A long, steep hike through one of the most awe-inspiring natural spaces of the Serra de Tramuntana, between Campanet and Pollença

One of the first things that stands out on this route is the curious name of our target summit: Puig de Ca de Míner (877 m). Its location is unambiguous—within the estate of Míner, a former Muslim alqueria called Minur, belonging to the Mountain District. Now divided into Míner Gran, Míner Petit, and la Mola, and situated within the municipality of Pollença, the estate’s boundaries brush against the municipalities of Escorca and Campanet.

As for the name “Puig de Ca,” the toponym has stirred some discussion. Miquel Àngel Escanelles offers a definitive explanation in his article Ca, cussa i quissó (30/08/2020), stating that many of these names actually refer to fields, not dogs. Examples include s’Hort des Ca or Ca los Cans.

Earlier that summer, in dBalears, Pere Llofriu approached the topic with his characteristic blend of wisdom and wit, suggesting that while references to “cans” (dogs) are rare, many place names might actually derive from “camps” (fields), their pronunciation gradually morphing in colloquial speech. He wrote: “Say ‘camps, camps, camps...’ quickly enough and soon you’ll be saying ‘cans, cans, cans...’ It’s as if Catalan has a kind of consonant schizophrenia, piling them up until they barely fit in the mouth. [...] The Puig de Ca (de Míner) is well known to hikers. Interestingly, many grander peaks were never even given proper names—they’re simply ‘of’ the estate (Galatzó, Lofra, Massanella...), while a few others reference things from below (like puig de ses Vinyes). Surely Puig del Camp de Míner would have been a more revealing name.” (Amor de cans i coes en la toponímia, 30/07/2020).

The hike begins near the church of Sant Miquel in the Pla de Tel (Campanet). With no public transport available, we’re left with private vehicle as the only option. For convenience, we can park at the gate leading to the track that climbs up to the Míner estates via the Camí de So n’Embaraç—just off the old Pollença road, to the right of Biniatró, skirting the Mal Torrent de Maçana—right at the base of another “Puig de Ca,” this one of Son Monjo.

The Route

[00 min] We begin on a flat dirt track that runs parallel to the stream on our right, through a charming grove. Soon the track turns to concrete and the climb begins, ascending the inner slopes of Puig de Ca de Son Monjo (267 m). The steep little valley quickly reminds us of the route’s tough elevation gain.

[20 min] We pass a well covered by a modern grate on the right and continue zigzagging through thick holm oak forest. Gradually, the tree cover thins and expansive views open up across the Raiguer plain and the distant Serra de Llevant.

[45 min] Sa Barrera de Sa Porta is an old toponym marked on Josep Mascaró Pasarius’ 1958 General Map of Mallorca(source: mascaropasarius.cat), likely coinciding with a segment of the original footpath, just left of the gate that leads to Míner Petit [50 min], sitting right on the Campanet-Pollença boundary. Until it was divided in the 19th century, Míner was a vast mountain estate devoted to sheep and cattle farming, along with cereal cultivation and the production of oil, charcoal, and ice. Though now abandoned, the remains of the old oil press can still be seen at Míner Petit.

We continue up the winding track. To our right, in the direction of Gregal (northeast), across the Mal Torrent de Maçana, we see a hollow, a deep depression marked on some maps as a former mine (which it never was). This is Cova Roja. On a bend in the track to the left, we pass the font de les Contarelles.

[1 h 15 min] We reach a key junction (el Gravet), where we’ll later close our loop after summiting Puig de Ca. Here, we turn right toward Coll de Míner.

[1 h 30 min] On our left, we pass the track to the Míner Gran estate, and soon after, to the right, the path to la Mola [1 h 40 min].

[1 h 45 min] We arrive at the Coll de Míner. A few meters before reaching the col, a well-marked path veers off to the left toward Llebeig (southwest/west). This is our route to the summit. It’s a short stretch, but the steep, rocky slope requires care. In return, it offers stunning views over the Míner fields on our left. As we crest the ridge, the vast plateau of Fartàritx unfurls to our right, stealing the show.

With steady steps and patience, we reach the summit of Puig de Ca de Míner (877 m) [2 h 20 min].

Coll de Fartàritx

It’s time to descend. We set off from the summit to find pas de n’Agustí, which will allow us to reach the coll de Fartàritx. We go cross-country, following cairns in a southwesterly direction (Llebeig) over flat, rocky ground with the imposing Tomir dominating the view ahead.

We cross a shallow col and reach the far end of the mountain, where cliffs seem to block the way. To the left, just where a new rocky ridge begins, we spot the pas de n’Agustí (also known as del Clot Fondo) [2 h 35 min]. This short ramp involves a simple downclimb—easy and not at all dizzying. Once through, the path veers right toward the coll de Fartàritx, with scattered cairns helping to mark the way.

[3 h 00 min] Near the coll de Fartàritx, we join the paved track descending to Míner Petit. The slope steepens considerably in places. We pass through a gate with a wooden stile on the left, and shortly after reach the coll de l’Arena, where the path forks. The right-hand track leads to Alcanella, but we stay left and continue descending.

On our left, we see the Míner Gran estate once more. After crossing a small valley and a brief climb, we return to the junction at el Gravet, where our loop closes [3 h 40 min]. From here, we simply retrace our steps along the track to the starting point on the Camí de So n’Embaraç [4 h 25 min].