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Serendipidous
Walking on Majorca
 Away
from the burgeoning overdeveloped coastal resorts there is another world
in Majorca. This is the north western spine of the island, the majestic
Sierra de Tramontana, a massif of limestone peaks tumbling to the
turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Within this range, based from
three attractive centres, you can venture forth on a series of classy
mountain and sea cliff hikes; through shady Holm Oak forests and olive
groves; over rough, wild rocky peaks, and on elaborately constructed
coastal paths. Stroll through ancient farmsteads, some with ancient Arabic
names; visit a couple of tiny sun-drenched beaches and listen to the sound
of a Nightingale from your bedroom window in a monastery. Such are the
delights of this Spanish hiking feast.
Slightly different from our normal Inn to Inn walks, our Majorca holiday is spent in three of the island’s most attractive locations giving you the opportunity to explore the most scenic walks in the Tramontana. The older villages and small mountain towns such as Valledemossa, Soller, Deia and Fornalutz are particularly attractive, with mellow stone walls and flower-bedecked balconies and courtyards. Our route takes you to two of the highest peaks: El Teix (1,063m) via the 19th Century ‘Archduke’s walk’ above Valledemossa and from Lluc Monastery, Massanella Peak (1,351m). There are stupendous views of the northern part of the range and the great fertile Mallorcan plain far below. From Soller we take the traditional stone-paved Pilgrims’ Way which ascends a rugged barranco (ravine) from Biniaraix to the viewpoint at Mirador de ses Barques. Depending on the time of year, there is the chance of a boat trip along the NW coast from Puerto Soller to the beautiful beach of Sa Calobra, where lofty cliffs are the protected habitat of a variety of sea birds.
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Accommodation
7 nights/8 days -
Three nights are spent in a monastery at Lluc, in comfortable and spacious rooms (not at all cell-like) with ensuite facilities. Rooms look either inwards onto a peaceful courtyard or outwards with views of the thickly forested surrounding mountains. Meals are taken at a nearby restaurant. Two nights are spent in a clean and friendly hotel in the cathedral town of
Soller and two nights in a small but very beautiful family run hotel in the flower bedecked village of
Valldemossa. This hotel is more expensive than most Sherpa hotels but we think it is worth the extra expense. It is a superb renovation of an old house and has a spacious terrace with good views over the village and surrounding hills. Close by is the former monastery (now a museum) where Chopin and his mistress George Sand stayed.
Sherpa
Notes
Waymarking
There is a limited amount of waymarking and sign posting of our routes. It is necessary to use route notes and be able to read a standard 1:25,000 map
Accommodation
and Meals
Dinner, bed and breakfast on 5 nights, bed and breakfast only on 2 nights. Staying in a monastery, a
2* hotel and a very nice 3* hotel.
Start
and End of Tour
via Air: Charter flights available on Fridays and Saturdays from Gatwick to Palma. The 1st hotel is the Santuari de Lluc. Take a taxi from Palma airport direct to Lluc. Cost approx
£50. Journey time is about 1hr. Alternatively, take the bus from the airport to the centre of Palma, then train to Inca and a short taxi ride to Lluc. Journey time approx 2hrs. The tour ends in Valldemossa, take the bus to Palma airport (1hr), for your departure flight.
Flights from many regional airports to Palma are available. Please ask for details.
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vacations
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