Andrew Montgomery

Western Mallorca

'A sky like turquoise, a sea like lapis lazuli, mountains like emerald, air like heaven', enthused Romantic composer Chopin of his new home Valldemossa in 1838. His words ring true almost two centuries later in western Mallorca.

The Serra de Tramuntana range ripples all along the west coast, surveying the Mediterranean from above. Skirted by olive groves and pine forest, its razorback limestone mountains plunge 1000m down to the sea like the ramparts of some epic island fortress. Whether you hike their highland trails, bike their serpentine roads and steep inclines, or breeze along the cliff-flanked coastline by boat, these mountains will sweep you off your feet with their beauty and drama.

Some of the island's loveliest towns and villages perch high on hilltops and deep in verdant valleys, with grandstand mountains and sea views. Wander their higgledy-piggledy lanes and be smitten, like so many artists, poets and celebrities before you.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Western Mallorca.

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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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Illa de Sa Dragonera
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).
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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.