Day 1: Arrive Esporles — Gateway to the Tramuntana
Arrive Palma de Mallorca Airport, transfer to Esporles — a traditional Tramuntana village at the foot of the mountains. This charming rural village is known for Sa Granja, a 17th-century manor house turned living museum of Mallorcan rural life, with working olive presses, wine cellars, and demonstrations of traditional crafts including lace-making and weaving. Afternoon orientation walk through Esporles’ narrow streets and along the banks of the Sant Pere stream. Welcome dinner at a family-run restaurant featuring local specialities: frito mallorquín (lamb offal fry with potatoes and peppers), pa amb oli (country bread with olive oil and tomato), and local wines from the Binissalem-Mallorca DO. Overnight in a historic inn, Esporles.
Day 2: Esporles to Banyalbufar — The Marès Coast (14km, +400m)
Begin your walking journey following the Camí de Sa Volta des General — an ancient trade route climbing through terraced olive groves and holm oak forests into the heart of the Tramuntana. The trail ascends to the Coll des Vent pass, where the view suddenly opens to reveal Mallorca’s dramatic western coast — the ‘Marès Coast’ — with its sheer cliffs and the Mediterranean stretching to infinity. The highlight of the day is the approach to Banyalbufar: a village of just 500 inhabitants famous for its astonishing terraced vineyards (marjades) that cascade down steep slopes directly to the sea — a viticultural landscape over 1,000 years old, producing the rare and highly prized Malvasia de Banyalbufar sweet wine. Walk the coastal path above the terraces as the sun turns the sea to molten gold. Overnight in a historic inn, Banyalbufar.
Day 3: Banyalbufar to Valldemossa — The Archduke’s Path (16km, +550m)
Follow the Camí de s’Arxiduc (Archduke’s Path) — a spectacular contour trail built in the late 19th century by Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria, the eccentric Habsburg nobleman who fell in love with Mallorca and dedicated his life to documenting its landscapes, customs, and wildlife. His panoramic path clings to the mountainside at roughly 500m elevation, offering continuous views of the sea 400 meters below — on clear days the view stretches to Ibiza. Pass through the historic estate of Son Marroig with its iconic Mirador de Sa Foradada viewpoint. The route descends into Valldemossa, where the afternoon is dedicated to the Real Cartuja de Valldemossa — the 14th-century Carthusian monastery where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838-39. Explore Cell 4 (Chopin’s room) with his Pleyel piano, the monastery pharmacy, the cloistered gardens, and the palace of King Sancho (1310). The famous ‘Raindrop’ Prelude was inspired here by the sound of rain on the monastery roof. Overnight in a historic inn, Valldemossa.
Day 4: Valldemossa to Port de Sóller — Olive Groves & Coastal Descent (15km, +350m)
Morning departure from Valldemossa following ancient mule tracks through terraced olive groves — the gnarled trees, some over 500 years old, still producing the prized Mallorcan olive oil (Oli de Mallorca DO). The trail contours along the mountainside before reaching the dramatic entrance to the Sóller Valley. The descent into Port de Sóller reveals the perfect horseshoe bay with its traditional llaüts fishing boats and the 1913 tram terminus. Afternoon: swim at Platja d’en Repic or explore Port de Sóller’s maritime museum documenting the valley’s long history of orange exports and boat building. Evening: seaside paella at the port. Overnight Port de Sóller.
Day 5: Port de Sóller to Lluc — The Pilgrim Route (18km, +800m)
Challenge day. The trail climbs out of Port de Sóller through the Barranc de Biniaraix — Mallorca’s most beautiful ravine, where an ancient cobbled path (declared a Cultural Interest Site) winds upward through 1,000-year-old olive terraces. Each stone step has been polished by centuries of feet — merchants hauling olive oil, pilgrims walking to Lluc, shepherds moving flocks between summer and winter pastures. The climb is steady but the reward immense: the valley opening behind you with each switchback, the sea and port shrinking below. At the Coll de l’Ofre pass, the landscape transforms into high mountain karst — limestone pavements, dwarf junipers, and the circling shadows of griffon vultures overhead. Arrive Lluc Monastery: the island’s spiritual heart since the 13th century. Visit the basilica to see La Moreneta (the Black Madonna) and, if fortunate, hear the Blauets boys’ choir sing. Overnight at the monastery guesthouse — simple but steeped in centuries of pilgrim hospitality.
Day 6: Lluc to Pollença — Descending to the Plain (14km, -600m)
Depart Lluc descending the Camí Vell de Lluc (Old Path to Lluc), the same route pilgrims have walked for 800 years. The trail drops through holm oak forests and carob groves, the mountains gradually giving way to the agricultural plains of northern Mallorca. Pass the Font de la Galera spring and ancient charcoal-burner platforms. As you descend, medieval Pollença appears in the distance, dominated by the Puig de Maria hill. Arrive Pollença: climb the 365 Calvari steps to the hilltop chapel (Oratori del Calvari) — the view extends from the Tramuntana peaks across the plain to the sea. Explore Pollença’s enchanting old town: the Plaça Major with its church of Nostra Senyora dels Àngels (founded by the Knights Templar, 12th century), the 2,000-year-old Pont Romà (Roman bridge), and the Sunday market filling the square with local produce. Overnight in a historic inn, Pollença.
Day 7: Pollença to Cala Ratjada — Northeastern Wilderness (16km, +300m)
Transfer to the Parc Natural de la Península de Llevant for today’s walk — a different Mallorca entirely. This protected peninsula on the island’s northeastern tip is a landscape of wild Mediterranean scrub (maquis), Aleppo pine forests, and cliffs plunging to crystal-clear coves. The trail follows the old smugglers’ paths along the coast, passing hidden calas accessible only on foot: Cala Mitjana, Cala Sa Font Celada, and Cala Estreta. The vegetation is aromatic — wild rosemary, lavender, thyme, and juniper release their scents as you brush past. Wild goats perch on impossible cliff ledges above turquoise water. Arrive Cala Ratjada, Mallorca’s easternmost town with a working fishing port and a string of sandy beaches. Farewell dinner of grilled lobster and fresh-caught fish at the harbor, toasting to 8 days on Mallorca’s ancient paths. Overnight Cala Ratjada.
Day 8: Departure
Transfer from Cala Ratjada to Palma de Mallorca Airport for departure.
