Walks | Walking in Mallorca

Looking forward to the almond blossom…

December 1, 2011 By fiona Leave a Comment

Almond blossom in Mallorca

Here at Mallorca Hiking we can’t believe it’s already December and all the Christmas festivities have already started! That usually means there’s not so much time available to get out and enjoy some walking

But we’re looking on the bright side and plan to make up for a busy December with lots of good walks in the new year. We’re already looking forward to the almond blossom season, which in Mallorca is usually from the end of January to about mid-February – our short video will give you a general idea.

If that has tempted you and you’re looking for a sunny spot to enjoy a walking holiday, take a look at our Blossom Fever holiday itinerary, which we recommend for this time of year. We can organise a tailor-made holiday for you and your group, which includes any part of our suggested itinerary, additional activities, hotel and restaurant recommendations… Just contact us for a chat and more information.

And if you’re just interested in a day’s walking, you’ll see that we’ve scheduled our 2 favourite blossom walks throughout January and February:

- Rural wanderings – Es Capdella and the Galatzo Estate

- 4 Picturesque rural villages

Why not take a look at our Calendar to see which dates suit you, and then contact us to reserve your place.

We look forward to seeing you!

Filed Under: All Posts, Holidays, Walks Tagged With: almond blossom, guided walking holidays, guided walking tours, hiking, Hiking Mallorca, holidays, majorca, Majorca holiday walking, Majorca walking routes, spain, tailor made holidays, Tramuntana mountains, walking holidays, Walking Majorca, Walking Mallorca

Mallorca’s Dry Stone Route, the GR221 – a sampler

September 30, 2011 By fiona Leave a Comment

The GR221

In October we’re offering a 3-day sampler of Mallorca’s Dry Stone Route, the GR221. Many of you are already familiar with this hike and have seen our previous blog posts, but those of you who haven’t, do take a look at the following links, which describe the island’s first long-distance walking trail.

Mallorca’s Dry Stone Route

Dry Stone Route - GR221 – Part 1 and GR221 – Part 2

We’ll set off from Valdemossa with a small group of fun walkers on the 19th October, and we’ll cover 3 sections of this fabulous long-distance hike over 3 days. We won’t be walking the sections in the usual order, but then again we always like to do things a little differently! We’ve designed this trip to give you a “flavour” of the route – we’ll take it fairly easy, but there’ll be plenty of challenges along the way!

If you’re interested in joining us for some or all of this trip, please take a look at our detailed itinerary. For those of you who can only join us for 1 day because of work commitments, that’s great. It is perfectly possible to come along just for 1 day, as there is a bus route that connects our stops. We would recommend you join us for the Wednesday 19th October to get the most out of your one day!

If you can’t join us on this occasion, remember we can always organise a trip especially for you on the dates that you choose – see Tailor Made Holidays.

We hope to see you soon, and in the meantime why not keep in touch and become a fan on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter…

Happy hiking from the Mallorca Hiking team!

Filed Under: All Posts, Holidays, Walks Tagged With: dry stone route, GR221, guided walking holidays, guided walking tours, hiking, Hiking Mallorca, majorca, Majorca holiday walking, Majorca walking routes, Mallorca hiking, Mallorca walking, spain, Tramuntana mountains, walking excursions, Walking Majorca, Walking Mallorca

Welcome to a new walking season!

September 20, 2011 By fiona Leave a Comment

Let's walk...!

We recently uploaded our new schedule of walks for every Wednesday – do take a look at the Calendar on our website for more details.

Click on any Wednesday and you’ll see a summary walk description below the Calendar. Click on the title of the summary, and you get full details of the walk scheduled for that day.

We’ve scheduled a walk for every Wednesday until the end of November so do come and join us. In December we have something different in store for you, so watch this space! Even better, please become a fan of our Facebook page – don’t forget to click the “like” button, and then you’ll be kept well up to date with all our activities.

Please remember, Wednesday walks cost:

The beautiful Sóller valley

35 euros per person
25 euros per person for Mallorca residents
20 euros per person for members of the Mallorca Hiking Club

From November we’ll be offering additional walks at weekends and on other days of the week.

And if none of the hikes we’ve scheduled fit in with your plans, then contact us and we’ll arrange a tailor-made day out especially for you and your party. For more details check our website: www.mallorcahiking.com

Or join us on Facebook and Twitter…

We hope to see you all soon!

