Mallorca Travel –
Sant Elm & Sa Dragonera, Galilea and an Evening
Stroll in Palma de Mallorca
My stomach problems of yesterday had disappeared
and I felt as good as new on this gorgeous late
May morning. An early highlight of the day was the
breakfast on our large balcony in the Torrenova
Aparthotel complex. Although the hotel itself is
somewhat outdated and not particularly fancy, our
view over the Mediterranean was simply precious.
View from the mountains of Calvia
By 10 am we had driven from the touristy coastal
areas into the quiet mountain town of Calvia which
stretches along the foothills of the Tramuntana
mountain region. In the middle of town we stopped
at the local church, Sant Joan Baptista, a late
19th century church that was built on earlier foundations
from the 13th century. Calvia itself is not a very
large tourist destination, but an authentic Mediterranean
town where locals go about their daily business.
The parish church of Calvia
Side streets through rolling hills and olive groves
then took us to Andratx, a quaint rural town in
the shadow of the Puig Galatzo mountain. We explored
the town’s church and the adjoining castle
where we enjoyed a spectular view of the coastline
in the distance. Andratx and the surrounding area
are generally very expensive territory and many
Northern Europeans own villas and holiday homes
in the area.
Courtyard of the castle of Andratx
Our next destination was Mallorca’s westernmost
settlement: Sant Elm, a picturesque seaside fishing
village with a nice sandy beach. Despite various
newer tourist developments, the town has retained
a lot of its old charm. Various restaurants and
bars overlook the bay. Further along you get a better
view of Sa Dragonera, a narrow rocky island whose
jagged mountain peaks are reminiscent of a dragon’s
back. The island is uninhabited and has been turned
into a protected nature reserve.
A view of Sa Dragonera from the harbour of Sant
Elm
Tourists can visit the island by taking a ferry
from Sant Elm, and many go to Sa Dragonera to do
hiking. The island itself does not have any accommodation
or hospitality establishments. Another local destination,
called Sa Trapa, is a former mill and displays historical
farm equipment. The Sant Elm area is extremely popular
with hikers who enjoy the spectacular views over
the northwestern tip of Mallorca.
Nice views in Sant Elm
We continued our tour back through Andratx and up
into the mountains. The contrast between the busy
coastline of Mallorca and the quiet mountain regions
is amazing, and we only encountered a few lonely
mountain bikers on the twisting mountain roads.
We stopped in Galilea, a pretty mountain village
perched along the slopes of the Puig Galatzo. The
town church dates back to the early 1800s, and a
nice-looking restaurant sits on the square right
next to the church. The peaceful streets and cobble-stoned
plazas give you the illusion of being far removed
from the modern world.
A view over Galilea
Just a few kilometers further east is the village
of Puigpunyent which is located on the eastern slope
of the Tramuntana mountains. Puigpunyent is less
than 15 km away from the capital of Palma de Mallorca
but feels like an entirely different world. Located
in a bow-shaped valley, the pace is slow, and locals
and tourists alike enjoy their leisurely relaxation
time on the outdoor patios of this quaint village.
Impressive staircase at the Grand Hotel Son Net
We drove up on a hill in the middle of town as we
noticed a huge mansion on top that had been turned
into an upscale hospitality establishment called
the Gran Hotel Son Net. 31 luxurious bedrooms and
suites, two gourmet restaurants, a swimming pool
and a wellness centre pamper the guests of this
exclusive establishment. I love Spanish architecture,
and this stately building from 1672 is a great example
of Mallorcan manor houses. It was converted into
a luxury hotel and opened in 1998. But the history
of this location goes back much further: a house
has been located on this site for more than 1000
years.
Gorgeous bar area inside historic Son Net
As an ardent architecture and history buff, I went
inside to check out the main floor and admired the
solid stone construction with its rounded archways
and the tasteful décor and furniture. Great
views opened up from the patio over the surrounding
valley and a gorgeous swimming pool. One of the
highlights of this historic building is the authentic
olive oil press that is the centerpiece of the appropriately
named Oleum Restaurant. We had stumbled across a
beautiful place, it was just a shame we did not
have enough time to stay around and have a drink
in this inspiring environment of this first-class
facility.
Ancient olive oil press inside the Grand Hotel Son
Net
Instead we had to turn around and get back to
our apartment in Palmanova where my travel partner
Gary packed his suitcase as his plane was leaving
today. In the late afternoon we drove into Palma
and I dropped Gary off for his flight back to Austria.
Now I had three more days left to explore Mallorca
by myself.
