A circular route through one of the largest communal lands in the Balearic Islands, with Cas Garriguer as its central hub

The route we propose today takes you through one of the most culturally rich and significant landscapes in Mallorca. The Comuna of Bunyola is one of the largest communal lands in the Balearic Islands, covering 716 hectares—8.5% of Bunyola’s municipal territory. This geographical area is masterfully described by Pere J. Brunet in his book La Comuna de Bunyola, Biografia d’un bosc (Ajuntament de Bunyola, 1991). It is a distinctly recognizable landscape unit, situated between the heights of the Serra de Tramuntana and the Mallorcan plains. This itinerary leads us through its key routes: the Cocons path, the Coma Gran, and the Grau pass. Bunyola is accessible by train or by bus (lines 205, 204, and 303—check schedules at tib.org).

The Route

[00 min] We begin at Sa Plaça, the beating heart of local life in Bunyola. The popular bar Ca s’Espardanyer, the Casa de la Vila (town hall), and the 18th-century parish church of Sant Mateu frame this iconic square, which hosts a lively market every Wednesday and Saturday. We head east toward Santa Maria (Ma-2020). Soon, we leave Es Garrigó on our left [10 min], a small residential area where a vehicle-accessible track begins, leading to the recreational area of Cas Garriguer (Comuna de Bunyola). We quickly leave the outskirts of the town behind.

We continue on a pedestrian walkway to the left of the road, reaching the municipal cemetery [15 min]. About a hundred meters beyond it, we find the entrance to the Camí dels Cocons. We turn left, across from the Endesa substation, and continue east along a narrow paved lane flanked by dry-stone walls. Soon we pass the possessió dels Cocons [25 min] on our left—a grand manor recently restored.

Es Cocons is one of Bunyola’s most emblematic estates, sitting along one of the main routes into the Comuna mountains. It first appears in historical records in the 13th century, with its most notable mentions from the 17th century, when the Muntaner family took ownership—a lineage that lasted well into the 20th century.

This estate also holds a special place in the arts. “The estate appears in the literary works of Llorenç Villalonga. His grandfather, Dr. Guillem Villalonga Gelabert, married Catalina Muntaner dels Cocons Sancho, the eldest daughter of the lord of Cocons. Llorenç spent parts of his childhood there,” (from Les possessions de Bunyola: Història i Patrimoni, by Gaspar Valero i Martí, Bàrbara Suau Font, and Jaume Mateu Verdera, Editorial Olañeta, 2012). Villalonga’s novels Bearn or the Doll’s Room (1956) and Les Fures (1967) are both set in landscapes inspired by Cocons.

We also know from Les Rondalles que l’Arxiduc no va publicar (Galés Edicions, 2022) by Caterina Valriu i Llinàs that one of the stories, “Es dos amics,” takes place at Cocons. It's a fantastic tale of two friends—one good, one bad—who promise to attend each other’s weddings, though the evil one proposes they rob Cocons first. The rest of the story can be found in Valriu’s book.

A local anecdote—part tall tale, part legend—tells of Jaume Muntaner Sancho, mayor of Bunyola in the late 19th century, and is recounted in Palma, ciutat de llegenda by Gaspar Valero i Martí (Olañeta, 1995). During King Alfonso XII’s visit to Mallorca in March 1877, the mayors of the island gathered at the Almudaina Palace. When Muntaner was introduced as mayor of Bunyola, he proudly added: “And lord of Cocons!” To which the king replied, “May God preserve them for you many years, Mr. Mayor!”

The Cave of Mr. Guillem

We continue toward the recreational area of Cas Garriguer. The path narrows and winds until it opens again near Ca Na Moragues [40 min], at the junction of the Cas Bergantet path (right) and the Coma Gran path (straight ahead). We go straight, beginning a long, steady climb into the heart of the mountain. At the narrowest point of the ravine, we pass Sa Cova [50 min], also known as Mr. Guillem’s Cave, a structure built into the rock likely dating back to the 14th century. Soon after, the ravine opens again around Can Fundo on the left [1 h 05 min].

We leave behind the olive terraces and cultivated land to pass through a gate into the Comuna forest. Thick holm oak woodland now surrounds us, where sunlight struggles to break through [1 h 40 min]. We reach the open flatland of Cas Garriguer, the heart of the Comuna. We join the track coming up from Garrigó, turn left, and follow the GR-221.5 signs toward the Grau pass. After an initial section on track [1 h 55 min], wooden posts guide us into the barranc d’en Cupí. At the next junction [2 h 05 min], we turn right toward the Grau pass.

We follow a wide, comfortable path through rocky terrain above Can Grau. Stay alert for signs—at a series of tight bends near the La màquina vella viewpoint [2 h 15 min], we leave the track for a narrower, older bridle path that zigzags through the rocky pass. We pass old charcoal pits, cisterns, and a lime kiln—traces of the mountain’s human history [2 h 45 min].

We exit the Comuna onto the Camí del Planiol, between the crag of Can Fil (left) and the Puig del Castellet (right). Keeping to the marked trail, we turn right and walk the final stretch into Bunyola, entering via the Carreró de la Comuna, a narrow alley. This sequence of paths brings us back to Sa Plaça, where our route ends.

[3 h 00 min]