Faro Surf Mallorca

Balanced over the sea

It's a four-kilometer round trip. A route that, according to the Faro Surf team, has not yet been tested with anyone.

Author: Joan Ramis Boscana

Photographer: Jaume Oliver

In this household, there's one thing we're certain of: we love supporting projects that have just started. It's during these visits that enthusiasm and excitement are at their peak, gaining momentum like the waves as they curl and crash against the rocks. The day we head to the Vallgornera development, we peer over the cliffs overlooking the Llucmajor coast to see a slightly rippled sea, and the Faro Surf team confesses that today the water's surface will pose a challenge: staying upright, even if only for a few minutes, on the paddleboard already waiting for us on the rocks.

Their names are Pau and Ariadna, and both are water sports instructors. We could sense their passion for the sea from the very first moment. They know how to interpret its codes and understand its language. Since we don't have much experience in paddle surfing—though we've picked up a few lessons this summer—they give us a quick rundown of the basics we need to follow before heading out to sea. It's nine in the morning, and the sun is gradually climbing higher in the sky. Pau tells us that to maintain our balance, we should bend our knees slightly and that we can find a point of support by placing the paddle's tip in the water. We gaze at the horizon, and Ariadna points to a rocky outcrop in the distance: that's our destination, located just before reaching the s’Estalella lighthouse. It's a four-kilometer round trip. A route that, according to the Faro Surf team, has not yet been tested with anyone.

More than guinea pigs, we feel like pioneers. Pau and Ariadna dive into the sea with their boards and give us another heads-up: the water is slightly choppy, so standing up won't be easy. Trusting their experience, we follow their advice to the letter. Still on solid ground, we push our board out and hop onto it on our knees. The Mediterranean welcomes us gently, its waters still cool from the early morning. The salt sprays us, waking us up as we plunge our paddle into the water, the stroke running parallel to the board's length. This is how we move forward, on our knees, as it's the safest option when the sea isn't perfectly calm. At first, we're a bit stiff, but soon we loosen up, and our stance adapts to the instability we need to overcome. During the first stretch of the journey, we begin to appreciate the gift that the Faro Surf team has given us: the view of the coastline is breathtaking. To our left unfolds a series of cliffs and caves; the shoreline is pockmarked like a slice of Gruyère cheese. We know we wouldn't have been able to enjoy such a view if it weren't for this experience.

Ariadna tells us that if the sea were a bit calmer today, as it usually is at this time of morning, we could easily explore the inside of the caves. That's what future users of this route will be able to do. As we become more accustomed to the sea's gentle rocking, we focus on the depths: the darkness of the rocks and seaweed is intermittently broken by patches of white sand. Our arms start to feel the effort, that gratifying sensation of physical exercise. We stop to rest in the shade cast by a rocky outcrop. It’s here that Pau reveals that next year they will also offer surf lessons, as they know the best spots in Mallorca where the wind is favorable for the sport. His words are filled with motivation, pushing towards a near future where they can diversify their offerings. For now, they need to build their reputation.

We continue our small journey and manage to spot a goal that, until recently, seemed somewhat distant: the Cueva del Metge Mames. This time, we successfully paddle into the depths of the cave, secure our boards on some rocks to prevent them from drifting away with the current, and put on our snorkeling masks. Then we dive in. The marine life is quintessentially local, featuring the peix de roquer that every Mallorcan knows well. We float near the surface and enter a cave with a natural pool. We swim in its waters, observing how the sunlight filters into the darkness below, and the color of the sea occasionally turns turquoise.

When we return to the Cueva del Metge Mames, we sit on our boards and let the sea’s gentle rocking sway us as we enjoy bunches of grapes. Pau and his brother grow them in their garden, as they consider themselves fruit tree enthusiasts. Sheltered from the sun, which will soon reach its zenith, we savor a local breakfast that, according to the founders of Faro Surf, will become one of the highlights of their routes once their name starts to gain recognition. We’re sure they’ll manage to stay upright, just as we did on our journey back.