Mallorca has beautiful flowers
I planned to spend the evening in Palma de Mallorca,
parked my car east of downtown and strolled through
the narrow streets of the La Calatrava neighbourhood
towards the famous cathedral, La Seu. This district
has narrow winding streets that date back to Arab
times, when Mallorca was dominated by the Moors
from the early 10th century until its reconquest
in 1229. One of the few relics of Moorish architecture
in Palma are the Arab Baths which are also located
in this neighbourhood.
The imposing Gothic cathedral of La Seu in Palma
de Mallorca
As the sun started to sink lower on the horizon
I arrived on Calle Mirador, right next to the imposing
cathedral and to the Palau de l’Almudaina.
This palace was the former royal residence of King
Jaume II, who conquered Mallorca back from the Moors
in the early 13th century. The walls of an earlier
Arab fortress were used in the construction of the
Palau de l’Alumdaina. With the palace and
the cathedral at my back, I enjoyed a beautiful
vista towards the Mediterranean Sea, past the Parc
de la Mar, which features a large man-made lake
and a giant mural by Joan Miro.
The 13th century Palau de'l Alumdaina
I strolled into the westerly sun past two additional
major landmarks: the Consolat de Mar, an elegant
Renaissance-Baroque building from the 1600s, which
today is the seat of the government of the Balearic
Islands; and La Llotja, a former stock exchange
that dates back to the late Gothic period and was
finished in 1456. La Llotja is unusual in that it
is a secular building, while most of the architecture
that is preserved from the Gothic area consists
of churches and cathedrals.
Statue in front of the Palau de l'Alumdaina
The nearby Plaça Drassanes was very lively
with several outdoor patios and live music. From
here I started exploring the narrow streets west
of the Cathedral, peaked into various restaurants,
bars, jewelry shops and some of Palma’s magnificent
courtyards that are the hidden gems of so many old
buildings in the old part of town. I stopped at
a pastry shop to looked at some famous “ensaimadas”;
these are Mallorcan yeast-dow cakes that are shaped
like a coil. They are usually sold in gift boxes
and their name actually derives from the Arab word
“saim” which means “pork lard”.
They looked mighty delicious in their display case,
but I was out of luck as the retail store was already
closed.
Mallorca's famous ensaimadas, I wish I
had tasted one...
On the Plaça del Rei Joan Carles I stopped
to take in the almost Parisian atmosphere with the
bustling street cafes and an accordion player. Walking
south through the Passeig des Born, Palma’s
main shopping street, I ended up on Plaça
de la Reina and headed up on Carrer Conquistador
to Palma’s City Hall. Located in a historic
building on Plaça Cort, this is also the
location of the main tourism office of Palma.
Palma de Mallorca's city hall, the Ayuntamient
Always curious, I walked inside and admired the
main entrance hall with its impressive staircase.
Two huge statues of a Mallorcan man and woman in
traditional dress were flanking the steps, and two
more gigantic figures of a traditional Mallorcan
flute player and a drummer were standing guard to
the left of the entrance. The Municipal Public Library
is also located in this building.
Two giant statues inside the entrance hall of Palma's
city hall
A very large, gnarly olive tree stands across from
the City Hall, a popular place for tourists to take
photos. I walked northwards on Carrer Colom, a trendy
shopping street in Palma. Most places had already
closed or were just shutting down. I caught a glimpse
of a store called “Toronto”, which was
actually a sandwich bar. This was surprising because
Mallorca is not visited by many Canadian travelers.
Live Flamenco music on Palma's Plaça Major
At the end of the street I arrived at Plaça
Major, a pedestrian-only square dating back to the
19th century. Buildings on all four sides of the
square have the same façade design and several
bistros and cafes entertain guests on their outdoor
patios. In the middle of the square a Flamenco player
was enchanting the passers-by with his guitar.
Beautifully crafted hinge on a wooden door in Palma
It was now starting to get dark and I started making
my way back towards my car through the narrow streets
of La Calatrava. All of the stores had closed already,
and this district seemed very quiet and deserted.
Very few people were on the street, with the exception
of a few American marines who had sailed into town
aboard a US battleship.
The gnarly olive tree on Plaça Cort
The sun had already slipped beneath the horizon
as I started my half hour trek back to Palmanova.
Reflecting back on the day I thought that Palma
de Mallorca is one of those places that would be
perfect for retirement. With its great climate,
diverse cultural and entertainment offerings and
the beautiful surroundings of Mallorca’s countryside,
this Mediterranean city has a lot to offer.
The warm evening glow of the setting sun on the
western facade of La Seu
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