Walk of the Month November : Valldemossa to Deiá

On a clear day, this is one of the most stunning walks on the island. It is challenging, with a steep climb out of Valldemossa and a long steep descent into Deia

(with 1 or 2 brief nervous moments for those who suffer from vertigo), but it’s well worth the effort for the views along the north western coast. There are also lots of examples of the old forest dwellers’ settlements, so we get the opportunity to learn about Mallorca’s rural history. Overall a real treat and one of our favourite stages of the GR221 or Dry Stone Route.

We start our walk in the centre of Valldemossa, and soon head uphill through the woods along stony old mule tracks. We continue steeply uphill for some time with an occasional breather, and fabulous look-out points with sweeping views of Palma in the distance and the coast beyond Valldemossa. We come across the remains of charcoal burners’ settlements, old lime kilns and other ancient forest activities.

For part of this trail we join the Archduke’s bridleway, an old cobbled path built by the Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator in the 1860s to ’70s. The local residents thought he was mad at the time but we walkers are eternally grateful to him for leaving us this fabulous scenic route. From here we get stunning panoramic views of the coast and surrounding Tramuntana mountains.

Our descent into the pretty village of Deia is long and steep and much of it is through beautiful holm oak woods, where we walk on soft narrow leafy paths, which are a sharp contrast to the stony ascent and mainly hard, rocky surfaces.

We can highly recommend this walk – it’s a real Mallorcan experience!