and beaches. The taxi cost us about 10 euros, they can get busy on market days so make sure to plan around that if you are not fussed about the markets. There is also a bus which is around 3 euros per person. There is also a range of boat trips that you can book from the hotel, that take you all up the coastline.
If you want a family hotel in Mallorca with plenty to do on-site and nearby, Iberostar Waves Club Cala Barca is a top choice. We booked our trip through Jet2Holidays and had such a smooth experience from start to finish. You can also book this hotel direct from Iberostar and TUI too.
Check out my post from our trip to Turkey last year where we stayed at TUI Blue Tropical in Sarigerme for more inspiration.
Nice post , Thanks for sharing.