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Mountains & Villages of Mallorca

Land of orange groves and stone villages

You are sure to be amazed by the drama of the scenery of north-west Mallorca – here, the rugged mountains of the Tramuntana Sierra plunge into the sea, and villages perch precariously on the slopes above tiny coves. This beautiful sierra offers the island’s best walking – old paved mule tracks wind through wooded valleys, between terraces of olive and citrus groves, and high above the coast. The scent of lemons fills the air, butterflies dance around your feet, and the views are simply astonishing. Our much-praised walk follows well-waymarked trails that link some of the island’s most picturesque towns and villages – Fornalutx, Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa – where you stay at characterful hotels, with a real touch of luxury at the 4-star Hotel Valldemossa. We have designed the itinerary to be as flexible as possible – choose six days of rewarding walking or a mix of walking and sightseeing, making use of the inexpensive trains, taxis, buses and trams if you want more time to explore. Pay locally for all transfers mentioned in the description.

Nights: 7
Grade: flexible grade 1 and 2 options
Terrain: citrus groves, wooded valleys, mountain paths
Hotels: three 2-star hotels; one 4-star hotel
Meals: breakfast every day, plus 2 picnics. For dinner, take your pick of the local restaurants, using our recommendations as a guide (pay locally)
Climate: this sunny Mediterranean island enjoys a long, hot summer and warm spring and autumn. The table below gives the average maximum and minimum temperatures (in °C) for Palma, situated at sea level. The temperatures will naturally be slightly cooler at higher altitudes.

View on day 1's walk

Port de Sóller

Muleta Plateau (option 2, day 3)

Lluc Alcari (day 5)

Deià Cove

Valldemossa

Starting point: C'an Reus (2*), Fornalutx. You are welcomed warmly to the island by host Susan Guthrie, a keen walker. Lovingly converted from a typical Mallorcan house, C'an Reus offers seven attractive rooms, pleasant gardens and a small outdoor pool. There is also a panoramic terrace where breakfast is served for most of the season. Rooms with views of the mountains are available as an upgrade.

Day 1: we recommend that you take a taxi to Lake Cuver, from where a path rises gently through pine woods to the Ofre Pass for your first views of the Mediterranean in clear weather. From the pass, you descend into the valley and walk down through the spectacular Biniaraix Gorge on an ancient cobbled pilgrims’ trail that comprises almost 2,000 shallow stone steps that are thought to have been originally cut by the Carthaginians for transporting olive oil some 2,500 years ago. If you don’t wish to walk, you can take time to explore the cobbled streets of Fornalutx, considered by many to be the prettiest of Mallorca’s villages. (12.5km, 4.5hrs)

Accommodation: C'an Reus, as above.

Day 2: on clear days, our preferred route to Sóller enjoys views of the Puig Major, Mallorca’s highest peak, as it ascends along ancient mule paths between cultivated terraces to the Ses Barques viewpoint. Here, you can admire the views of the port of Sóller and its lighthouse. Alternatively, a much shorter route offers an easy descent to Sóller. Whichever route you choose, you will have time in the afternoon to explore the town, which is set in a fertile valley and surrounded by citrus groves. Elegant mansions built by wealthy fruit merchants line the streets, and there are numerous fine examples of modernista (Art Deco) architecture to seek out. (8.5km, 3.5hrs or 4km, 1.5hrs)

Accommodation: Can Isabel (2*), Sóller. This elegant townhouse is located in a quiet street close to the main square. There are just four bedrooms, ensuring an intimate, romantic atmosphere that is enhanced by the stylish décor and fantastic attention to detail. Excellent breakfasts are served alfresco in the pretty garden for much of the season.

Day 3: there are numerous ways to spend your day in Sóller. For an easy day, take the old-fashioned tram to Port de Sóller, where you can relax on the beach or take a boat trip, or catch the nostalgic narrow-gauge train to Palma for a day of sightseeing and shopping. The train journey to Mallorca’s bustling capital is a highlight in itself, taking you right through the heart of the mountains. For more walking, you can return by taxi to the Ses Barques viewpoint and walk along ancient cobbled trails through a deep, fertile valley coated with orange groves. After ascending out of the valley, you descend to the coast and follow the spectacular coastal path to the beach at Cala Tuent, enjoying some of the best sea views on the island before returning to Sóller by boat. A shorter alternative is to take the tram to Port de Sóller and follow a circular route around the Muleta Plateau, passing its distinctive lighthouse before dropping back down to Port de Sóller. (11km, 4.5hrs or 7.5km, 2.5hrs)

Accommodation: Can Isabel, as above.

