Majorca’s major mountain range is every bit as beautiful as the island’s coastline — and you can hike straight from your hotel.
The Serra de Tramuntana, which runs parallel to Majorca’s northwestern coast, has remained largely out of the spotlight but is a great spot to hike in Spain.
Photograph by: Juan, Alamy Stock Photo
The largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, Majorca is sometimes said to lack the defining quirk of its sisters. It’s not as irreverent as Ibiza, not as bohemian as Formentera, and is too big and popular to have Menorca’s characteristic calm. It might be because one of its best assets has remained largely out of the spotlight — the Serra de Tramuntana, a mountain range spanning 55 miles in the north west. It’s a landscape of oak forests and 3,000ft-plus peaks, and it’s been listed by UNESCO for the way it’s been shaped by human ingenuity, with aqueducts, agricultural terraces and more. To access some great hiking through it, base yourself in Valldemossa village, which has a 14th-century monastery where Polish composer Chopin spent the winter in 1838. Other highlights are just a bus ride away — or a walk, for those up to the challenge.
The experience
The history of leisure hiking in Majorca dates to the 19th century, when Archduke Luis Salvador, cousin of Austria’s Empress Sisi, came here on his travels.
He became so enamoured with the island, he settled in Valldemossa for four decades, slowly buying up estates between the village and the neighbouring community of Deià. He used the land to create the first local trails — not tracks for the passage of workers and donkeys, but paths to be walked for the love of walking. Today, the Serra de Tramuntana is home to the Balearics’ longest trail, the 88-mile Dry Stone Route, which covers the length of the range. But there’s no need to go that far to get a taste of these mountains.
Majorcan guide Martin Bestard leads hikes on the Tramuntana slopes, and you can experience the area’s landscapes and heritage in as little as two or three hours. He takes visitors into the woods around Valldemossa, following stone roads and dirt tracks, and through private tracts of land whose owners he’s friends with. Along the way are the old structures that made this a UNESCO-listed destination: dry stone terraces, built without cement to let rainwater filter onto farmland; snow houses, once used to collect, press and store ice; fire holes for carbonising oak tree trunks into charcoal; and pits to burn limestone with the leftover branches, creating valuable quicklime.
Most hikes ascend gently to views of the Mediterranean, then head back past olive groves — one of the island’s main sources of income until the advent of tourism in the 1960s. Finally, they circle back to Valldemossa. Its monumental monastery, with turquoise church tower, never looks better than from a distance, promising you’ll soon be back in the village and able to put your feet up.
The stay
Hotel Valldemossa is set within a recently renovated 19th-century manor house, formerly used as accommodation for the monastery, and remains every bit the sanctuary. It’s perched on its own hillock a 10-minute walk from the village, providing easy access to both the mountains and the centre, as well as peace to help you recharge after a hike.
The whole experience at this adults-only property revolves around wellness, be it fitness or relaxation, and makes the most of the natural setting. There’s a herb garden with hammocks, and yoga mats in your room that you can take to al fresco morning classes. The hotel’s gym is set on an open-air terrace, while a cycling centre offers rentals, coaching and guided tours. Guests can choose between a garden swimming pool or cavernous indoor option. The holistic spa, aptly called The Sanctuary, has a treatment menu that’s 26 pages long.
The 12 rooms, each with a high-walled terrace, add to the sense of seclusion. Owner Cristina Martí is a designer and collector, and everything from the furniture — all wicker and animal print — to the light fixtures has been sourced from high-end design brands. While nothing is on sale, the staff are on hand should you wish to learn more about any of the pieces. Still, you’ll be able to take a piece of the region back home with you through the custom-made natural fragrance gifted with each stay.