Filed Under: All Posts, News, Walks Tagged With: guided walking tours, mallorca, Mallorca hiking, Mallorca walking, mountains, off the beaten track, residents hiking club, spain, Tramuntana mountains, walking, walking excursions, Walking Majorca, Walking Mallorca

Soller to Lluc via the Pilgrim’s Steps

May 4, 2011 By roger Leave a Comment

Monastery at Lluc Mallorca The Pilgrim’s Steps are part of one of the most popular and enjoyable walks on the island of Mallorca – a 14 km hike from Soller to the monastery at Lluc, that continues on into Pollensa. The route passes through many different terrains, from mountains to valleys; woodland to spectacular coastal views; a limestone valley that descends into the canyon where the actual Pilgrim’s Steps are found – a cobbled pilgrims’ trail comprising almost 2,000 shallow stone steps.

Starting from Soller follow the road to the village of Biniaraix, which leads through groves of orange, lemons, figs and almonds. This is a picture postcard perfect Mediterranean village where each doorway and windowsill has been carefully tended with flowers, vines and bougainvillaea. Then moving on up to the Barranc (or gorge), the Pilgrim’s Steps lead us into the mountains. You can just imagine the work required to produce these steps and appreciate all the effort made by our ancestors to make our access to these mountains so much easier. More enchanting terraces of olive trees dropping down into the narrow valley of the Cornadors, and from here we move onto the Coll de L’Ofre. From the Coll there are spectacular views down to Sóller and in the other direction to the Cuber reservoir below and Puig Major above.

There are several routes leading to the Cuber dam from here, one passing over the L’Ofre peak and a testing ridge walk, which then leads down to Cuber – look out for the abundant birdlife around the lake, including many birds of prey (covered in more detail in our previous post).

From the Cuber lake there is a gentle incline up through woodland to the Tossals Verd summit and more spectacular views (see our Youtube video of the route to the summit). If you are hiking over several days, the Tossals Verd refuge is a perfect stopping point. Here you can enjoy a home cooked meal complete with vegetables from the garden, and stay overnight if you want to. There is a circular path around Tossals Verds mountain and the refuge is located on this route. You can therefore access the refuge via either direction. Both paths to the refuge are well marked – one runs through a number of tunnels via one side of Tossals Verds and the other via the canaleta which is a slightly longer route the other way around.

Continuing on to Pollensa from the refuge, the route takes you through holm oak woods and an ascent of Massanella, the highest accessible peak on the island. This is a fabulous experience you will remember – not least for the care you need to take over the last part of the route (good hiking boots required!), but ultimately the views from the summit are amazing.

From the top of Massanella, the route leads down through the woods of Comafreda to the road and finally, the pilgrim’s destination at Lluc Monastery. The Monastery is another great stopping place that takes on a wonderful silence at night time when all the tourists have departed. You will be transported back in time to the origins of this sacred place and the peace and tranquillity the monks sought for their religion.

This lovely walk from Sóller to Lluc monastery via ancient pilgrims’ steps is just one of the many routes we can offer you on a Tailor Made holiday with Mallorca Hiking. We can combine fabulous local hospitality – either in the rustic simplicity of the refuges (or mountain “huts”) or in delightful boutique hotels – with wonderful mountain scenery, fauna and flora and all the other good things that Mallorca has to offer! We look forward to hearing from you….

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured, Walks Tagged With: lluc monastery, Mallorca hiking, pilgrim's steps, refuge, tailor made holidays, tossals verd

The Peaks of Mallorca

April 25, 2011 By roger Leave a Comment

Es Teix Peak

The Serra de Tramuntana is the highest mountain range and the most extensive area of natural beauty on Mallorca. In this stretch of highlands, which spans from Valldemosa to Pollensa, we find some of the most enjoyable and demanding walks. There are many peaks (or Puig in Mallorquin) and each has a magic of its own, and it is from here that we get the most spectacular views across the island. Let’s take a virtual tour (or viaje) through these magical Peaks of Mallorca.

Starting from the beautiful village of Valldemossa we have clear views of our first peak, which is easily accessible on foot. Es Teix (meaning yew in Catalan and so named because of the yew trees growing on the slopes) stands majestically above the villages of Deia and Valldemossa – the central point of a long ridge running from Talia Vella to Sa Gelara above Sóller. It’s highest point is 1064m and from here there are far-reaching views of both sides of Mallorca as well as along the main ridge of the Serra de Tramuntana. This is a popular peak to ascend, as combined with the Archduke’s bridle path it is one of the island’s classic hikes.

