Description
GR221, Mallorca
Walking grade: 
Walk the length of the Tramuntana Mountains on Mallorca’s beautiful long-distance footpath to take in fabulous coastal views and visit some of Mallorca’s charming towns and villages.
Price: £1275
– Sole occupancy supplement £195
Duration:
7 nights
– Oct 22nd 2024
This week-long holiday can be combined with a long weekend in Sant Elm which departs on October 18th. For those wishing to combine the two trips, I will arrange a transfer (at no extra cost) to Hostal Esporles, in Esporles.
Come and feel refreshed by sea and mountain scapes in Mallorca, The Tramuntana mountains on the north west coast of Mallorca are a designated world heritage site. The GR221 winds it’s way through this protected area, rich in flora and fauna, following the coast from Port d’Andratx to Pollenca. This long-distance trail, also known as the ‘ruta de pedra en sac’ or dry-stone route, takes advantage of the old cobbled paths that linked the villages and farms on this island in a time when growing olive and producing charcoal were still the way that many people earned their living. Together we walk 80 km (50 miles) of the route, from Estellencs to Pollenca, over 5 days. Mallorca needs no introduction as a holiday destination but anyone who visits to walk for the first time is blown away by its spectacular trails and scenery. Many return again and again.
Accomodation
We use three centres for this linear walk, the first two nights will be spent in Esporles, a town which with its tree lined central avenue and sleepy air feels distinctly more local than touristy. Three nights will be spent in the beautiful town of Soller, considered by many to be the most attractive town on Mallorca. We can appreciate this relaxed town from our boutique hotel overlooking the central plaza. The final two nights are spent accommodation based in the monastery at Lluc. The accommodation may be eclectic, but it gives a true flavour of the many aspects of Mallorca and is en-suite throughout. Baggage will be transported between hotels, all you need to carry is your day-sack. Breakfasts are taken in the hotel; evening meals are taken in the hotel or in local restaurants.
Prices
£1265 pp
Sole occupancy supplement £195
Room upgrades are available in Lluc and Soller, please ask for details
Included
- Half board en-suite accommodation
- 5 days of guided walking with a qualified and professional guide
- All transport to and from walks.
- Baggage transport between centres.
- Transfer from Mallorca airport on arrival day – if you arrive by 16:00. Later arrivals will need to take a taxi at an approximate cost of 40 euros or get the airport bus into town and then the bus out to Esporles
- Transfer to airport on the morning of departure
- Evening meals taken in the hotel or local restaurants
Not included
- Flights, you book these yourself, but please do not book until the minimum number for the holiday is reached.
- Lunches
- Incidental expenses such as bar bill etc
Hotels
Hostal Esporles
S’Hostal d’Esporles, featured in the Charming Small hotels guide, is situated in a quiet, plane-tree lined side street, opposite the church, in Esporles. The hotel’s rooms are unpretentious and simply furnished with love, in local rustic style.
Hotel Soller Plaza
Th
e Hotel Soller Plaza is a new exclusive hotel occupying a prime position in the lively square of the old town of picturesque Soller in the Tramuntana area. The original historic building dating back to the end of the XIX century, was lovingly restored in 2018, preserving the original character to offer maximum comfort, style and elegance. The room pictured is a standard double, superior doubles and junior suites are also available for a supplement. Please enquire about this option.
Santuari de Lluc
Santuari de LlucThe Sanctuary or Monastery at Lluc is a magnificent building situated in the heart of the Tramuntana mountains. Rooms are spacious and all en-suite. Not very monastery like at all!
Day-to-Day itinerary
The following is the proposed itinerary for this short break. However, please bear in mind that in the event of local conditions changing, for example, due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, then it may be necessary to change the itinerary.
Day 1
Travel to Mallorca and transfer to Hostal Esporles in the town of Esporles. Meet at 7:15 pm in the hotel bar for a short briefing about the week ahead before dinner.
Meals included: dinner
Day 2
Estellencs to Esporles
Today we travel from Estellencs to Esporles. We pass through olive terraces and see some of the stately homes of the island before descending into the delightful town of Banyalbufar for lunch. In the afternoon we follow an old postal route, using sections of beautiful tree covered paved and terraced bridle paths, as we undulate along the coast line.
Distance 15 km (9.5 miles), ascent 520 m descent 490 m
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Day 3
Valldermossa to Deia
Today we take taxis to the hill town of Valldermossa from where we pick up the magnificent Archduke’s trail, which gives outstanding views down over the whole coast line. We descend to Deia and take private transport to Soller for our next three nights’ accommodation. Our main luggage is transported separately in the morning.
Distance 14 km (9 miles), ascent 540 m descent 780 m
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Day 4
Free day
Today is free to explore the local area. Soller is a lovely town, you can have coffee in the square followed by a mooch around the local shops or head down to the port in the famous wooden tram that runs between Soller and Port Soller. For a longer day out, you could take the wooden train to the capital of Mallorca, the lovely town of Palma, or head back to Valldermossa to explore the monastery made famous by Chopin and George Sands.
Alternatively, you could walk the section of the GR221 between Deia, where you left off yesterday back to Port Soller or Soller itself. The route is well marked and easy to follow and Deia can be easily reached by bus or taxi from Soller. The stats for the walk if you choose to do it are:
Distance 11.5 km (7 miles), ascent 400 m, descent 530 m
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Day 5
Soller to Cuber reservoir
We leave the town of Soller behind us and walk to the tiny village of Biniaraix, before we wind our way through the Barranc de Biniaraix, a remarkable deep limestone gorge. The gorge gives way to the Pilgrims trail, an extraordinary, paved trail built for pilgrims making their way to the Monastery at Lluc. We use this route to ascend over Coll de l’Ofre and then descend slightly to follow the Cuber reservoir to the road. From here we travel back to Soller.
Distance 15 km (9.5 miles), ascent 825 m, descent 100 m
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Cuber reservoir to Lluc Monastery
Today we return to the Cuber reservoir and climb steadily through the dramatic Tramuntana Mountains. We pass under Puig Major and Puig de Massanella, Mallorca’s two highest mountains, to reach Coll des Prat, the high point of our holiday at 1200 m. From here we descend down to the Monastery at Lluc, our home for the next two nights. Our main luggage is transported separately in the morning.
Distance 15 km (9.5 miles), ascent 610 m, descent 900 m
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Lluc Monastery to Pollensa
We leave the high mountains behind us as we descend gently down into Pollensa. The scenery changes as we descend and we are soon back in olive growing country. There should be a little time to explore the delightful town of Pollensa before we head back to Lluc for our final night.
Distance 18 km (11 miles), ascent 240 m, descent 690 m
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Depart after breakfast. A transfer to the airport, departing in the morning, is included.
Meals included: breakfast
Kit list
For walking each day:
- Good walking boots or shoes
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Lightweight, quick drying trousers
- Base layer
- Mid-layer such as a fleece jacket and an additional ‘spare’ layer depending on the forecast
- Walking socks
- Warm hat and gloves -just in case the weather turns
- Sun hat, sunglasses, lip salve and high SPF sun block
- Day sack (25 litre capacity is a good size) to comfortably carry your kit, lunch and water
- Dry bag or rucksack cover to keep the contents of your daypack dry
- Water bottle
- Basic first aid kit (plasters, blister treatment, antiseptic etc)
- Some snacks to keep you going
- Walking/trekking poles (if you use them)
Maps
Geo/Estel maps Mallorca Tramuntana Sud/Central/Nord
