Serra de Tramuntana

A treasure trove for artistic inspiration

Dizzying cliffs that fall into the sea, lush forests of oak and Mediterranean pine, steep peaks of more than 1000 meters, hidden pebble coves, and some sandbanks are just some of the images offered by this unique natural landscape, in addition to the natural monuments of Fonts Ufanes and Torrent de Pareis. But not only nature is an intrinsic part of the Serra. Cobblestone paths, farm terraces, charcoal kilns, lime kilns, snow houses, and water channels are, along with idyllic villages, picturesque towns and traditional fishing ports, some of the attractions of the Serra de Tramuntana.  

The Serra de Tramuntana spines the northwest of the island and extends for about 90 kilometers, from Calvià to Pollença. It maintains the essence of yesteryear, when the first travelers landed on the island in search of beauty and landscape observation. In the mid-19th century, the Archduke Luis Salvador of Austria was one of the first to fall in love with this environment and ensure its conservation. But he is not the only one who found refuge here. The special light of the Serra has attracted artists from all over the world and of all kinds. 

WORLD HERITAGE

The current Serra is the result of the human being, who has known how to transform over the centuries and harmoniously an abrupt territory, through dry stone constructions, without mortar and with the perfect fit of stones, in a cultivation area. A unique space in the world that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011.

MOUNTAIN VILLAGES

It is worth discovering the towns of the Serra through the winding roads that connect them, routes that reveal mountain landscapes that often converge with the sea. With its fishing port and marina, tradition and modernity coexist in Andratx. Banyalbufar and Estellencs have a coast lined with terraces of vineyards and Ramallet tomatoes (local variety) and some centuries-old olive trees. Valldemossa is one of the most visited villages in Spain, where Chopin and the writer George Sand spent a winter in one of the cells of the Cartuja. Deià, bohemian, with some of the most exclusive establishments and a magnet for artists, is where Robert Graves established his residence on the island. Sóller, surrounded by orange, lemon, and olive trees, offers streets flanked by stately homes and modernist buildings, as well as the chance to take a trip back in time aboard its tram, which communicates with the port or with the train that connects with Palma, both from the early 20th century. Pollença is a town of artists and craftsmen. And its port, Port de Pollença, is an old fishing port and summer resort area full of bars and restaurants. 

The defense towers stand out on the coast, a surveillance network to alert the population of possible pirate raids.

And the Lluc Sanctuary, in the heart of the Serra and surrounded by pine and oak forests, is the place of pilgrimage par excellence of the Mallorcans. 

REMOTE BEACHES

Sa Calobra is a small pebble cove surrounded by high rock walls and which is accessed by boat or by a narrow road in a breathtaking journey:
14 kilometers of curves that go down to the sea, twelve at 80º and one –known as the tie knot– at 360º, a true engineering feat. 

Along the abrupt coastline, pebble coasts abound, such as Cala Deià, Cala Banyalbufar, or Cala d'Estellencs. Although it is a sandbank with paradisiacal reminiscences, the Formentor beach is the exceptionality of the environment. 

ROUTE OF THE STONE IN SEC

The Serra is an idyllic place for hiking. Several itineraries cross it, highlighting the GR-221 route, a long-distance path structured in different stages. During the journey, there are several shelters where you can spend the night by prior reservation.