Tossals Verds

Moving on in the direction of Sóller we come to the Puig de Tossals Verds, which is the highest of a group of peaks south of Gorg Blau, and east of the Cúber reservoirs. There are a number of good walks in the Tossals area, and one of the most popular is the circuit around the mountain via the Tossals Verds refuge. However, in this post we’re focussing on peaks…. and this is another easy peak to reach. Together with a climb to the top of nearby Morro d’Almallutx, it is a challenging – and very satisfying – day’s hike; by itself, it is a good afternoon’s work-out – see our fun video on Youtube! The highest point is 1115m and again we get some spectacular views down to the Bay of Palma and across to Massanella and Puig Major (see below).

From Tossals we move on to Puig d’en Gallileu which looks over the monastery of Lluc. This peak can be reached from the reservoir of Cuber through woodlands and passing the watering hole of Font Des Prat. Our route now ascends again, moving into the mighty backbone of this mountain.

Two more easily accessible peaks in the area are Sa Rateta at 1084m and L’Ofre at 1091m. Together they constitute a fabulous day’s hiking, starting at the Cúber reservoir. L’Ofre is a very distinctive cone-shaped peak and this walk is a high ridge walk between the two peaks with breathtaking 360º views. Get your binoculars out and watch for the birds of prey - we very often see them in this area. Alternatively we could descend into Sóller from L’Ofre via the famous Pilgrim’s Steps and the pretty village of Biniaraix.

The peak of Massenella with Mallorca Hiking

The highest peak on the island is actually Puig Major at 1436m but this is military zone so it is not accessible by the public. The highest accessible peak is the Puig de Massenella (1367m) and it is a challenging but enjoyable hike to the summit. The route to the top of Massenella finishes at Ses Bassetes, where the atmosphere and views are truly breathtaking – this is definitely worth the effort and a very memorable experience!

The peak of Tomir

Heading a bit further north now, we come to Puig Tomir (1103m), another well known and popular summit to climb. It is very accessible and we can reach the top via a glorious climb in about 1 and a half hours from the Binifaldó road. This is an intriguing peak – bare and rocky with steep crags and a circular snowpit nearby – and gets a unique perspective of Pollensa and the Formentor peninsular. However, our views are saved right until the end when we reach the top and look down over the town of Pollensa. Stunning!

Puig Roig

The last of our peaks in this post is Puig Roig (1002m) – a magical walk with smugglers paths and cave houses, makes this a classic finish in our mountain adventure. We’ll very likely see birds of prey circling in the sky above – a glorious sight. This is a stunning and very Mallorcan hike, which ends with the descent to the monastery at Lluc, a suitable destination to bring our post to a close.

Now enjoy a selection of stunning photos of these wonderful peaks – below. Why not plan your next walking holiday with us at Mallorca Hiking – and make this virtual tour a reality? We’ll design an itinerary just for you and your friends – see our tailor-made holidays. See you soon…

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured, Holidays, Mallorca, Walks Tagged With: majorca, mallorca, mountains, peaks, spain, walking holidays

Dry Stone Route, GR221 Pt 2

April 15, 2011 By roger Leave a Comment

Today we continue our hike along Mallorca’s Dry Stone Route (GR221). In our last post we covered the first three stages of this walk from Port d’Andratx to Esporles. The complete route spans from Port d’Andratx in the SW of Mallorca up to Pollensa in the NE and realistically is a hike you would need to take over several days. There are several hostels or Refugis at various stages along the way, charging a very reasonable price for bed and breakfast, and usually typically Mallorquin meals (if you don’t fancy hostel accommodation there are plenty of really nice hotels to choose from too…)

Today we’ll walk sections 4 to 6:

Stage 4 Esporles through Valldemossa to Deia and Can Boi refuge

Stage 5 Deia to the Muleta refuge and the Port of Sóller

Stage 6 Sóller through the Barranc de Biniaraix to the Cúber lake, and finishing at Tossals Verds refuge

As mentioned in our previous post, there are still some issues with rights of way and some poorly marked areas (and sometimes no way-marks at all!) in the early stages of this long distance walk. We’ve flagged up some of the problematic areas and we’ll update these posts when things improve. Section 4, our starting point for this post, also has a few problems…

Section Four stretches from Esporles through Valldemossa and on to Deia. This is beautiful countryside and involves a challenging hike of about 6 hours and a spectacular descent into Deia. It’s best you have some walking experience to complete this section. There is partial signposting, but no right of way issues.

