Mallorca trip report
 

A brief report on our trip to Mallorca just after Easter.

I confess that we are serial returners to the village of Deia on the north west coast. It's about a 45 minute drive from Palma airport. As usual we hired the smallest car we could as the roads round there are pretty narrow and we actually don't spend that much time driving around. If so minded you could do it all by taxi and/or bus.

We were on our fifth visit to the Hotel des Puig (pronounced "putch") located in the middle of the village managed by a charming Romanian couple - Lucien and Anna- Marie. It only has 8 rooms plus a suite. Two of the rooms have a terrace. The hotel only does breakfast - a buffet spread as is common in Europe. There is an honesty bar and coffee/tea available all day. The bedrooms are painted in an ochre colour and are smallish, simply furnished and immaculately clean. All come with a shower and at a good price of around Euro 120 per night all in.

Deia has several good restaurants. Our personal favourite is Sabastien - reckon on spending 90-100 Euroes for dinner for 2 with a good bottle of wine. Top quality food - continental style. Also recommened is Jaime - traditional Mallorcan cooking and none the worse for that.

There is lots of quality hiking in the area which is what we spent most of our days doing. The weather was very knind to us with 4 lovely sunny days when we arrived followed by one grey and one wettish day. However, on both of those the sun came out later in the afternoon.

I can highly recommend this part of the island. It is far removed from the over-developed southern parts and as ever we came home looking forwrd to a return trip.

If anyone wants more details let me know.

Diz

Thanks for your report on Deia. I was in Port de Pollenca for two weeks prior to Easter and did get to most of the towns in the N.W. including Diea,stopping there for an oceanside lunch. I had wondered if there was a good place to stay. Do you have a web address or e-mail for the hotel? I liked driving the winding roads. It reminded me of the coast of Big Sur, only better!!

Diz,
Thanks for your trip report. This is a place I've never been to, but am thinking of going. What is the best way to get there from the mainland?
Besides hiking, could you give me an idea of other things that are of interest to do while there.

ttt

Thanks for the kind comments.

janemc - wesite address for d'es Puig is:http://www.hoteldespuig.com/indexuk.htm. Gives a pretty good feel to what it is like. Those roads are great aren't they? I forgot to say that they closed the road between Soller and Deia one evening so the local motorclub could run time trials in their vintage cars! Some pretty cool old Alfas, Jags and Porsches were flying around.

My hairiest moment driving was going down a single track road to a beach with the obligatory hairpin bends when a lorry came up the other way. It was most exciting reversing half a mile back up the road before we could squeeze past each other.

artlover - I fly from the UK so I have never tried to get there from Spain (if that is what you mean by "the mainland"). I think there may be a ferry from Barcelona but don't know for sure. Alternatively there must be some flights from major cities?

Thanks for your report. We're going in a couple of weeks and will be based in Deia at the San Pedrissa. WE're keen on lots of walking/hiking. What paths do you recommend?

Thanks

ttt

Debsie

These are my favourites in no particular order.

Bus to Soller (cost 90cents pp) and then hike back through the mountains to Deia. Wonderful views over the sea in the second half and a stop for fresh orange juice and cake half way. Takes about 3-4 hours depending on stops. Shaded so ok for summer.

Prince Leopold's (?) path along the ridge from Valldemosa. Drive or bus to Valldemossa. Several options on length. we do the loop that takes you down before doing the optional ascent of Teix - didn't think the views warranted the addtional hike. All day hike but fantastic views off the top. can be misty.

Long hike out from the mirador on the main road above Fornalutx. If you get organised you can do it as a long one way hike to Sa Podressa (?) but you need to organise a taxi to bring you back or trust the ferry service back to Portde soller(never done it myself). Otherwise hike out (down into valley and back up otherside beyond the lower farm house (more orange juice!)) until you get to the overlook over the coast again. Wonderful views but you then have to come back all the way. Hard work but well worth it but hot in August - start very early.

Short hike down to Deia cove. 1 hour round trip plus beach time. Don't believe anything you read about walking from there to Lluc Alcari - you can't - very eroded cliffs.

Hike from Biniaraix (lovely little village) up to ridge. Can't remember the name but it is in the books. V long and very popular hike which I haven't done but there is a circular alternative in some books (see below) which gets very few people until you come down the main trail.

Sa Fordada. Hike down to interesting rock formations at sea level.Long hike down and back up to cliff top. Can be busy.

For guidebook I strongly recommend the Mallorca fuide in the Sunflower series. See this website: http://www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk/mallorca.htm

They also have an updates section on the site as things get out of date. Overall are pretty accurate wth good descriptions.

Hope this helps.

Diz01

I just returned from 10 days on a finca called Son Porro near Costix in the Pla. Farm country is another wonderful way to go on Mallorca. Incredibly quiet (you have no sense of the tourist madness) and simply glorious countryside, and it's only about 45 minutes to any number of fabulous beaches. Son Porro is run by a remarkable and extraorinarily hospitable woman named Pilar Sanchez. She is reason enough to go to Mallorca: she takes great care of her guests, whipping up fabulous meals in a jasmine-scented courtyard. Stay in one of the rooms surrounding the courtyard, or in one of two nearby bungalows.