cala
gamba

foto antiga

History and heritage

What is now known as the Cala Gamba promenade was created as a track in 1896 owing to the need to connect the Barca Guixera cove (a small bay located to the west of the Cala Gamba promenade) with the main road and be able to get to es Carnatge. From 1917 the road was used to route the cables from the Punta del Reflector, which had been taken over by the military. Until the 1930s, to reach the sailing club it was necessary to cross unpaved ground and often algae left by storms. In early 1958, the trail was paved, lighting was provided and trees were planted.

Between 1936 and 1938 the Club Nàutic de Cala Gamba sailing club was built, although the official opening did not take place until after the civil war on 21 July 1940.

There used to be an intense traditional fishing industry here.

See location

Marine ecosystem

The seabed is the sandy substrate with some rocky areas and small banks of Neptune grass (Posidonia oceanica). Species of fish that are typical of sandy bottoms can be found, such as the Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), the Mediterranean horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus), the common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) and the red mullet (Mullus barbatus). In addition, other species can be found on the rocky seabed or in the Neptune grass, such as the white seabream (Diplodus sargus) and Couch’s seabream (Pagrus pagrus).

LThe most typical algae that can be seen in the sandy areas are Halimeda tuna, Dasycladus vermicularis and “peluqueta” (Codium vermilara). “Cistoseira balear” (Cystoseira balearica), peacock’s tail (Padina pavonica) and “acetabulària mediterrània” (Acetabularia acetabulum) are usually abundant in the rocky areas. It is also worth noting that non-native species have recently been identified in this cove: Bangia fuscopurpurea, Gymnogongrus griffthsiae and Chylocladia reflexa.1

Finally, the jellyfish that can be found near this beach are the mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca), with a strong sting like that of a nettle, the common jellyfish (Aurelia aurita), which has a painful sting, the fried-egg jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata), with a very weak sting, and the sea raft hydrozoa (Velella velella), which does not sting.

Safety, services and accessibility

NO ACCESIBILITY POINT

LOW-RISK BATHING AREA

Birds of interest


Thanks to its coastal character, a wide range of seabirds can be found here. The shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) can often be seen swimming very close to the coast or on the rocks. The yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) and Audoin’s gull (Larus audouinii), which is endemic to the Mediterranean, the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), which is protected. These species can be seen all year round.

There are also species that can only be seen during their migration periods, usually the autumn or winter, such as the cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), the little egret (Egretta garzetta), the ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres), the sanderling (Calidris alba), the black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and the Sandwich tern (Sterna sandvicensis).