Читать книгу Mountain Walking in Mallorca - Paddy Dillon - Страница 11

SANT ELM, ES CAPDELLÀ, CALVIÀ, GALILEA AND PUIGPUNYENT

Approching the village of Galilea, with Puig de Galatzó beyond (Walk 10)

High on na Pòpia, looking towards the lighthouse on Cap de Llebeig (Walk 1)

The western extremity of Mallorca contains the sizeable town of Andratx, the lovely village of s’Arracó, the bustling resort of Port d’Andratx and the quiet little seaside village of Sant Elm. The mountains are small and never reach as high as 500m (1640ft), and while they are quite rugged, they are also criss-crossed with paths and tracks that allow most parts to be explored. A ruined Trappist monastery occupies a remote valley in the mountains, proving to be a popular attraction for walkers (Walk 3). The cliff coastline is formidable, although there are beaches and rocky coves that are fairly easy to access. Sant Elm offers a ferry connection with the splendid island of sa Dragonera (Walk 1), which looks like a miniature mountain range.

Higher and more remote mountains rise further inland, with Mola de s’Esclop (Walks 4–6) and Puig de Galatzó (Walks 7–9) being particularly prominent; the latter rising to 1027m (3369ft). In recent years, the extensive estate of Finca Galatzó was made public, allowing both mountains to be climbed from a beautiful valley. In earlier years, they were usually climbed from another public estate, Son Fortuny above Estellencs. Motorists who climb these mountains often have to retrace steps to their cars, but walkers who use buses can traverse both mountains and finish far from where they started.

Other fine walks include one from the town of Calvià to the hilltop village of Galilea (Walk 10), with an option to continue to Puigpunyent. (There is a route from Galilea to Puig de Galatzó.) Another route from Puigpunyent climbs the old mountain road of Camí Vell d’Estellencs, descending along the old Camí de Superna to return to Puigpunyent (Walk 11).