walking and camping in Majorca

[robin wood]

I don't often jet off to the sun on environmental grounds but just had a week in Majorca and it was blissful.

Gorgeous scenery idyllic wild camping, perfect weather.

Here are a few pics the North coast is mountainous, wild and has a long distance footpath running along it's length, perfect for a cheap camping holiday in May. I went with my son Ollie and best mate Chris, we took backpacks and bivy bags hoping for decent weather and sleeping under the stars. Here are a bunch of random photos.

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The footpaths are great with a lot of work going on to upgrade the routes using traditional methods.

everything about the landscape is gnarly old and dry

brew time, Chris's stove ran on meths or twigs.

the edge of the abyss, it was a long long way down.

when the cloud cleared it was beautiful

a wonderful stone trough cut out of the rock, imagine how long this took.

back down to sea level

there are not many places you can get down for a dip and when you can the water was cool and refreshing but great to have a quick dip then bake in the sun.

ollie cooking bacon

sunset from the campsite

it was warm dry and the oranges were always just out of reach

the quality of the stone walling was exceptional

getting up there, long climbs but good views

and at the top we found dead elms and a perfect picnic spot.

standard lunch was crispbread, cheese and salami, tomatoes were a rare treat.

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there are large populations of feral goats, it was close season for hunting but they are quite shy, the billies smell so strong you smell them before you see them.

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cooking dinner at a high campsite

and breakfast

this was the best footpath of the trip and we landed on it by accident. It followed an old aquaduct for miles.around the contours.

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more coffee

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and back down to civilisation

last night off into the woods again, we bought steak and local wine and feasted.

last day before the plane back we had to go down to Palma Nova just to see what the beech life was like, actually it was pretty wonderful.

The other thing I found simply incredible were the ancient olive trees, I have never seen so many such ancient trees in such a short time. More pics of the woodlands and trees on my blog here

 

[jacko1066]

Great trip report mate!!

I have been looking at doing a warm weather camping trip, from what I have read there wild camping rules are very similar to ours, how did you find it?

Also did you have any problems getting water?

Any info you could give me on planning a trip like yours would be great, feel free to pm me if its easier.

Atb
Steve

 

[robin wood]

we weren't really camping we didn't have a tent we were just lying down for a rest occasionally. Water was an issue most days we got to somewhere we could buy bottled, I have never really traveled anywhere where you could walk all day without finding any water you would want to boil and drink. You had to fill up everything when you found it and we would typically be carrying 3 litres each so were glad we had packed very light.

 

[Macaroon]

Looks like a great break - and that stonework is just sublime..................atb mac

 

[Perrari]

Looks like a fantastic trip ! Thanks for sharing !

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Looks a much more interesting & dare I say, beautiful place than the usual images we get of Majorca. I wonder if all the people who never leave their hotel complexes or who never venture further than the nearest beach know that all that exists.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Route details ?

 

[MartinK9]

Thanks for sharing.Looks like a great trip.

 

[rik_uk3]

Great pictures of a lovely island although I'm surprised open fires were allowed.

 

[Elen Sentier]

Looks really gorgeous. Wish I could persuade Hubby to camp ... then he could visit Chopin's house there as he's always wanted to. Not gonna happen though ... have to look for another friend to go with

 

[kodiakjoe]

Really interesting trip report Robin and great photos and info on the ancient trees on your blog. Ta for sharing

 

[robin wood]

Route details ?

we were mostly on the GR 221 a well marked long distance path. We flew into Palma got the bus up to Esporles and a second bus heading to Banyalbufar which broke down so we just got out and walked. We finished at Lluc though the path goes on to Polenca. Bus to Inca and train back to Palma. Bus and trains are very cheap and easy to use.

 

[dave53]

what are majorca rules on wild camping and fires robin?
regards dave

 

[sandbender]

Great pics!

It is a lovely part of the world and probably a nice time of year to visit, by late June through August it gets a little too hot.

 

[rik_uk3]

Certainly on Gran Canaria wild camping is technically not allowed, you need permission to camp. Some mainland Spain camp sites ban BBQ's and fires in the hot dry season because of fire risk but things may be different on Majorca with local rules etc

 

[Simon]

Just come across this post as thinking of another trip to Mallorca. I've been 4 times in 7 years; 2010, 2012, 2013 & 2015. I'm hoping to get a little bit more "off the beaten track" this time round. There's a beach I often visit called Cala Varquez where people wild camp (unofficially) all summer long. It's not easy to find as it requires a 1.5 kilometre walk along a rocky path. Another beach where people (unofficially) wild camp is Coll Baix, that's even harder to get to by land.

BTW the Balaerean Boc (Goat) is open season all year round.

 

[Arya]

Nice to see a thread about Majorca! Nice photos!
I´ll be traveling there soon, to visit my sister, and have been wondering what hiking possibilities to expect there

 

[Nomad64]

Nice to see a thread about Majorca! Nice photos!
I´ll be traveling there soon, to visit my sister, and have been wondering what hiking possibilities to expect there

Some great hiking and unspoilt countryside once you get away from the tourist areas - I used this guide a few years ago to plan a few day hikes when I went but I'm sure newer better versions are available.

Be careful, it does get seriously hot in the summer!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Landscapes-Mallorca-Sunflower-Valerie-Crespi-Green/dp/1856911039/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490426150&sr=1-6&keywords=majorca+walking+guides

 

[Arya]

Thank you for the advice!

I don't really handle heat very well, so maybe I'll have to do like the vampires and come out at night