Andrew Montgomery

Serra de Tramuntana

Dominated by the splendid Serra de Tramuntana range, Mallorca’s northwest coast and its hinterland are remarkably wild, ensnared by scarred limestone peaks and cliffs that loom over brilliant blue sea like ramparts. Gold-stone villages and ochre hamlets sit atop hillsides, their rhythms and hues providing tantalising insights into ancient Mallorca. The terraces that march up from the coast date back at least to the Moorish occupation, and walkers love the high, rugged interior for its pine forests, olive groves and wild flowers. The region’s unique cultural and geographical features have been inscribed by Unesco on to its World Heritage List.

The range covers 1100 sq km and is 90km long, extending all the way north to the Cap de Formentor. The highest peaks are concentrated in the central mountain range. The area is virtually bereft of surface watercourses, but rich in subterranean flows that feed the farming terraces of the coastal villages.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Serra de Tramuntana.

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Monestir de Lluc
Entered via a cloistered garden, the monastery is a huge complex, dating mostly from the 17th to 18th centuries. Off the imposing central courtyard rises up the grand façade of the late-Renaissance basilica, behind which is a rather gloomy interior and a fine altarpiece by Jaume Blanquer; the Virgin Mary and Infant Jesus statuette is contained in a room behind the altar. The church received an ornate, baroque-style revamp in the early 20th century, based on plans drawn up by Gaudí.
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Casa Robert Graves
Casa Robert Graves is a fascinating tribute to the British writer and poet who moved to Deià in 1929 and had his house built here three years later. It's a well-presented and rewarding insight into his life and work; on show you'll find period furnishings, a detailed film on his life, love life and writings, and sundry books, pictures and everyday objects that belonged to Graves himself.
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Castell d'Alaró
Perched at an improbable, almost comical angle on a gigantic fist of rock, Castell d'Alaró is one of the most rewarding castle climbs on the island. The ruins are all that remain of the last redoubt of Christian warriors who could only be starved out by Muslim conquerors around 911, eight years after the Moors invaded Mallorca. The astonishing views, from Palma to Badia de Alcúdia, are something special. If the two-hour walk up doesn't appeal, you can cover most of the ascent by car.
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Real Cartuja de Valldemossa
This grand old monastery and former royal residence has a chequered history. It was once home to kings, monks and a pair of 19th-century celebrities: composer Frédéric Chopin and George Sand. A series of cells now shows how the monks lived, bound by an oath of silence they could only break for half an hour per week in the library. Various items related to the time Sand and Chopin spent here, including Chopin's pianos, are also displayed.
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Ca'n Prunera – Museu Modernista
One of Mallorca's standout galleries, Ca'n Prunera occupies a landmark modernist mansion along Carrer de Sa Lluna. The list of luminaries here is astonishing – works by Joan Miró, along with single drawings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Gauguin, Klimt, Kandinsky, Klee, Man Ray and Cézanne. Also part of the permanent collection is a gallery devoted to Juli Ramis (1909–90), a Sóller native and world-renowned painter who had his studio in the neighbouring village of Biniaraix, plus works by Miquel Barceló, Antoni Tapiès and Eduardo Chillida.
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Plaça d’Espanya
The communal heart of the village, this gorgeous square is flanked on one side by the magnificent steps up to the church, the side wall of which occupies another flank; the steps continue on up to the top of the village and beyond, forming a delightful clamber for visitors. On a further side of the square, a cafe occupies pole position on the square, alongside a small supermarket. Opposite here stands the principal village fountain, supplying fresh, potable water.
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Sala Picasso & Sala Miró
In two rooms at street level in Sóller's station are two fascinating, introspective and contemplative art exhibitions: the Sala Picasso and Sala Miró. Few train stations boast such a splendid artistic legacy. The Sala Picasso contains more than 50 gently illuminated ceramics from the hands of Picasso from 1948 to 1971, many bearing the artist's trademark subjects: dancers, women, bullfighting. The Sala Miró is beautiful, home to playful, mysterious and beguiling prints from the Catalan master; Miró's maternal grandmother was from Sóller.
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Cala Tuent
To skip the Sa Calobra crowds, follow a turn-off west, some 2km before Sa Calobra, to reach Cala Tuent, a tranquil emerald-green inlet in the shadow of Puig Major, with a single tall pine tree right by the beach. The broad pebble and shingle beach is backed by a couple of houses and a great, green bowl of vegetation that climbs up the mountain flanks. Cars park alongside the road near the beach, but things can get tight.
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Sa Foradada
At Son Marroig, ask permission to wander down to this strange hole-in-the-wall rock formation by the water, which resembles an elephant from afar. It's a stunning 3km walk (one way) through olive groves tinkling with sheep bells and along paths flanked by pine trees and caves. A soothing swim in the lee of the odd formation is the reward. Avoid the midday heat as there is little shade.