Driving Tours in Majorca
Mountainous Mallorca’s dramatic scenery is best appreciated by driving. This daylong circuit of 142km (88 miles) begins and ends in Palma.
As you leave Palma heading west on Ma-1, the Sierra de Tramuntana rises just a short distance from the sea. The road passes Playanova before coming to Santa Ponça, a town with a fishing harbor divided by a promontory. A fortified Gothic tower and a watchtower are evidence of the days when this small harbor suffered repeated raids and attacks. Jaume I’s troops landed in a cove here on September 12, 1229, to begin the reconquest of the island from the Moors.
From Santa Ponça, continue along the highway, passing Paguera, Cala Fornells, and Camp de Mar, all beautiful spots with sandy coves. From Camp de Mar twisting, cliff-top roads lead to Port D’Andratx. Summer vacationers mingle with fishermen in this natural port set against a backdrop of pines. The place was once a haven for smugglers.
Continue northeast another 5km (3 miles) inland along Ma-1 to reach one of the loveliest towns on the island, Andratx, 31km (19 miles) west of Palma. Frequent raids by Turkish pirates forced this town to move inland. It’s surrounded by fortifications and boasts a Gothic parish church.
From Andratx, take Ma-10 north, a winding road parallel to the island’s jagged northwestern coast. Most of the road is perched along the cliff edge and shaded by pine trees. It’s hard to drive and pay attention to the scenery, so stop at the Mirador Ricardo Roca for a panoramic view of a series of coves that can be reached only from the sea. The road continues to Estallenchs (pictured at the top) a town of steep slopes surrounded by pine groves, olive and almond trees, and fruit orchards (especially apricot). Estallenchs sits at the foot of the Galatzo mountain peak. Stop to explore its steep, winding streets on foot. From the town, you can walk to Cala de Estallenchs cove, where a spring cascades down the high cliffs.
The road winds on northeast 8km (5 miles) to Bañalbufar (if you drive directly northwest from Palma it’s about 26km/16 miles). Set 100m (328 ft.) above sea level, it seems to perch directly over the sea. Mirador de Ses Animes, a belvedere constructed in the 17th century, offers a panoramic coastal view. Many small excursions are possible from here. You might want to venture north to Port des Canonge, reached by a road branching out from the Ma-10 northeast from Bañalbufar. It has a beach, a simple restaurant, and some old fishermen’s houses.
Back on Ma-10, continue to Valldemossa, the town where composer Frédéric Chopin and French novelist George Sand spent a now-famous winter. Beyond Valldemossa, the road runs along cliffs some 395m (1,300 ft.) high until it reaches Son Marroig, the former residence of Archduke Lluis Salvador, who erected a small neoclassical temple on a slope overlooking the sea to give visitors a panoramic vista. From a balcony, you can enjoy a view of the famous pierced rock, the Foradada, rising out of the water. Inland a short distance lies Deià, the home of English writer Robert Graves for many years.
As you continue north along the highway, you come first to Lluch Alcari, a settlement that was once the victim of pirate raids. You can see the ruins of several defense towers. Ma-10 continues to Sóller, 10km (6 1/4 miles) past Deià, lying in a broad basin with abundant citrus and olive trees. Many painters, including Rusiñol, settled here and found inspiration. The historic center has .five 16th-century facades, an 18th-century convent, and a parish church of the 16th and 17th centuries. Travel 5km (3 miles) north on Ma-11 to reach the coast and Port de Sóller, perched on a sheltered round bay. A submarine base is here today, but it is also a harbor for pleasure craft and has a lovely beach. The Sanctuary of Santa Catalina has one of the best views of the inlet.
It’s fun to ride Tren de Sóller’s turn-of-the-20th-century narrow-gauge railroad. You can catch the train at the Palma Terminal on Calle Eusebio Estada, near Plaça d’Espanya. It runs daily April to October 10:10am‒7:40pm (Nov–Mar 10:30am–6pm), also stopping at Mirador Del Pujol d’en Banya. The ticket costs 20€ one-way, 28€ round-trip. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the station on day of travel. Visit trendesoller.com or call 📞 97-175-20-28 for information.
