Mallorca is probably best known for swimming and cycling. But along the entire north side of the island there is a mountain range with great hiking opportunities. You can walk the entire mountain range along the well-marked route GR221. It runs through varied terrain, from the lowlands at the the coast, up and down valleys and over mountain peaks. The highest passes are Puig de Massanella at 1250m, and Puig Gros at 950m. The route passes many small towns and villages along the way, so you have many start and stop options with a bus connection with Palma. If you do not want to climb over the highest peaks, there are alternative routes around. There are many trails in the area, and no problem to create your very own route for shorter or longer trips,
I walked from Valdemossa to Pollenca in early May. In May the temperature is perfect, it has turned green and there are not many tourists. That is, at altitudes above about 4-500 meters it was still wintry (ie, not green). So maybe the end of May is even better.
You pass through old olive groves
Accommodation
The absence of mass tourism makes it very easy to find accommodation. Since the route passes towns on the coast, there are many hotels. I did not book a rooms, except in a small hotel up in the mountains. For the other nights, just go to the reception of the first and best hotel, preferably one with a pool, and get a reasonable room.
One place in particular is worth a visit, the monastery of Lluc, Santuario de Lluc, which has many rooms. Very atmospheric with Vesper before dinner. And of course you can get wine with the food, this is Spain.
The route
The route itself is easy to follow and largely follows old travel routes through forests and cultural landscapes. Particularly fascinating are the parts that run a bit in the lowlands through agricultural districts with old olive groves. Over the high mountains it is a bit cold, and climbing and rocky paths. But the feeling when you follow winding paths down the valley again, meet the heat, take in at the hotel by the sea and be served a cold beer is fantastic.
The entire route from Andratx to Pollenca is about 100 km and can be walked in 3 days if you prefer waliking fast. But I would recommend 4 – 5. There is a lot to see along the way. I like to take my time, sit in a beautiful landscape and let my mind flow.
Bring warm clothes for the mountains and a good map. I swear to the app Locus Maps and openandromaps. There are also many tour guides, for example from Sunflower. If you know German, there is an even better selection.
The pictures are not mine as I did not bring a camera, but are taken from https://pixabay.com which offers royalty-free pictures for the most part.
Other hikes:
La Gomera hiking
La Palma hiking
Mallorca hiking
Madeira Levada hiking
Viñales Cuba, tourism and hiking
Hiking Peru – Inka Trail to Machu Picchu
Phong Nha National Park Vietnam
