Many mountain hiking enthusiasts, eager for new adventures, flock year after year to the Serra de Tramuntana, attracted by the appeal of this fascinating landscape. The Serra de Tramuntana is famous not only for its fantastic views over the Mediterranean and its picture-book villages. In June 2011 the whole region was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the category of Cultural Landscape, due to the richness of its natural systems and cultural elements.
Its dramatic landscape borders the entire north coast of Mallorca, stretches for almost 90 kilometres and encompasses some twenty municipalities, including Calvià, Pollensa and Escorca. There are many peaks over 1,000 m, including the Puig Major, the highest point in Mallorca and the Balearic Islands, at 1,445 m above sea level.
The Serra de Tramuntana, designated as a Protected Natural Area and declared a Natural Site in 2007, includes ecosystems typical of the area, with species that are unique in the world, as well as other endemic plant species. It should also be noted that the endemic sea grass Posidonia Oceanica, all-important for the health of the Mediterranean, is particularly well preserved in the coastal waters of the Serra de Tramuntana.
Numerous artists have found inspiration for their works in these mountains, a true “cultural” landscape, which throughout history has favoured the exchange of knowledge among its settlers. Its diversity of landscapes, in turn, provides a wide range of itineraries and trails, through forest areas made up of pine and holm-oak trees, reedbeds, and many other types of vegetation. Some of these itineraries include the journey from Sóller to Palma on the famous wooden train built in 1912, the GR221 Dry-Stone Route, and the ascent of Puig de Galatzó, whose lonely standing peak offers some of the most magnificent panoramic views of the island.