As well as the three beautiful villages of Esporles, Valldemossa and Deia, you will also pass historic charcoal burning sites, bread ovens, and aged olive groves. You’ll need a good route guide for this section, as there are some fairly overgrown areas that can be misleading. Your destination is the mountain refuge of Can Boi in Deia. This hostel was opened in 2006 and has 32 beds laid out in dormitories.

Section Five runs from the fabulous village of Deià to the port of Sóller and the mountain hostel of Muleta. This is an easy hike of about 3 hours and it is fully way-marked. It is a delightful old Moorish footpath from the 10th century and has been restored in a number of sections. But before you leave Deià, be sure to have a good stroll around – it’s an enchanting village.

Along this stretch of the GR221 you’ll enjoy walking through olive grove terraces, and you’ll see pretty country houses and the superb protected estate house of Muleta Gran. Other things to explore include the small 17th century chapel of Castelló and the lighthouse of cap Gros built in the 19th century, from which you get great views of the Port of Soller. It’s also worth a little diversion from the GR221 to visit the defence tower of Sa Pedrissa, a building dating back to the 17th century. You could also treat yourself to a gourmet meal at the famous Bens d’Avell restaurant…

Our final stage for this post – Section Six moves inland into the region of Escorxa via a steep uphill climb. This section should take around 8 hours and has some quite difficult sections – reaching heights of up to 1000m. From the Muleta refuge you pass through the beautiful valley of Sóller up to the Cúber through the ravine of Biniaraix (declared a Cultural point of interest in 1994 for its dry-stone heritage value) and on to Tossals Verds – views from here stretch down to the bay of Palma. Don’t forget to watch out for birds of prey when you’re in the Cuber and Tossals areas – these are excellent spots for seeing them.

Make sure you take some time to appreciate some of the lovely historic buildings in Sóller, and stop for a freshly squeezed orange juice in the picturesque village of Biniaraix. You’ll also see orchards of citrus trees laden with fruit, olive groves, impressive estate houses, country cottages and casitas, an incredible water-channelling systems (fountains, washing places, channels, troughs, water mills…) including a complete modular concrete channel linking the lakes of Cuber and Gorg Blau. You will also notice the changing plant life as you enter into the mountainous area of the Serra Tramuntana – a whole new world of island flora will unfold before your eyes. It’s also not unusual to see cows wandering free around the lakes and woods, as well as groups of mountain goats and sheep. Many varieties of birds also nest and flourish in this area including the impressive soaring birds of prey.

The mountain hostel of Tossals Verds is your destination at the end of this section, and it will be a welcome sight after a long walk and a steep climb. This hostel has been open since 1995 and is roughly equidistant between Soller and Lluc. If you want to stay at the refuge you must reserve your bed in advance.

Here we will rest until our next post completing the final two sections and our destination, Pollensa. We have covered the equivalent of approximately 18 hours walking here, so it’s time to rest here – until the next time…

Filed Under: Advice, All Posts, Featured, Walks Tagged With: cuber, Deia, soller, valldemosa

Sunday April 17th MHC Walk – Soller

April 7, 2011 By roger Leave a Comment

Hello Mallorca Hikers!

If you are not already enrolled in Mallorca Hiking’s residents’ walking Club and would like to join, there is still the opportunity to sign-up with a special 50% discount (call Fiona – details below)

The next MHC walk is scheduled for Sunday 17th April. One of our members John Ballard has very kindly offered to lead this lovely circular walk -

Soller and surrounding villages

John is an experienced walker himself and has led many groups of walkers in the past. Please read the walk description carefully, consider the grade we’ve given it (moderate in this case) and make sure you are happy that it is a level you can cope with.

We’ll meet at 10.30 am at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens on the road to the Port of Sóller and we should be finished by about 4.30pm.

The programme for the day is slightly different to last time. In total we will walk about 3.5 to 4 hours (excluding stops): 2.5+ hours before lunch and then 1+ hours after lunch depending on the speed of the group. But you’ll be pleased to hear that the walk after lunch is easy and downhill all the way!

