Mallorca Travel: Exploring Puig de Maria, Pollenca and Cap de Formentor
Our second day in Mallorca greeted us with bright sunshine
. After a restful night at Finca Son Pont, we got ready to have breakfast in this historic rural hotel. Tables were set up in the shady inner courtyard and we were going to have breakfast in the fresh air. We picked up some cereal, yoghurt, some fresh bread and locally ripened fruits and joined in the conversation with other couples who had sat down at the tables next to us. Two other couples were in town from Germany to attend a large wedding in Puigpunyent and one couple was visiting here from Holland, the second time that they were visiting Finca Son Pont.After a leisurely conversation I took some more pictures around the property and we packed our luggage, ready to head on to our next destination. We thanked Hector, the older gentleman from Argentina, who is in charge of administering the property. We both agreed that we could have handled spending some more time in the rural serenity of this impressive rural estate.
Shortly before lunch we hopped into our small rental vehicle and drove the 12 kilometres back into Palma de Mallorca. Traffic on this tiny island that is populated by more than 700,000 people (and many more tourists during peak vacation season) can be very busy. We connected on the ring-shaped highway that surrounds the capital of Palma to the C713 highway that connects to the northeastern part of the island.
Our drive was not much more than half an hour and was flanked all the while by the impressive Tramuntana mountain chain in the north while the agricultural plain in the heart of Mallorca was stretching to the south of us. We exited the highway at the sign to Pollena, a small town of about 15,000 on the north side of the island.
Our first destination was the Puig de Maria, a rocky local hill that rises 330 m from the surrounding landscape. It is crowned by an old monastery that has been turned into an accommodation facility. A restaurant and several rather spartan hotel rooms beckon at the top of this promontory. I had already called to reserve a room several weeks ago in Canada and was amazed at the very reasonable price tag of 22 Euros a night for two people.
But that price tag came at a steep price: a most hair-raising drive about three quarters up the mountain on a very narrow and steep road that featured numerous 180 degree switchbacks. At one point we had misjudged the angle of a curve and got stuck right in the middle of the switchback with our wheels turning. The smell of burning rubber filled the air and I was afraid we would roll backwards and plunge down the steep rocky mountain face.
Finally we had reached the end of the road and could not drive any further. We parked our vehicle right next to a rock wall, got out and started hiking towards the top of the mountain. The pathway was made up of roughly hewn stone and after a short walk in a pine forest the path came into the open and we started having an amazing view over Pollena and the surrounding mountain panorama.
The view from here was simply gorgeous. But it took us another good 20 mintues to reach the top of the mountain and the former monastery. Once at the top we took in the phenomenal vista from the outer courtyard of the former monastery which opened up towards the Tramuntana Mountains and the northeast coastline of Mallorca. The jagged and mountainous Formentor Peninsula was stretching out in front of us like the back of a prehistoric reptile.
We entered the monastery and walked to the front of the courtyard from where we had an amazing panoramic view towards the eastern Mediterranean coastline of Mallorca. Then we explored the historic monastery which features a chapel, a small museum as well as a restaurant with very affordable prices. Unfortunately we could not get access to one of the hotel rooms, but from all the information I had, the rooms have retained the simplicity of the former monk's cells. On the western side of the monastery is another courtyard that provides a great view towards the landscapes to the west of the Puig de Maria.
We bought a couple of cold drinks and joined three English travelers at a picnic table outside. The ladies were from Newcastle and were thoroughly enjoying their getaway. They were planning to spend a few days in Mallorca to go hiking and enjoy the culture. They had not even rented a vehicle and were simply getting around by public bus. They were staying in the town of Pollena, in a historic hotel called Hotel Juma and were raving about this little town. It had taken them about an hour to get to the top of Puig de Maria, and now they were enjoying a nice packed lunch.
