Andratx
This large municipality contains the historical town centres of Andratx, s’Arracó and Port d’Andratx —the broad natural harbour—, and the more tourist-oriented resorts of Sant Elm and Camp de Mar. The village of Andratx conserves its three traditional neighbourhoods, dotted with white houses huddled around the 18th–century church of Santa Maria. The town hall occupies the imposing possessió (rural estate) of Son Mas, with an inner courtyard with staircase and gallery. Tranquillity reigns in s’Arracó, with stone houses scattered around the church of Mare de Déu de La Trapa. Sant Elm, affording the best views of Sa Dragonera, is a tourist centre with a family atmosphere.
Calvià
Famous for its tourism infrastructures, which are concentrated in Peguera, Camp de Mar and Magaluf, inland Calvià nevertheless exudes serenity and cosmopolitanism, imported by foreigners who have settled here. On the highest point stand the church of Sant Joan, the rectory and an observation deck with good panoramic views. Around 2 km away lies the placid village of Es Capdellà, silhouetted on Es Galatzó.
Along the Galilea road we come to the possessió (rural estate) of Galatzó, where the myth of the Comte Mal survives, an evil count condemned to roam through the centuries on a horse of fire.
Estellencs
Estellencs clings to the side of the Puig des Galatzó mountain. Around the church cobbled streets, often labyrinthine, start out in an urban network which ends up at the sea at Cala Estellencs. For centuries the terraces have made this piece of coastline singular, delimited by dry stone walls where olive trees, vines and vegetable gardens are planted, watered by a complex system of channels and canals inherited from the Arabs. The oldest houses are set around the church of Sant Joan Baptista, the belltower of which was once a defence tower against attacks by pirates.
Puigpunyent
The name Puigpunyent, which means “pointed mountain” comes from the Puig del Galatzó peak. A village surrounded by valleys planted with orange and almond trees, with terraces where ancient olive trees grow. Camins de ferradura, signposted bridle paths, some with the original cobblestones, take us on routes that run through covered woods of pine and oak trees, where the charcoal burners’ huts orbarraques de carboner are preserved, along with lime kilns and ice houses. Four kilometres away isGalilea, an idyllic village clinging to the mountainside, with harmonious panoramic views.
Esporles
This village with narrow streets flanked by traditional stone houses is outlined against the omnipresent Tramuntana mountains. The Neo-Gothic church of Sant Pere stands in Sa Vileta, the oldest district of the village, along with the rectory and an old watering trough. Opposite the town hall the sculpture La filadora pays tribute to the local textile industry, now extinct but prosperous until the mid-19th century. In the outskirts a path leads up to the Maristella hermitage, with lovely views of the valley.
Banyalbufar
A coastal village set on several different levels, with the church of La Nativitat de Santa Maria which houses one of the most valuable Baroque organs in the world. La Baronia, a 16th-century country house with a splendid inner courtyard now converted into a hotel, is a landmark of civil architecture. The coast of the municipality is marked out by terraces overlooking the sea, planted with Malvasia vines and localramellet tomatoes, which owe their fertility to an irrigation system dating back to the Islamic period that includes channels, canals and fountains. The coast opens out in the form of the beaches of Cala Banyalbufar and Port des Canonge.
Valldemossa
A heavenly village in the midst of a valley, with steep streets flanked by stone houses and flowerpots. An atmosphere that inspired writers like Jovellanos, Rubén Darío and Santiago Rusiñol. A large part of the local history focusses on the Carthusian monastery (La Cartoixa), the cells of which were witness to the love of Chopin and George Sand. The municipality opens up to the sea through the Port of Valldemossa, with sites linked to Archduke Ludwig Salvator, such as Miramar or S’Estaca.
Bunyola
Surrounded by woods and set at the foot of the Alfàbia mountains, this peaceful municipality has been chosen by many foreigners as their place of residence on Mallorca. It includes other villages like Orient and Palmanyola, along with historical stately possessions, such as Alfàbia —which can be visited— and Raixa, as well as one of the most extensive forests on the island, Sa Comuna. Wood, charcoal, lime and game were obtained from these forests, as a result of which there is an abundance of remains of sitges, or charcoal pits, and lime kilns.
Santa Maria del Camí
The church belltower, topped by a tiled roof, distinguishes this village from any other. The oldest houses are crowded around the church, shaping what was originally the nucleus. A region of almond trees and vines, where there are several wineries which produce wines under the Binissalem Denomination of Origin. A mountainous area stretches away to the north, with magical spots like the valley of Coanegra. The spring or font of Coanegra, the beginning of an ancient hydraulic system, is located in Son Pou.