We’ve organised a delicious set lunch at the Es Turó restaurant in Fornalutx, which has a fabulous terrace (with even more fabulous views) where we’ll eat provided the weather is still good. It’s a perfect spot to enjoy some apres-hike fun and relaxation. Please note that for the main course there is a choice between roast pork and vegetables and fish with vegetables – please let us know when you sign up for the walk, which one you’d prefer.

The price for the day is:
* 5 euros contribution to Mallorca Hiking for organising everything
* 15 euros + service to the restaurant for 3-course lunch including wine
* If you’re getting a lift from another member please offer to contribute to their petrol and the toll for the Soller tunnel.

We’ll be limiting the number of people in the group to 20 + 2 guides, so if you’d like to join us please let us know as soon as possible! Friends and family are very welcome to join us if there are still places, but Club members are given priority. We’ve posted the walk on Facebook, and will post a reminder during the week, so if you can please respond via a comment on these posts. We need final numbers by latest 5pm Thursday 14th April please.

This time don’t forget to bring your cameras and take lots of snaps as we’ll be running a photo competition during the week following the walk. The winner gets to come on next month’s MHC walk for free (excluding lunch).

We’ll be posting the winner of last month’s quiz over the next day or so. Watch that space!

We look forward to seeing you on the 17th. Until then happy hiking!

Best wishes, Fiona
–
Fiona McLean
+34 635 393 402

Filed Under: All Posts, News, Walks Tagged With: 2011, april, hiking, majorca, mallorca, soller, walking club

Dry Stone Route, GR221 Pt 1

April 1, 2011 By roger Leave a Comment

Today we continue our description of Mallorca’s Dry Stone Route, which connects the SW of the island at Port Andratx to the NE at Pollensa. We’ll cover the early stages in this post and also let you know which sections are currently not open or are under construction.

The Dry Stone Route or GR221 has eight distinct stages, each with it’s own designated Refuge (not all of which are completed yet). The route passes through the Tramuntana mountains, crossing the island from west to east.

This well-known long-distance path was created by combining many routes, some dating back to the Arab occupation of Mallorca from around 900 AD. These ancient paths had many uses: connections between villages; commercial routes for bringing products to markets; entrances to watch towers to protect against pirates; access to the mountains for the charcoal and lime burners deep in the forests, the snow makers…

Many of these paths suffered significantly over the last sixty-odd years, mainly through erosion and neglect as a result of a change of use of the land, from farming to tourism. Recently however, there have been many initiatives to restore sections of the route, and a considerable amount has been invested in new signage and way-marking. Other problems that have arisen involve rights of access through private land, and although there have been efforts to resolve these amicably between the Consell of Mallorca and the landowners, there has been little success to date. The next stage is to resort to European law to resolve these rights of public access.

The eight sections of the walk are:

Stage 1 Port d’Andratx-la Trapa Stage 2 La Trapa-Estellencs Stage 3 Estellencs-Esporles

Stage 4 Esporles-Can Boi, Deia Stage 5 Can Boi-Muleta, Port of Soller Stage 6 Muleta-Tossals Verds

Stage 7 Tossals Verds-Son Amer, Lluc Stage 8 Son Amer-Pollença

Since the end of 2010 the Dry Stone Route has been well way-marked from Deià to Pollença with 5 mountain “refuges” also functioning and looking after grateful walkers. In the southern section of the route Coll des Pi; Estellencs; Banyalbufar; Esporles and Coll de sa Basseta are also way-marked.

Let’s clarify in a little more detail now, exactly which sections are open and accessible, and which provide full way-marking. We don’t want you disappearing into the Mallorcan wilderness – although of course another option would be to use the services of a guide with Mallorca Hiking to make sure you stay on the right track!

In this post we will focus on stages 1 to 3: Port d’Andratx to Esporles. These first sections are a bit problematic – they are not well marked – if at all – and several sections cross private property, the rights for some of which are disputed, so the route has been diverted.

Stage 1: The first part of the route from Port Andratx is not very well marked but it is accessible. There are restoration works currently underway at the old monastery of La Trapa to create a mountain refuge.

Stage 2: Between La Trapa and Coll de sa Gramola there is no way-marking. Again the route covers private property, but access is permitted.

