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Visit the fishes at Aquarium Cap Blanc
Right on the resort’s doorstep, you’ve got the popular Aquarium Cap Blanc. Built in a natural cave, legend has it this was once a smugglers’ haunt. These days wooden walkways crisscross pools filled with sea creatures – turtles, eels and octopus all get in on the act. Summer hours are 10am to 10pm, and a snack bar does the honours at ice-cream o’clock.San Antonio needs no persuading to put on a party, so it’s no surprise this yearly free festival is one lively bash. Over in the main square overlooking the bay you’ll get Spanish dancing and a bit of jazz, or you can watch a battle re-enactment down on the beach. Acrobatics, fireworks and a melon-eating contest are also on the fun list.
Read MoreFollow the path around the coast at the far right of Cala Gracio Beach – or float around on a lilo – and you’ll come to Cala Gracioneta. This tiny, sandy cove is a real castaway kind of place – except it comes with its own rustic restaurant. If you don’t want to budge from the sand, they’ll bring your cocktail to your sunlounger.
Read MoreCala Gracio can’t claim to be big on shops – it’s just 1 beachside supermarket here. San Antonio kindly steps in to help, though. The place is packed with sports outlets, swish boutiques and even a department store. Look out for pareos – they’re beachy wraparound skirts – and Spanish-brand shoes, which come with rather a tempting price tag.
Read MoreA 10-minute walk from the beach towards Cap Negret gets you to this live music bar. You’ll catch local and international acts on the small stage here on Saturdays and Sundays, while the dancefloor gets plenty of action on DJ nights, when funk and hip hop hold sway. Dutch manager-slash-musician Rickey de Vito is usually up for a spontaneous jam, too.
Read MoreCala Gracio is a small place, and the hotel restaurants cover things on the food front. But a special mention should go to El Chiringuito. When the dayshift is over, this beachfront restaurant goes all à la carte, serving up freshly grilled sole and what some say is the best paella on the island. For more eating places, nearby San Antonio is stacked full of them.
Read MoreClose to Cala Gracio, this swanky restaurant is all chandeliers and white linen. Food wise, you’ll get things like stone-baked ox steak and suckling pig, and for dessert, there’s strawberry and pepper soup with chocolate cake. The place is a bit of a celebrity magnet – Bruce Springsteen is just one of its famous diners.
Read MoreNights in Cala Gracio centre on the hotels. But if you want a big night out, that’s where San Antonio Town comes in. In the area known as the West End, you’ve got more than 100 bars, restaurants and discos, while over at the Sunset Strip you’ll find famous chillout place Café del Mar. Serious clubbers, meanwhile, head for Es Paradis and Eden on the waterfront.
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