Portopetro forms part of Cala d'Or Family Coast, but it deserves a special mention because it is a port with a distinctly Mallorcan character and is older than the rest of the holiday zone. Actually, it is a place where present-day charm is combined with a fascinating history.

The stone port

Formerly it was the port of Santanyí. And when we say formerly, we mean during the Middle Ages. There are two theories regarding the origin of its name. One - the least probable - sustains that it is an abbreviation of “Puerto de San Pedro”, meaning Saint Peter's Port. The author of a book on the history of Mallorca published in the 17th century considers it "extremely probable" that the apostle Saint Peter stopped off in Mallorca, specifically in Portopetro, during a voyage that took him from Africa to Europe, and that this is why the port is called thus. Other historians ruled out this theory, saying it was a legend. The other, more logical explanation is that of "puerto de piedras", or "port of stones". Because it was in this port that the vessels used to load up the stone from the famous quarries of Santanyí and Felanitx.

So famous was it that for the construction of the magnificent fortress of Castel Nuovo in Naples, in the 15th century, Mallorcan stone was specifically asked for, much of which travelled through Portopetro. Incidentally, it was commissioned by a Mallorcan who was more than familiar with the material - Guillem Sagrera, an outstanding Gothic architect and the builder responsible for that fabulous Italian fortress. In Mallorca he constructed La Lonja in Palma, one of the most beautiful buildings on the island, now used for events and exhibitions.

Space for a hundred galleys

Returning to Portopetro, there are also reports of dried fruit and nuts being sent from here to the markets, but they point out that the then-natural port of Portopetro served most of the time as a refuge when bad weather threatened vessels. The chronicler Binimelis explained that in his era around one hundred of the large boats of the age would fit in here, and more than once the inhabitants of the area witnessed the impressive spectacle of a whole fleet anchoring in Portopetro, like in 1684, when seven Italian galleys – at war with the French at the time – sought shelter in this cove. One of the crew members stayed in Mallorca for good: the chaplain of the flagship, a Florentine clergyman, who died and was buried in a monastery in Santanyí.

In the early 20th century fishermen began to settle here and, little by little, the village grew in size. In 1954 the first stone of the current church was laid. Also in Portopetro are the remains of a former watchtower, part of a warning system against the pirates who threatened the area until the 18th century. Because it was precisely in Portopetro where these attackers knew of two springs from which they could obtain a supply of fresh water.

An aviator, a sculptor, an architect...

When, in the mid-20th century, the public began to gradually rediscover the coast of Mallorca, certain figures came out of curiosity to spend the summer or live here, such as a Catalan aviation pioneer called Antonio Armangué (the author of one of the first aviation manuals in Spain), and many well-known people from the world of culture, including the sculptor Enric Monjo, who contributed a carving of the Virgin and a crucifix to the church that was under construction in the 1950s.

But the most notorious character who found a new home in Portopetro is without doubt Jorn Utzon, the Danish architect famous the world over for his masterpiece: the Sydney Opera House. His daughter Lin is a well-known designer and artist whose creations can be seen in cities such as San Francisco, Copenhagen and Vienna, amongst others. For her “hometown”, as she calls Portopetro, she created a sculpture called “Ses Palmeres”, standing 5 metres high and located on a roundabout. It is at once a tribute to Portopetro and to a great Mallorcan architect, Guillem Sagrera, who built La Lonja in Palma (the “palm trees” are reminiscent of the columns of this Gothic jewel).

Nowadays, more than anything else, Portopetro is a quiet place where it is a pleasure to stroll, observe, enjoy the atmosphere and imagine the stories that must have been witnessed by this natural port, so highly-prized that of old it was closed off by an enormous chain.