From Coll de sa Gramola to Coma d’en Vidal, there are again no way-marks. The route here follows the Andratx- Estellencs (Ma-10) to the Pla de s’Evangèlica. The trail then crosses the mountainous area of S’Esclop to Coma d’en Vidal where there are plans to construct a further refuge.

Stage 3: From Coma d’en Vidal to Estellencs, again there are no way-marks. However, there is good news from Estellencs through Banyalbufar to Esporles – this section is fully way-marked. When the trail reaches Es Rafal, between Estellencs and Banyalbufar (a disputed right of way) it has been diverted.

There are no confirmed dates as to when signage will be completed for the sections without (as described above) – so if you are not a confident route-finder we advise you to walk this section with a guide.

To give you a flavour of the scenery and surroundings for these first sections of the Dry Stone Route – the first official walk for our new resident’s Mallorca Hiking Club recently completed the Old Postman’s Route. This runs between Esporles and Bunyalbufar, which makes up part of the third stage of the GR221. You can see lots of photographs from members on our Facebook Page. And there is also a superb short video on our YouTube Channel.

This is a beautiful part of the island and hopefully the full route will be clearly marked soon to allow the complete trek from one end of the island to the other. Next week we’ll cover the area between stages 4 to 6 – in the meantime happy hiking!

Filed Under: All Posts, Walks Tagged With: Bunyalbufar, Deia, dry stone route, Esporles, Estellencs, GR221, Mallorca hiking, Walking Holidays Mallorca

10 Best Hiking Trails in the World

March 21, 2011 By roger Leave a Comment

For those of you thinking about a walking holiday, which will allow you to actually appreciate the beauty of the world around you, we are reproducing a great article written by Julie Blakley of the 10 Best Hiking Trails in the World.

Walking holidays need preparation to ensure you get maximum benefit and enjoyment from them and to avoid problems such as blisters or being caught out with the wrong clothes or equipment for the weather or terrain where you’re hiking. We recommend you start your preparation towards regular walking holidays with a guided walking company that can give you the advice, information and tuition necessary to build up to some of the spectacular hikes detailed in the article below.

Mallorca Hiking has been running Tailor Made holidays for over ten years, and we will help you to aclimatise to this kind of holiday. We will help you develop your walking skills and prepare for your dream hike (whichever one of the ones outlined below that might be!), so why not contact us to take that first step (if you’ll excuse the pun)…

Here are Julie’s 10 Best Hikes, this is the first of two posts itemising these idyllic walks and their surroundings, enjoy!:

If everyone placing personal ads who claimed the hobby of “hiking” really did it with any regularity, the earth would have been trampled flat decades ago.

But those who really do enjoy this peaceful outdoor activity have plenty of incredible choices in every corner of the world.

Here are the ten best hikes on the planet, each with a combination of scenery and special extras that make them well worth going out of your way to enjoy.

Tongariro Northern Circuit, North Island, New Zealand

It is certainly no secret that New Zealand boasts some of the world’s most beautiful and dramatic scenery, which is why it’s not surprising that one of the world’s most spectacular hikes is located on these mountainous islands. While many people who hike in the Tongariro Reserve (a World Heritage site) on the Northern island stick to the one-day Tongariro Alpine crossing, the multi-day (2 nights and 3 days) Tongariro northern circuit provides hikers with a much richer and scenic experience.

Hikers on the Tongariro Northern Circuit hike for about 35 kilometers through non-stop compelling volcanic and desert environs that will make you feel like you are trekking on the surface of another planet—all while giving you high mountain peaks as a backdrop, diversely striking vistas wide variety of different scenery. Hikers who set out on this out-of-this-world hike (quite literally) will circumambulate the active volcano Mt. Ngaurube (Mt. Doom for those Lord of the Rings fans out there) while hiking past boiling mud pools, craters, interesting lava features, the amazing water filled volcanic vents, glacial valleys and water-filled explosion craters called the Emerald Lakes. Things stay nice after dark, as you get to stay in comfortable alpine huts along the way that have decent beds, gas heating and stoves, running water and toilets. Hikers on this trek can also easily do two short side trips to the tops of both Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe—allowing hikers to gaze out at the captivating volcanic scenery below.

