Western Mallorca

When the late afternoon sun warms Deià's honey-coloured houses, which clamber breathlessly up a conical hillside, and the sea deepens to darkest blue on the horizon, it's enough to send even the most prosaic of souls into romantic raptures. This eyrie of a village in the Tramuntana is flanked by steep hillsides terraced with vegetable gardens, citrus orchards, almond and olive trees and even the occasional vineyard – all set against the mountain backdrop of the Puig des Teix (1062m).

Deià was once a second home to writers, actors and musicians, the best known of whom (to Anglo-Saxons at any rate) was the English poet Robert Graves.

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.

Crowned by the spire of its Carthusian monastery, which slowly lifts the gaze to the Tramuntana's wooded slopes, Valldemossa is one of the island's most eye-catching sights. Set on a gentle rise, the village insists on aimless wandering and chance discoveries along pinched lanes, as breathtaking vistas onto the surrounding valley and hills and pockets of almost indescribable charm await. The allure of Valldemossa's tree-lined, cobbled lanes, stout stone houses and impressive villas means there's no shortage of visitors, and that the bulk of the restaurants and bars serve average fare at inflated prices. But it's not hard to slip away from the crowds and find a part of Valldemossa for yourself and revel in its manifold beauty.

From either Fornalutx or Sóller, it’s a pleasant 2km drive, pedal or stroll to the sweet hamlet of Biniaraix, with the brooding Tramuntana peering over its shoulder. Sights are few – hence the reason most people continue on to neighbouring Fornalutx – but there’s something special about pausing, however briefly, in a place where most visitors arrive on foot, or along narrow country lanes lined with drystone walls.

The ochre town of Sóller lies in a valley surrounded by the grey-green hills of the Serra de Tramuntana. The Arabs saw the potential of the valley, known as the Vall d’Or (Golden Valley), and accounts of orange and lemon groves, watered from sources in the hills, date to the 13th century. The citrus-fruit export market laid the foundations for the great wealth of the town, reflected in its railway line to Palma (1912), tram line to the Port de Sóller (1913) and the grand merchant houses that throng the town, such as those strung out along Gran Via and Carrer de Sa Lluna.

Worth visiting in its own right, with its vintage train and tram rides, graceful modernist architecture and galleries showcasing Picasso and Miró, Sóller is also a wonderful base for exploring the west coast and the Tramuntana. It is also the trailhead for some stirring mountain hikes.

The hairpin-riddled 12km helter-skelter of a road down to Sa Calobra and Cala Tuent is one of Mallorca's top experiences. Whether you're swooning over the giddy ravine views, gulping as a coach squeezes through an impossibly narrow cleft in the rock, or aping Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins with a thigh-burning pedal to the top (he does it in 26 minutes, for the record), this spectacularly serpentine road, which branches north off the Ma10, is pure drama. Carved through the rock and skirting narrow ridges as it unfurls to the coast, it is the feat of Italian engineer Antonio Paretti, who built it in 1932; its twists and turns were inspired by tying a tie, some say (explaining the section of road that turns round before threading under itself).

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.

The uninhabited 4km-long Illa de Sa Dragonera is a ripple of an island that stretches out like a slumbering dragon to the west of Sant Elm. Constituted as a natural park (Parc Natural de Sa Dragonera), the island is accessible by ferry, which lands at a protected natural harbour on the east side of the island. From there you can follow trails to the capes at either end or ascend the Na Pòpia peak (Puig des Far Vell, 352m).

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.

What a difference a bay makes. Located 2km south of Port d'Andratx, beautiful Cala Llamp is where locals gravitate for silence and sparkling, bottle-green water. There's no sand, but you can lie on a shelf of rock that tilts gently into the sea. The scenery is lovely too, with rugged, pine-cloaked cliffs rearing like an amphitheatre around the crescent-shaped cove. It's around a 30-minute walk, or you can drive by taking the Ma1020 from Port d’Andratx and following the signs over the ridge.