Sa Mesquida, also known as Cala Mesquida, is a small tourist development within the municipality of Capdepera. It was built in 1962 and is made up of houses, with a large holiday complex at one end of the beach.
The main attractions of Sa Mesquida are the beach and the series of sand-dunes, which are the most active and spectacular on Mallorca. The dunes are a result of the fact that this section of coast is perpendicular to the strong winds of the Tramuntana, without any relief system protecting it, and it is also in a narrow valley which practically runs from north to south; on top of this, the beach, with its fine-texture sand, feeds into the dunes. This dynamic system is reflected in the fact that the first line of dunes, which are closest to the sea, become very large at a distance of only a few metres from the beach and they penetrate inland to a considerable distance. The next line of dunes, which have a long form, penetrate over a kilometre inland, where they are covered in vegetation.
The dune system is now protected, though in the past it was affected by the activities of man, especially with the extraction of sand for the construction industry, the marks of which can still be seen.
At the top of the hill at the right-hand side of the beach is the tower of Torre de Son Jaumell; the steep climb to reach this point takes about an hour to complete. It is one of many old watchtowers to be found on Mallorca and at the end of the 19th century it formed part of the optical telegraph network which connected up with Menorca.
Cala Mesquida is a beach 550 m long and 150 m wide, with the most active and spectacular series of sand-dunes on Mallorca and a pine grove at its backside.
Services: open-air bars, a restaurant, lifeguards, WC, sun loungers, pedal boats and parasols for hire.