Zion Narrows, Utah, United States

While hiking through the volcanic landscape of the Tongariro northern circuit may provide enthusiasts with an extraterrestrial experience, hikers are sure to be amazed at the unique and stunning scenery of trekking through the Zion narrows in the American southwest. Recently ranked as #5 on National Geographic’s list of America’s Best 100 Adventures, this trail will have you hiking up streams through dramatic, narrow slot canyons.

Hikers will wind their way through colorful, sculpted sandstone walls that rise up to 3,500 feet (that’s just about 1 km). The trek will also lead hikers through the famous “Wall Street,” a 2-mile section of the journey that crosses through a narrow canyon where the walls close to just 22 feet wide at the top. Hiking through water for about 60% of the hike up the streams that wind their way through these breathtaking slot canyons, you will see hanging gardens bursting from the red canyon walls, trickling water threading through cracks in the canyon walls and sprouting patches of moss, waterfalls sliding over the sandstone, and sandy banks with towering ponderosas. However, while this wondrous journey is sure to enchant hikers, it should be noted that hiking through the Zion Narrows is extremely dangerous, as flash floods can come quickly and the entire area is a huge drainage. Rainstorms up to 50 miles away can storm down the canyon and every year hikers die on this trail. Make sure to check the weather report in advance to make sure there is NO RAIN whatsoever in the forecast. However, with proper precautions, this hike, which is rated as one of the best hikes in the entire U.S. National Park system, is truly unparalleled.

Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Any serious hiker or trekker dreams of going to Nepal to journey through the world’s most dramatic mountain landscape. While most hikers think of Kathmandu and Everest when they hear the word Nepal, the Annapurna circuit (which circumnavigates the Annapurna massif) not only has staggering snow-capped and rugged peaks providing for a spectacular backdrop, but the hike also offers trekkers great opportunities to see a wide range of natural and cultural diversity.

This 3-week trek allows you to stay in comfortable lodges as you hike from lush sub-tropical landscapes into the highest mountains in the world (beware of altitude sickness as the trek goes to a elevation of 17,749 feet). As you hike the Annapurna Circuit, you will get to interact with the Tibetan mountain peoples, see Buddhist temples, visit teahouses, soak in hot springs and take in some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the entire world.

Inca Trail, Peru

Most people who know something about travel, know about the famous and world-renowned Inca Trail. While some of the more hard-core types out there may think of this amazing trek as cliché, the truth is that this trail is popular for a reason. Peru offers some of the most beautiful South American mountainous scenery and, while some criticize the trail for being over-regulated and too popular, Machu Picchu is a destination worth seeing and the hike along the way is sure not to disappoint, with plenty of scenic vistas and amazing views.

Along with offering spectacular scenery, the Inca Trail is not only safe and easy to organize, it also allows trekkers to hike through jungle to high alpine terrain, visit 3 sets of Inca ruins along the way, and take in the beauty of the Peruvian mountains over the 3-night, 4-day hike. Plus, at the end of the journey, hikers will arrive at one of the most celebrated man-made destinations on Earth.

Tiger Leaping Gorge, China

This 15-km gorge located along the Yangtzee River between approximately 6,000-meter Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the 5,300-meter Haba Xueshan mountain, in China where rapids pass under a series of dramatic 2,000-meter cliffs. The gorge got its name from a legend that says a tiger once jumped the narrowest point of the gorge to escape a hunter (which is still 25 meters). As one of the world’s deepest river canyons, Tiger Leaping Gorge is a beautiful and scenic hike for those adventurous trekkers.

The high-road trail is well-maintained and marked and takes hikers on a 14-mile journey with varied mountain views that features a surprising variety of micro-ecosystems, waterfalls and even guesthouses where hikers can stay along the route.

While this gorgeous gorge is a essential and protected part of the World Heritage site of the Three parallel Rivers of Yunnan, the Chinese government has proposed building another hydroelectric dam that would flood this place—meaning hikers interested in seeing this beautiful, lush canyon should probably head there sooner rather than later.