After our relaxing break we were ready to continue our journey and started our hike back to our car. I was already dreading the drive back down the mountain and was glad my friend volunteered to drive. We went down the steep serpentine curves at what seemed like two kilometres per hour, coming to a complete standstill on the sharp turns. Finally, after about 20 minutes or so we had reached the bottom and drove into the town of Pollena. Having grown up in the Austrian Alps, I am used to mountain driving, but some of these steep, narrow and winding roads here in Mallorca were definitely challenging my tender nerves.
We parked our vehicle and started our walk through Pollena. After asking a few friendly locals we managed to find the tourism office where we obtained assistance in helping us find accommodation. We were originally planning to stay in the monastery on top of the Puig de Maria, but after experiencing the scary drive and the long hike to the top, we realized we needed a more convenient place to stay. I could not for the life of me imagine having to drive that road again, let alone at night, after dinner out in the town. That was simply too scary a thought.
The lady at the counter helped us with her local expertise and when we asked her for reasonable seaside accommodation, she suggested a few two-star hotels in Port de Pollena, a harbour town about six kilometres from where we were. She even made a phone call for us to check if the hotel had any availability. And sure enough, the Hotel Goleta in Port de Pollena had a room for us at the reasonable rate of 52 Euros.
With our accommodation choice confirmed, we continued our stroll through Pollena and came across the main square, Placa Major, which is anchored around a parish church from the 18th century. Pollena itself was founded in 1229 by King Jaume I who reconquered Mallorca from the Moors and brought back Christian rule. Several bars and restaurants surround the main square and the famed Hotel Juma stands at one of the corners.
Hungry from our adventure, we sat down and ordered some local delicacies: "pa amb oli", which literally means bread with olive oil in the Mallorcan language, and some delicious Spanish tapas with potato croquettes, seafood salad, pickled mushrooms and a Spanish omelette. Sitting on this Spanish square we took in how the locals and the tourists alike were enjoying their late lunches.
I took a short stroll past the parish church through some of the narrow streets before we headed off to our hotel in Port de Pollena. The drive took us along a flat country road into Port de Pollena, which has a very pleasant Mediterranean sea front fringed by palm trees, a wide sandy beach and low rise buildings. Many restaurants, bars, food stores and souvenir shops line the coastal road and it was very easy for us to find the Hotel Goleta.
We checked into our room on the 4th floor and although the hotel was basic, it was clean and had all the necessary amenities. The most important feature was the balcony overlooking the seafront promenade which gave us a great panoramic view over the entire Bay of Pollena and the action on the waterfront. We had picked up a few snacks in the supermarket and sat down on the balcony and enjoyed our seafront view.
Towards the evening we were ready for another excursion: the Formentor Peninsula which forms the northeastern end of the island. We drove into the bare craggy mountains and stopped at a spectacular lookout point called Mirador d'es Colomer from where I could see the jagged limestone cliffs dropping into the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean. A monument to the Italian engineer Antonia Paretti graces the lookout point and reminds us of the amazing roadbuilding expertise required in this mountaineous terrain.
After inhaling this gorgeous panorama we continued our drive along the winding coastal road, drove through a narrow tunnel and a few kilometers away we stopped at the historic Hotel de Formentor, a luxury hotel, situated on a private bay, that was constructed in 1929. We walked through the impressive lobby through the Mediterranean gardens to take in the stunning views of this bay.
On we continued to our final destination of the day: the Cap de Formentor, the northeastern tip of Mallorca. One of Mallorca's most well-known landmarks can be found here: the Lighthouse of Cap Formentor which sits in a spectacular location, several hundred metres above the sea. We parked our vehicle and walked all the way around it and took in the impressive views of the sea and the jagged peaks of the Formentor Peninsula.
The scenic beauty of this location captured us and on our way back we stopped a couple of more times to catch more glimpses of this phenomenal coastline. We were both amazed at how such a tiny place as the island of Mallorca could have such diverse landscapes and so many picturesque destinations.
As the sun was setting we returned to Port de Pollena and sat down on our balcony to enjoy the sunset. Our first full day in Mallorca had filled us with so many impressions and we needed our rest to get ready for another day of explorations.
Mallorca Travel: Exploring Puig de Maria, Pollenca and Cap de Formentor
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