Mallorca by boots: Hiking the Tramuntana chain

Olive groves, hidden gorges, panoramic views and the most beautiful mountain villages of the island: a charming long-distance hiking trail leads away from mass tourism across Mallorca's wild Tramuntana mountains.

Seems like a stroll, but it isn't

In Spring, before the sun really burns over Mallorca is the best time to discover the island, which is known for beaches, discos and alcohol abuse. The best way to do that is with hiking boots firmly laced. Follow me all the way to the other side of a well known and complete unknown isle.

Mallorca is well known, but it isn't

Across the Tramuntana Mountains leads the picturesque long-distance hiking trail GR 221, the so-called Trans Tramuntana Tour. It is almost 150 kilometers from Port d'Andratx in the southwest to the extreme northwest to Port de Pollença. We set off on our stockings and grabbed our hiking boots to see the unknown side of the party isle.

Walking in the morning through Andratx

Deep down in the southwest

The tour starts in Andratx deep down in the southwest. The small town, in its present form is mentioned for the first time in 1236 documentarily, is the starting point of an island crossing. From one side to the other, all along the mountain chain named Tramuntana.

The paths are mostly private, but you can go along. If you find them ;-)

In the Middle Ages, the town was repeatedly raided by North African pirates. Today, below the remains of the former monastery of La Trapa, 270 meters above sea level, lies a center of Mallorcan tourism. More noble than at the Ballermann in Palma people lie here in the sun and sat in the Cafè. No loud music. No disco beats.

Fences are equiped with ledders to climb

On an old road

But we walk on the old road out of the village in the direction of Estellencs. Just a little later, every hiker would be lost for the first time without a local guide: We turn sharp right onto a narrow, overgrown path. Right through the undergrowth, which has grown in winter, while no hikers have bothered nature.

My old hiking watch, made in 2005. After the summit we're back on 400 meters altitude

It's an insider thing: A hike in Mallorca seems like a very easy thing. But it isn't. It's more a puzzle with mother nature, you have always look for the right path, climp over ledders and ask your guide where the way has gone lost.

The summit from down under

Shortly after the marina, the path already loses itself in hilly pine forests. The view is magnificent, falling on the former fishing village of Sant Elm and the "dragon island" of Sa Dragonera in front of it. Through pine forests it then goes steeply uphill again. At the farm "Ses Alquerioles" begins the steep climb to the summit of S'Esclop.

The sea from above

High on 928 meters

May some laugh about Mallorca as a mountain hiking area: It goes up to 928 meters. But! Because we are coming from sea level in the bottom, this is quite far and quite steep to walk. Not a stroll as we have thinked before our start. For the rest of the day, the panoramic views of the rugged west coast of Mallorca provide enthusiasm. At the Mirador d'en Josep Sastre viewpoint, the cliff drops dramatically 450 meters into the blue sea. The horizon is wide, the sky is blue too. Green trees and grey stones. A perfect view.

Hiking under nice trees

The landscape offers a variety of views. Over paths peppered with boulders, it goes up, in the middle of almond tree forests. There are about seven million almond trees in Mallorca today, and hundreds of thousands adorn fields and mountainsides on the west coast.

Looks like a painting

Under wild growing trees

These are not plantations, but wild-growing trees that offer a magnificent spectacle of color when they bloom between the end of January and the beginning of March. The bitter almond trees have pink blossoms, the sweet almond trees white. Depending on the region, they bloom with a time lag, but the sight is always intoxicating.

Sheeps are allway with us

Passing the blossoming almond trees, the orange trees and imaginatively grown olive trees, we finally climb up serpentine paths into the unknown.At the top, we are offered the first beautiful distant view of the southwest of Mallorca and over to the neighboring mountain Galatzó.

Having a break

Slowly hiking towards

Down at the foot of the mountain lies our stage destination, the mountain village of Estellencs, which we slowly hike towards after an extensive rest in blazing sun on a broad, barren ridge. The last stretch of the trail runs for about an hour through dense holm oak forest and olive groves.

Downwards

How nice it is to sweat outdoors again after a long winter. Especially in the first months of the year, when in Germany the winter still has the country fully in its grip, spring is already moving in here with pleasant temperatures, a wonderful splendor of flowers and Mediterranean scents.

Upwards

For example, the peculiar scent of the "asphodel" can only be experienced in spring, as the plant withers in summer. When we arrive at the Hotel Maristel, we too are parched. Quick, a beer! Tomorrow it goes already further.

Down, down, down

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A few more pictures for you:

The goal of the day Estellencs

A lonely building in the mountains

The summit

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