Julie Blakley grew up mostly hiking the trails of the Rocky Mountains and has recently discovered trails of the Cascades near Portland Oregon. When she’s not dreaming of trekking through Nepal or summitting Mount Kilimanjaro, she’s busy writing the France Travel Guide

Filed Under: Featured, Holidays, Walks Tagged With: adventure, majorca, Mallorca hiking, spain, walking holidays majorca, world's best hikes

Mallorca’s Dry Stone Route Walk

March 2, 2011 By roger Leave a Comment

One of the longest walks across Mallorca is the famous Dry Stone Route, which spans the entire length of the Tramuntana from the Port of Andratx in the very south west of the island, to Pollensa in the north west. Officially known as the GR221 route, it is broken down into 8 stages:

Stage 1 Port d’Andratx-la Trapa
Stage 2 La Trapa-Estellencs
Stage 3 Estellencs-Esporles
Stage 4 Esporles-Can Boi (Deia)
Stage 5 Can Boi-Muleta (Port of Sóller)
Stage 6 Muleta-Tossals Verds
Stage 7 Tossals Verds-Son Amer (Lluc)
Stage 8 Son Amer-Pollença

In this post we’ll give you a general overview of the complete route, and subsequent posts will describe each stage in more detail. The beauty of this route is that you can complete one or several stages over a period of time. Walking the entire route over successive days is no problem, as there are a number of delightful rural, boutique hotels along the way (stay tuned, as these will be the subject of a future blog post!), and there is also a string of well-situated, government-run Refugis that offer excellent food & accommodation facilities (albeit in dormitory style!).

When fully completed, the Dry Stone Route will offer a refuge at the end of each stage where hikers can eat a good “home-cooked” dinner with local wine and stay overnight. At present there are five fantastic refuges already up and running: Tossals Verds, Muleta, Can Boi, Son Amer and Pont Romà and two others (la Trapa and s’Hostatgeria del Castell d’Alaró) will be restored in due course (though at this point work on La Trapa seems to have ground to a halt, and progress at Alaró has been extraordinarily slow!). However, recent news (see our earlier blog post) that the Consell de Mallorca has ear-marked substantial funds for the renovation of the refuges (amongst other things) can only be good news for the completion of these refuges, and this fabulous long distance, linear hike.

The refuges of Son Amer, Tossals Verds and Can Boi (restored by Deià Town Hall) belong to the Consell de Mallorca. The rest are managed by the Consell de Mallorca thanks to agreements with several institutions and organisations. The refuge of Muleta belongs to Sóller Town Hall, the refuge of la Trapa to the ecologist group GOB (Balearic Ornithology Group), the refuge of s’Hostatgeria del Castell d’Alaró to Alaró Town Hall and the Bishopric of Mallorca, and the refuge of Pont Romà to Pollença Town Hall.

All the working refuges have been created from old, restored Mallorcan houses with the traditional architecture of the Tramuntana region in order to blend into the landscape and respect the area’s cultural heritage. So, they have plenty of traditional Mallorcan charm, but at the same time they offer ultra-modern, spacious shower and bathroom facilities – just what hikers need at the end of a long day. The rooms are spacious and dormitory-style with bunk beds. There is currently one refuge – Tossals Verds – that has a room just for 2 people. The food is simple, good and plentiful and all meals are available. They’ll even prepare you a substantial picnic lunch for your next day’s hike.

The refuges are well run and they are all manned by a permanent member of staff. Overnight bookings are managed centrally by the Consell de Mallorca, and reservations must be made at least 5 days in advance of your stay. They are limited to the number of reservations they can take in order to protect the environment, maintain standards and avoid overcrowding – so booking ahead is essential.

Whilst walking the Dry-stone Route you’ll discover the natural dry-stone landscapes of the Tramuntana mountain range as well as man-made dry-stone features, such as walls, terracing, fountains, shelters, snow houses, etc. Additionally the route goes through many interesting historic remains. Hikers will be enchanted by the traces of myths and legends; experience the traditions, customs, gastronomy, craft work and skills of the region; and above all, see the diverse and dramatic landscapes from the coast, bays and cliff faces to the rugged, remote terrain of the high sierra.

At Mallorca Hiking we incorporate several sections of this long-distance walk into independent hikes (albeit slightly adapted for the benefit of the hike), such as: the Tossals Verds Loop, Deia to Puerto Sóller, Cúber reservoir and Biniaraix, the old Postman’s route etc. Alternatively, we can organise a complete long distance linear hike with bag transfer service, as one of our Tailor Made holidays – the ideal opportunity to discover the beauty and history of the island in one holiday.

Why not sign up for all our follow-up articles about each individual section of the route – all you need to do is register to follow this blog.

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured, Holidays, Walks Tagged With: coastal routes, dry stone route, GR221, hiking, mallorca, mountains, refuges mallorca, sierra de tramuntana