Hiking in Mallorca: The Tramuntana in 8 days

Our adventure in the Tramuntana mountain range (o Serra de sa Tramuntana in Balearic Catalan) begins by arriving in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic Islands, by plane or boat. On arrival, a vehicle awaits us to take us to the first town on our route: the beautiful Valldemossa. The journey takes just 20 minutes, but, nestled in the Tramuntana mountains and completely surrounded by them, this town of narrow, steep pedestrian streetswhich invokes in its name the Arabic origins of its toponym, seems a world away.

Depending on the time of our arrival, we must visit the church, built in the 13th century, but with many later additions and modifications, and the Charterhouse, of great historical and artistic value in its own right and also for the illustrious guests it hosted at some point: George Sand and Frédéric Chopinwho composed his famous Preludes Op. 28Rubén Darío and Jorge Luis Borges. A winter in Mallorcawhich speaks of travel and introspection was also written here by Sand himself, and is undoubtedly one of Sand's most important works. highly recommended reading to accompany our journey through the Tramuntana.

Premium accommodation: Ca's Papà or similar

Distance: 14.5 km
Difficulty: ●●●●○
Accommodation: Deià

Our tour of the Tramuntana mountain range leaving behind the cobbled streets of Valldemossa along the so-called Camí de s'Arxiduc, whose name refers to the Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria, who had a mansion in the vicinity. The route follows the mountain range divide, first along the Palma side and then, after reaching the breathtaking views that gives Puig Gros (938 m above sea level), by that of Deià. Along the Way you will find the remains of old occupations and works that have disappeared nowadays, but whose ruins are preserved thanks to the type of construction of dry stone which is characteristic of this entire route.

The end of the tour will be in Deià, a picturesque village which, like Valldemossa, has been and is home to local and visiting artists. No wonder: in this locality, and throughout the previous descent, we will be able to appreciate the particular Mediterranean light that has inspired so many landscape artists since the 19th century.

Premium accommodation: Hotel Es Molí or similar

Distance: 13.6 km
Difficulty: ●●●●○
Accommodation: Sóller

On the third day we continue our journey through the Tramuntana, leaving behind Deià and its artists, but not its light, which bathes the extensive olive groves we pass through. It is worth thinking for a moment about the effort accumulated over the centuries by the margers and farmers building the innumerable terraces that come our way.

The route follows the Camí de Castelló, which since the Middle Ages has connected the two towns that form the backdrop to this stage. The views are spectacular at several points, with magnificent panoramic views over the sea and the north coast of Majorca. At the chapel of Castelló, now in ruins, we leave the Camí by which we came to follow the GR-221 signposting on a very moderate descent. We will gain beautiful panoramic views of Port de Sóller, which we will visit the following day.

For the time being, it is time to redirect our steps inland, towards Sóller, a town with all the services and where we are interested in spend the afternoon wandering around the historic centre away from vehicles. The streets of Vicari Pastor, Murta, Cristòfol Pizà or Sant Antoni are perfect for this, and to admire several of its beautiful modernist buildings, before retiring to our hotel. 

Premium accommodation: Hotel Ca'n Abril or similar

Distance: 11.6 km
Difficulty: ●●●○○
Accommodation: Port de Sóller

We leave Sóller behind us on our fourth day of touring the Tramuntana, moving on through a beautiful orange valley. Our steps soon lead us to the Biniaraix ravine, a living monument to the dry-stone technique: the paths and terraces are laid out as if they had been designed for our photographs, many years before photography even existed.

Here we leave the asphalt and the more pleasant profile to begin the ascent to Coll de l'Ofre (870 m above sea level). Further up there is still the peak, but we will avoid it by flattening out towards the Cúber reservoirwhich supplies the towns and villages in the area. The end of the stage is on the other side, after skirting it. There, our vehicle will take us, today yes, to Port de Sóllerthe port of Sóller.

In the afternoon we will have our pleasant reward, taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the port: a new nautical perspective to continue marvelling at the steep cliffs that plunge the Tramuntana into the sea, with their sea caves and the incredible coves of Tuent and Sa Calobrabefore returning to the port to rest.

Premium accommodation: Hotel Eden Sóller or similar

Distance: 14.4 km
Difficulty: ●●●●○
Accommodation: Lluc

On the fourth stage of this itinerary through the Tramuntana, we quickly return to the Cúber reservoir From there, follow the GR-221 signs again on foot until you reach the Torrent des Prat. We then continue close to its banks, in an narrow passage between the peaks of Trona, Prat and Teixos to the northwest and Bassetes and Massanella to the southeast, which make us feel how little we are, deep down. We do so as we gain altitude and reach the Coll des Prat pass, with its magnificent views. The route is in the heart of the countryside, a genuine mountaineer's route, and here and there we are surprised by dry stone deposits for collecting snow. Along with a few scattered huts, these century-old facilities called cases de neu They invoke the times when the braceros, like us, used to climb up the slopes of the Tramuntana, to bring down the snow that would later be used for ice creams and ointments.

The stage ends in Lluc, a centre of pilgrimage since the 17th century and probably the most important sanctuary on the island, where the image of a black Virgin known as "Sa Moreneta" is venerated.

Premium accommodation: Lluc Sanctuary Hostelry or similar

Distance: 19.2 km
Difficulty: ●●●○○
Accommodation: Pollença

The penultimate stage of our route through the Tramuntana mountain range will also be the longest of all. To compensate for this, the profile is essentially a gentle descent, except for a small first stretch where we leave the quiet litany of Lluc and climb up to the Son Amer shelter. Well-shaded paths give way to holm oaks that survive the end of the charcoal burners' trade, under the watchful eye of the Puig de Tomirthe peak of Tomir. It is not long before you reach the Coll des Pedragaret, where the final descent towards the end of the stage begins: 14 km in which you will descend 615m, reaching the large town of Pollença, also a destination for countless artists.

Standard accommodation: Mon Boutique Hotel or similar

Distance: 7.2 km
Difficulty: ●○○○○
Accommodation: Port de Pollença

The last day of the trip, which will take us between Pollença and its magnificent port, will be to compensate for the hardness of the previous one. No steep slopes and no long distances this time. We exchange them for a pleasant, almost rectilinear walk which continues the plain that we inaugurated in the last kilometres the day before. As the distance is short, we will arrive very early in the morning at Port de PollençaWe will meet again with the sea and the infinite possibilities it offers us.

With its sights set on it, framed between the capes of Formentor and Es Pinar, it will be the perfect time to a refreshing swim in the warm Mediterranean SeaWe will thus fix in our memory the landscapes, the people and the experiences of the previous days and understand, if we have not already done so, why the cultural landscape of this dry-stone route deserves all the praise and recognition it gets.

Standard accommodation: Mar Calma Hotel or similar

The Tramuntana adventure that has taken us during 6 stages from the charming Valldemossa to Port de Pollença ends on this eighth day when we start our return home. The town is perfectly connected to Palma de Mallorca and its airport. Or we can arrange the transfer with a private vehicle for your convenience. Or, perhaps, we will succumb to the temptation to extend our stay to continue enjoying the warm light of the Mediterranean and the leisurely pace of these holidays at Ses Illes.