Deià
In the shadow of the Teix mountain lies Deià, a legendary village thanks to the cosmopolitan aura provided by artists from all over the world. It has three zones: Es Puig, crowned by the church and the cemetery; the central part, along the Valldemossa to Sóller road; and Es Clot, the lower zone and original heart of the village. With its 5 km of rugged coastline, the municipality contains the beaches of Cala Deià and Llucalcari, and the scenic views of Sa Foradada and Son Marroig.
Sóller
In a fertile valley surrounded by olive and orange trees and vegetable gardens, this commercial town with a great love for the produce of the land blossoms. The ancestral homes of emigrants who returned enriched from their time in South America or France stand in its narrow streets. Regular commerce with France had cultural consequences, reflected in aspects such as the architecture and the language, and indeed many families here still speak French. The Plaza de la Constitució is dominated by the church of Sant Bartomeu and the Banco de Sóller, buildings with Modernist features. The municipality is highly prized by hikers who walk, among others, along the cobbled path of Barranc de Biniaraix. The Sóller tram and train, which still operate, are from the early 20th century.
Fornalutx
On the foothills of the Puig Major, the island’s highest mountain, Fornalutx maintains its architectural heritage almost intact: stone houses that adapt to pronounced differences in level. The town hall occupies the former 16th-century ancestral home of Can Arbona, and conserves its tall, robust square defence tower. Many of the houses have painted roof tiles, a tradition that celebrates the completion of a house, decorated with flat designs in red representing geometrical, plant, anthropomorphic or zoomorphic shapes.
Alaró
A village framed by the peaks of Puig de la Font Seca and Puig d’Alaró, the latter crowned by a rocky castle steeped in legend. In the town, life revolves around the Plaza de la Vila, where the Baroque church of Sant Bartomeu stands. In olden times, the footwear industry provided employment for two thousand people in Alaró, but only one cowboy boot factory remains now. It was the first municipality in Mallorca to have an electrical grid, which was inaugurated on 15th August 1901.
Escorca
In the mountains of Escorca the landscape becomes grandiose, monumental – old paths traverse holm-oak woods, with springs and places as impressive as the Torrent de Pareis or Sa Calobra. This enormous, sparsely populated municipality has the highest peaks of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, headed by Puig Major (1445 m), and endures the most extreme climate of Mallorca, with snow in winter. The Lluc Sanctuary is the spiritual centre of the island, the starting point for numerous excursions, with guest quarters, recreational zones and a camping area.
Mancor de la Vall
Mancor spreads out at the foot of the Puig de Massanella (1,364 m), surrounded by a mountainous area covered in pine and holm-oak trees. Olive, almond, carob and fig trees grow on the plain. The village is home to architectural landmarks like the chapel of Santa Llúcia, documented in 1348, and the once-prosperous possessió of Massanella. In the 19th century the inhabitants made a living producing oil and exploiting the forest, and the mountains still contain charcoal pits, lime kilns and ice houses.
Selva
An extensive municipality divided up into four population centres - Selva, Moscari, Caimari and Biniamar - which combine tradition with the beauty of the landscape. In Selva the church of Sant Llorenç stands out on the top of a promontory, with its Gothic façade. In it the 15th-century Calvari altarpiece by Gabriel Mòger II is preserved. This is a place of passage for numerous bicycle tourists and hikers, as it is surrounded by paths that penetrate the Serra de Tramuntana and reach the mountains of Lluc.
Campanet
Surrounded by fields of almond trees and other crops, Campanet’s silhouette is like that of a postcard village, with stone houses huddled around the church, located in a square that is always lively. Very nearby, the Posada de Biniatró Museum houses a permanent exhibition of works by Miquel Barceló, Ramón Canet and Sirvent, among others. The municipality is home to the scenery of the valley of Sant Miquel and the Pla de Tel plain, frequented by bicycle tourists, the site of the Campanet caves and the Gabellí Petit estate, where the Fonts Ufanes karst springs bubble up after intense rain.
Lloseta
As in nearly all mountain villages, in Lloseta one can distinguish the high part – old cobbled streets with the oldest houses – from the low part, which has a more modern structure. The most interesting building is the Palau d’Aiamans, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, an Italianesque palace with some impressive gardens. Next to it stands the 18th-century church, with a Romanesque carving of the Mare de Déu de Lloseta virgin. On the outskirts one can walk to the oratory of Mare de Déu del Cocó. The shoemaking tradition lives on in the form of a hiking boot factory.
Pollença
Artists from all over the work have passed through Pollença since the beginning of the 20th century, seeking out inspiration in a landscape where the Serra de Tramuntana mountains plunge down into the sea via the cliffs of Formentor. A village that loves its traditions and culture, graced with several kilometres of coast where isolated coves alternate with tourist resorts like Port de Pollença. The Formentor peninsula is the location of the luxury hotel which has accommodated Winston Churchill, Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly, among others, the venue for important literary events.
