Walking Holiday - Mallorca - The Drystone Way, Our Way
- Monday, February 10, 2020
We have looked at trek routes in Mallorca many times over the years but have never found the correct combination of the right walks with the right hotels. Paul decided to pass this challenge to our new(ish)! Product manager – Rhi, to see if she could achieve what he has failed to achieve previously. Well she has to Paul’s pleasure and ....... embarrasment☹
Read about how Rhi put together our hotel to hotel trek:
Following a detailed briefing from Paul, and admittedly with some trepidation, following previous failed attempts, I set out on my assignment travelling to Mallorca to put together a hotel to hotel trek.
The sense of reward in competing a long-distance trail from end to end is certainly top of the list when it comes to reasons why people walk. With this in mind, I selected a route which follows 7 of the 8 stages of the GR221, starting at the alternative starting location of Es Capdella through to the end at Pollença. In designing this route, I considered which options would allow for the best walking whilst ensuring that minimal transfers were required. With the exception of the transfer from the first trek hotel to the start of the walk in Capdella, I was able to achieve this.
The sense of connection with a destination is also an important factor to consider, and the Dry-Stone Route offers a side to Mallorca that others rarely get to see. Having visited Mallorca on several occasions previously, it wasn’t until exploring the Serra de Tramuntana that I discovered the true beauty of the island. The UNESCO listed landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana is truly spectacular and our route passes through some of the most striking parts, namely; Cami des Correu, Cami de s’Arxiduc, Cúber reservoir and Puig Major.
Accommodation
We know how important where you stay can be during your walking holiday. We personally visit all the accommodations we feature and prefer smaller, family-owned hotels who provide additional local knowledge and expertise within their destination. The overnight stops that we select are therefore not only based on the walking route but also on the towns and villages along the way and of course the availability of accommodation in each location.
I visited a lot of accommodation and immediately rejected some, but fortunately there were enough of the right quality in the right places, to put the trek together. The hotels are in great locations ranging from sleepy mountains villages such as Banyalbufar and Valldemossa, to charming hilltop towns such as Pollença. During my visits to the hotels I was greeted with warm Mallorcean hospitality and was impressed with the standards of the accommodations offering a flavour of traditional Mallorca with all the modern comforts. Sometimes too much hospitality, is designed to mask some shortcomings in the hotel, but I have learnt to see through the fog to evaluate the hotel objectively.
Where possible we like to offer a choice of standard and higher-grade accommodations as we understand that our clients have different requirements and budgets. Given the availability of accommodation in some of the smaller villages such as Valldemossa, I knew it would be difficult to achieve but in the larger towns of Sóller (where you spend two nights) I was able to secure a higher grade 4* hotel which is one of the oldest establishments in Mallorca. I was also able to find a higher-grade option in Pollença which is a lovely 4* family run hotel situated in the old town.