Day 4: the route to Deià for the most part follows the Camí del Castello, a series of cobbled mule tracks that have linked the two towns for centuries. You skirt the edge of the Muleta Plateau, with mountains to your left and the sea to your right – here, the peaks of the Tramuntana Sierra are just 2 kilometres from the coast. You are rewarded with sweeping sea views even before you reach the coastal path, and can detour to Deià’s lovely cove before heading to your hotel. If you don’t wish to walk, catch one of the regular buses. (12km, 4hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel d'es Puig (2*), Deià. This cosy hotel is enviably located in the centre of the town. Among the various eateries from which you can choose to dine is a locally renowned, Michelin-starred restaurant.
Upgrade option: Sa Pedrissà (4* agriturismo), near Deià. Once owned by Archduke Luis Salvador of Austria, a great benefactor of Mallorca, this exquisite cliff-top agriturismo (working farm) has been converted from a 16th-century farmstead and is surrounded by ancient olive trees from which the farm still makes oil. The intimate dining room, where you enjoy delicious regional cooking (dinner is included in our prices), is housed in the old olive press, but the real focal point is the terrace, which boasts some of the best views of the Mediterranean you will ever see.

Day 5: this is a walk of which you can do all or parts. To do the full walk (in fact two loops), you start by descending to Deià's small cove, then walking along the cliff-top to the pretty, honey-coloured village of Lluc Alcari and back to Deià. The second part of the walk takes you to Son Morraig, the cliff-top mansion where Archduke Luis Salvador spent a lot of time. From here, it is well worth descending along a track to the Sa Foradada Peninsula, which is made all the more remarkable by the huge hole in the rock near the tip. There is a small beach where you can bathe in warm weather before retracing your steps to Deià. (6km, 2hrs, 8km, 3hrs or 14km, 5hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel d'es Puig (or Sa Pedrissà), as above.

Day 6: start the day by taking the bus or a taxi to the mountain village of Valldemossa, described by Chopin as ‘the most beautiful place in the world’. You can then spend the day exploring the village and its famous monastery which houses a 17th-century pharmacy, Chopin’s piano and an excellent small art collection that includes works by Picasso and Henry Moore. For a final walk, a rewarding route winds steeply uphill from Valldemossa to the Cairats Refuge, passing beneath the peak of the Teix (1,064 metres) for superb views of the coast in clear weather. You then follow bridleways created by Archduke Luis Salvador across a limestone plateau high above Valldemossa before descending through woods of holm oaks where small family groups of wild goats often graze. (12.5km, 4hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel Valldemossa (4*), Valldemossa. This luxurious hotel, complete with a first-rate restaurant, was converted from a country house built over 100 years ago in Mallorcan stone, and the attention to detail is exquisite. The hotel is set in extensive gardens just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Valldemossa, with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and the bay of Palma in the distance. Facilities include an outdoor pool as well as an indoor pool with a jacuzzi and sauna.

Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.

Recommendations for extra nights: Can Isabel (Sóller) is an excellent choice as there is so much to do in and around the town. Alternatively, for a day of relaxation in luxurious surroundings, choose the Hotel Valldemossa, or for extra walking choose C'an Reus (Fornalutx).

Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system.

Similar holidays: Citrus Groves & Dramatic Coast (stay 7 nights in Sóller and spend your days sightseeing or walking – we provide route notes), The Treasures of Eastern Sicily (grades 1, 2 & 3), Sardinia's Rich Interior (grades 1, 2 & 3), The Amalfi Coast & Villages (grade 2), Along the Ligurian Coast (grade 2), Secret Algarve (grade 2)

Prices & travel

Recommended destination airport: Palma
Latest flight arrival time: flexible
Earliest flight departure time: flexible
*Connecting travel: return taxi from Palma (out/home 0h35) £42pp
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Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):

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