After leaving the Sóller area, you face a choice: If you’ve run out of time, you can head back along C-711 to Palma with two stops along the way (see below). Your other option is to continue north, following the Ma-10 and local roads, to Cap de Formentor, where even more spectacular scenery awaits you. Among the highlights of this coastal detour: Fornalutx, a lofty mountain village with steep cobbled streets, Moorish-tiled roofs, and groves of almond trees; the splendid, hair-raising road to the harbor village of Sa Calobra, plunging to the sea in one area and then climbing arduously past olive groves, oaks, and jagged boulders in another area; and the 13th-century Sanctuarí de Lluc, some 45km (28 miles) north of Palma, which is home to the Black Virgin of Lluch, the island’s patron saint. The well-known children’s choir in blue cassocks sings there 1:15pm daily and at Sunday and special Masses.
Those choosing instead to head back toward Palma can go south along Ma-11 with a stop at Jardines de Alfàbia, Carretera Palma–Sóller, Km 17 (tel. 97-161-31-23). This foothills estate, a former Muslim residence, includes a palace and romantic gardens where you can wander among pergolas, a pavilion, and ponds. In the palace you’ll find a collection of Mallorcan furniture and an Arabic coffered ceiling. Open mid-Feb to October daily 9:30am‒6:30pm; closed November through early February. Admission is 9€.
From Alfàbia, the highway heads straight toward Palma, just 18km (11 miles) away. But before reaching the capital, consider a final stop at Raixa, a manorial estate and gardens owned by the island government and open to the public (raixa.conselldemallorca.es; 📞 97-123-76-36; summer hours Tues‒Sat 10am‒2pm; free). Built on the site of an old Muslim hamlet, it stands 1.5km (1 mile) outside the village of Buñola (“Small Vineyard”). The present building was once the estate of Cardinal Despuif and his family, who constructed it in the Italian style near the end of the 1700s; the artist Rusiñol came here, painting the place several times. Ruins from Roman excavations are found on the grounds. After Raixa, the route leads directly to the northern outskirts of Palma.
Majorca's East Coast: The Cava Route
Less dramatic than the west coast, Mallorca’s east coast is studded with caves and is often called the cueva (cave) route. Leave Palma on the Ma-15 and just after Villafranca de Bonany, take the Ma-3310 north to Petra, which was founded by Jaume II on the ruins of a Roman settlement. A statue commemorates native son Junípero Serra (1713–84), the Franciscan who founded California’s San Diego, Monterey, and San Francisco missions. The town tourism website lists a variety of walking and cycling routes.
Return to the Ma-15, drive east through Manacor, then take Ma-4020 east 12km (7 1/2 miles) toward the town of Porto Cristo. Go .8km (1/2 mile) south of town to Cuevas del Drach (Caves of the Dragon; tel. 97-182-07-53). The caves contain a forest of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as five lakes, where you can listen to a concert and later go boating. Martel Lake, 117m (384 ft.) long, is one of the world’s largest underground lakes. From mid-March through October, tours depart daily every hour (except 1pm) 10am‒5pm; from November to mid-March, they depart daily at 10:30am, noon, 2, and 3:30pm. Admission is 18€ adults, 11€ ages 3‒12 (1€ discount for online ticket purchases). If you don’t have a car, daily buses from Palma to Porto Cristo take roughly 2 hours.
Farther up the east coast, near Platja de Canyamel (Playa de Cañamel, on some maps), Cuevas de Artà (tel. 97-184-12-93) are said to have inspired Jules Verne’s 1864 novel Journey to the Center of the Earth. Formed by seawater erosion, the caves are about 32m (105 ft.) above sea level, and some chambers rise about 46m (151 ft.). You enter a vestibule where torch smoke has blackened the walls. The Reina de las Columnas (Queen of the Columns) rises about 22m (72 ft.) and is followed by a lower room called the “Inferno” for its Dante-esque appearance. It is followed by a field of stalagmites and stalactites (the “Purgatory Rooms”), which eventually leads to the “Theater” and “Paradise.” The caves were once used by pirates and provided a haven for Moors fleeing the persecution of Jaume I. The stairs in the cave were built for Isabel II for her 1860 visit. Tours depart daily every hour 10am‒to 6pm (until 5pm Nov–Apr). Admission is 16€ adults, 8€ ages 7‒12.
The C-715 continues east to Manacor, the town where the famous artificial pearls of Majorca are manufactured. The trade name for the pearls is "Perlas Majórica," so avoid such knockoffs as "Majorca." You can visit the factories where the pearls are made and purchase some if you wish. Jewelry here may be 5% to 10% cheaper than at most retail outlets in Barcelona.
