Sierra de Tramuntana Mountains

The 'mountains of the north wind' which run the length of Mallorca's north coast are home to the island's most spectacular landscapes. Pine covered slopes almost lean into the sea; as you climb higher, forested hills give way to barren crags and peaks. The people of Mallorca have good reason to be grateful to the mountains In winter they act as a buffer, shielding the plain from the fierce tramuntana wind and absorbing most of the Island's rain and snow; in summer they provide a cool retreat from the heat of Palma and the south.

The Serra de Tramuntana runs for 88km from Andratx to Pollenca, with the rocky outcrops of Sa Dragonera and Cap de Formentor at either end. Of the ten peaks over 1,000m, most are concentrated in the area around Lluc; the highest are Puig Major 11 ,445m) and Puig Massanella (1,349m). There are no rivers, though there are several mountain torrents which swell rapidly after rain and the Cuber and Gorg Blau reservoirs, essential resources on an island so often affected by drought.

The mountains are best seen slowly, on foot; you smell the wild rosemary, hear the sheep bells, frighten the goats, breathe in the air and marvel at pine trees growing out of red rock, a divine version of the colors of Mallorcan village houses. If you have to drive, take care the roads here are the most dangerous on the island, and the endless procession of hairpin bends requires total concentration.