It was the month of June of the year 2011 when Unesco declared the Serra de Tramuntana mountains as part of the World Heritage in the category of Cultural Landscape. In a clear example of the fact that man and nature can coexist in total harmony, this mountain range has seen the exploits of Jaume I and Ramon Llull, and served as inspiration for musical geniuses such as Frederic Chopin or the writer George Sand. Next, we will take a tour through the most interesting kilometers of this jewel of nature.
A brief geographical introduction
The Serra de Tramuntana mountains is an axis that links the north-western coast of the island of Mallorca along 90 kilometers, with a maximum width of 15 km. Calviá, Pollença and Escorca are its main municipalities, but ther´s a total of 20 towns that the visitor can come across when crossing this beautiful natural place. Within its more than 63.000 hectares of surface (more than 1.ooo of them are marine) you can find the highest peak of Mallorca, the Puig Mayor (of 1.443 of altitude). Furthermore, the peaks that also need to be highlighted here are the Puig de Massanell (1.348m), the Serra d’Alfábia (1,069m), the Teix (1,064m) and the Galatzó (1,026m).
On towns and their traditions
Sóller, Deiá and Valldemossa form the “Golden Triangle” of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. Residence of artists and creators, the beauty of these towns has enchanted any visitor over the past centuries. These are also appear frequently on lists of the most beautiful villages in Spain. Less Known, but also charming (and perhaps much less crowded during the intense Mallorcan summers), are the coastal towns such as Estellencs, Sant Elm or Banyalbufar, or inland villas with their own character and a very strong personality such as Llull, Fornalutx or Esporles. These municipalities have created a very broad cultural and festive heritage over time, with festivities -both pagan and religious- among which the spectacular battles between “Moros y Cristianos” in Pollença and Sóller, as well as the “Cant de la Sibil-la”, stand out.
The immense love that people show to their land is not only reflected in the traditions which are transmitted from generation to generation when producing wine, olive oil, olives, sobrasada, ensaimada or ramallet tomato; but also when it comes to making Mallorcan embroidery, fabrics from “llengos, olive wood, “alfarería”, basketry, art in glass or wrought iron.
For adventurers on two wheels
Communication between all these mountain villages can be done either by car, or on public transport; but without a doubt this protected natural area, the most extensive one of the entire Balearic Islands, offers a landscape of contrasts that can be perceived with greater splendour from the freedom offered by a motorcycle. In fact, Mallorca is made for bikers, as it is shown by the routes that can be done in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. A descent to Sa Calobra is essential for the most daring, adrenaline filling each of the curves that run through it.
Also, in recent years, the island has become one of the temples of bicycle tourism worldwide. By its geography and its climate, the cyclists will encounter that these paths are excellent, both in its mountaineering version (mountain bike routes) and for the regular bike lovers.
For non-motorized athletes
The landscape of the Serra is formed by paths, terraces, torrents and dry stone walls, a human footprint that has been integrated into nature to perfection. The work of “pedra en sec” is a constructive technique that has served to expand crops and thus improve harvests taking advantage of the irregular water that the Serra de Tramuntana receives. That is why the Route of Pedra in Sec (GR 221) proposes to discover these landscapes and ant the same time visit historical vestiges to get to know all the traditions, architecture, customs, gastronomy and crafts of this privileged place of the island’s geography.
We did not want to leave these beautiful Mallorcan mountains without mentioning Nordic Walking fans, since here you will find yourself with some of the best roads to travel around the island. Some of them are the “Barranco de Biniaraix”, the Camí Vell de Lluc, the Camí de Sa Figuera or Sa Travessa, a sports activity that consists in traveling more than 100 km of mountainous terrain on any day yu wish to.
If the island of Mallorca has the capacity to offer much in very little space, this premise acquires even more meaning in the Serra de Tramuntana because in just 90 km we let ourselves be seduced by rich traditional recipes, sleepy villages, high mountains that overlook the sea and its bays of crystalline waters, which together with vertiginous cliffs, constitute a top-notch tourist destination.
