Five Nice Mallorca Drives, Starting from the Middle of the Island

Route 1:  The North West
This is a delightful way of enjoying the northwest of the island.  The highest mountains are in this area, but this route is neither hair-raising nor difficult to drive and traveling north on this route can afford some spectacular views, with glimpses of the whole Formentor peninsula on a clear day.

• Take the old road from Binissalem – NOT the autopista – in the direction of INCA
• At 2.4 Km look out for a tourist centre EL FORO DE MALLORCA on your right.
• Take the small road opposite this to LLOSETA
• Then follow signs from Lloseta to SELVA.  This is a pretty little bit of countryside, and also serves to circumnavigate the town of INCA, which is mostly industrial and has an impenetrable traffic system that is hard to escape.
• This will bring you to the main road up to LLUC, where there is a large working monastery.  If the monks are not away singing at international music festivals, as they often are, the choir is well worth hearing.  Times for this vary but are usually posted.
• From Lluc, take the direction signed to POLLENCA.  This is a winding road through the highest passes on the island, which brings you down eventually into the lovely VALL DE MARCH and on to the Roman town of Pollenca.
• From Pollença, you can continue on to the coast and to PUERTO POLLENÇA.  On entering the port if you wish to avoid the heavy-duty, “Burger bar and tourist” zone, head to the left and follow the curve of the bay.  Along this road you will find that you cannot get nearer the sea than one block back, so park and walk through to the seafront. 
• If you then turn left, you can stroll along a small stone promenade around the bay with jetties out into the sea, pine trees for shade on the little beach and a sprinkling of small cafes.
• FORMENTOR is a stunning promontory, but unfortunately gets large numbers of tour buses so can be very congested.   There is a small ferry which plies regularly between Puerto Pollença around the Formentor peninsula to the beach at CALA SAN VINCENÇ which can be a lovely way of seeing this tip of the island. (See our Beach Guide)
• SA CALOBRA and the TORRENT DE PAREIS are dramatic and worth the trip, but please note that there is only a tiny twisting track down the cliff, and this is also a major tour-bus destination.  If you wish to visit, best to delay your trip until early evening as the buses normally all leave around 5 – 6pm. Besides, it’s worth waiting since the sunset on this side of the island can be spectacular.
• Then head home.

Route 2:  The South West

In the south west, Mallorca’s mountains taper down to gentler, pine-covered hills, and the most pleasant route by which to enjoy these is  to:

• Head for Palma.
•  Circle Palma on the VIA CINTURA in the direction of ANDRAITX as far as PEGUERA, and then take the road inland up to CAPDELLS and on to GALILEA and PUIGPUNYENT.  This road winds along a high ridge with stunning views of the whole Bay of Palma below.
• From Puigpunyent, continue north to LA GRANJA (a historical farm worth stopping to see if you haven’t seen Es Calders, near Sineu), and then take the country road which runs eastward from ESPORLES (the combined PM110-PM112-PM14-PM203 and PM202) across to SANTA MARIA and so back to Binissalem or wherever you may be staying.

N.B. If you are planning to tour this part of the island, I would strongly advise you that the “Coast” road from Andraitx to Banyalbufar is not what you might expect.  On a map, it looks as if it must be a stunning ‘corniche’-type treat, but beware: It is a very challenging drive with miles of hairpin bends up and down acutely steep gradients, and with frustratingly rare glimpses of the sea, as you are for the most part enclosed in rocky grey canyons.  A treat for emergent rally drivers, but a bit of an endurance test for the rest of us.

Route 3:  East of the mountains

To explore anywhere in Mallorca to the east of the mountains, we recommend that you:

• Take the north road to INCA, and at the roundabout with the petrol station, turn right towards SINEU and on to PETRA
• This is a new, fast road and from Petra you can either take the PM333 north to ARTA, a dramatically different moorland-type landscape – a bit reminiscent the Scottish highlands but with the addition of the odd palm tree – or continue down towards the south-east coast of the island on PM331 and PM511 to FELANITX.
• The east coast has been extensively developed over the past few years, and of the small ports on this part of the coast, the most unspoiled is probably PORTO COLOM.  There are still some great beaches around the island, and several of these are along the stretch of coast to the south of the port.

A recommended restaurant: COLON in Porto Colom
Best pottery: CERAMICA MALLORQUINA in Felanitx
Shopping tip: Decorative strings of peppers VILLAFRANCA on the Manacor to Palma road.

Route 4:  Around Binissalem

This is a short route, looping up into the mountains behind Binissalem, but it is one of our townhouse guests’ favourite drives and includes some breathtaking bits of scenery.

• Travel south from Binissalem along the old road to SANTA MARIA, and take the road from the centre of Santa Maria to ALARÓ.  Look out for the magnificent sight of the two Puiges or escarpments as you top a ridge before entering Alaro.
• From Alaro, take the road to ORIENT.  This climbs up between the two Puiges to the tiny hamlet of Orient, which lies in a little ‘Shangri-la’ – an enclosed valley bowl up in the mountains which has its own micro-climate, making it the only place cool and damp enough on Mallorca for the growing of apples.  This can mean a difference of several degrees in summer, and is a lovely place to walk.
• You can trace your easy route back down the pass, or continue on up and over the ridge and into BUNYOLA, and thence back to Santa Maria.

Our recommended Restaurant: MANDALA in Orient. 
Booking recommended.
Tel. 971 615285 – they speak English.  Closed Mondays. 
Off season evenings only on Friday and Saturday.

Route 5:  Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller

If you wish to visit VALLDEMOSA and SÓLLER, the nicest route is:

• Take the old road south to SANTA MARIA, and then take the PM202 signed to BUNYOLA
• When you reach the Bunyola road, cross it and take the PM203 and just follow this road west until you reach the T-junction in the village of  S’EGLEITA.
• On the outskirts of VALLDEMOSSA you will pass a grand old Moorish Finca on your left called Son Brondo.  Shortly after this, there is an old lane forking to the left with an ‘authorised vehicles only’ sign. This is the old approach road to Valldemossa, and they just want all the tourists to follow the new road to the car parks.  If you go down this lane, it loops through the valley and climbs up under the remains of the original town gate.
• Beyond the gate, where the tall houses have cellar doors at roadway level, park your car and you only have to walk a few metres up to the main square, the Convent, where Chopin and George Sand spend three perishing cold months, the rose Garden and the shops.   Touristy, yes but up-market touristy.
• From Valldemosa, the stretch of coast road northwards to DEIÁ is absolutely magnificent, and you can continue on to SÓLLER.
• Returning from Sóller is much simpler since the tunnel has been constructed, and you just need to keep a look out for the junction with the PM203 to bring you back to SANTA MARIA and BINISSALEM.

Recommended Restaurant:BENS D’AVAL.  Stunningly situated down a cliff off the coast road between Deiá and Sóller where the road turns inland towards Sóller.  Bookings recommended
Tel:. 971 632381.  Closed Sunday   evenings and all day Monday.

Recommended shopping: Among tourist shops there are some specialist shops with locally embroidered linens, and check stalls around the Convent for small locally made olive-wood utensils.

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