A gentle loop through Mallorca’s rugged northern coast—once a fishermen’s haven, now a scenic stroll through pirate-plagued history.

This route offers a pleasant, family-friendly hike along the cultural landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana. We’ll follow the path that links the village of Estellencs to its port—a rocky cove that hosts a small restaurant and a shelter for fishing and recreational boats. The circular walk brings us close to the northern coastline while offering a fresh perspective on what British writer Margaret d’Este described in 1906 as “a beautiful village folded into the hills, with crags behind it, sunlit and shadowed grey peaks above, and before it, a valley descending to the sea between slopes of almonds, olives, and evergreens.”

Our journey begins at the TIB bus stop (lines L-202 and L-131) in the heart of Estellencs, right between the town hall and the parish church. Since the Ma-10 road cuts through the village center, it’s wise to remain alert to traffic, especially on busier days. That said, the path we’ll follow—and Estellencs’ charming inner streets—are quiet and perfectly suited for walking.

The downhill path is known as the Camí del Port, while the return climb is along the Camí del Fenollar, also called Camí de la Mar. “A path connecting Estellencs to its port has been documented since 1580,” notes the Guia dels Pobles de Mallorca (2003), “when authorities called for its repair to accommodate the mounted maritime patrols carried out by the local nobility.”

The Route

[00 min] We begin our walk in Plaça de la Constitució, right in front of the 17th-century Church of Sant Joan Baptista, whose tall, robust bell tower is hard to miss—a stark reminder of the centuries of pirate raids that plagued this coastline. Heading out via Carrer Eusebi Pascual toward Andratx, we pass the Montimar and Vall-Hermós restaurants. At the Hotel Maristel [05 min], we turn right onto the road leading to the port and beach, where signposts and trail markers offer clear directions.

This is the old road to Andratx—now called Carrer Eusebi Estada. Right away we spot the signage for the Dry Stone Route (GR-221), pointing toward the Coma d’en Vidal refuge, es Capdellà, Cala d’Estellencs, and the Puig de Galatzó. A few steps further, another trail branches off to the right—this is the Camí de la Mar, our route back—and we continue straight ahead. The road bends to the right past a public parking lot and the l’Olivar estate. Soon, we reach the key junction. [10 min] At a corner marked by a cistern, we turn right and begin our descent to the cove via the Camí del Port—a narrow, paved trail that dives quickly downhill through groves of citrus, vineyards, and ponds.

After a few bends [20 min], the path runs alongside a ravine carved by a seasonal stream. Just before the path crosses this ravine and climbs back toward town via the Camí de la Mar, we’ll spot, to the left, a stairway that leads down to the cove [35 min].

Mallorcan naturalist Jeroni de Berard described this place in 1789 as “a gully and small cove marked by a rock at the mouth where a stream discharges, originating from the peak of Galatzó and flowing past the estate of Arillar (likely today’s Millar, near the ravine descending from Son Fortuny), not far from the village and to its north.” Take time to explore—from the overhang where fresh water drips into a stone basin, to the former fishermen’s dock, now a boat slip for small crafts.

The Ascent

We return via the Camí de la Mar [55 min], also known as Camí del Fonollar, the continuation of the trail we passed earlier. The climb begins sharply, skirting the rocky cliffs to the left. As we ascend, new vistas open over the valley and port. We pass the Camí de cal Torrer on the left and soon walk beneath a striking house built into an overhang—a miniature version of Cosconar, that iconic cliff-hugging estate in Escorca.

Continuing on, we pass the local water treatment facility on the right and reach a crossroads. The path to the left once led to the village’s old football field, but we turn right and cross a bridge over the ravine [1 h 10 min]. This 1950s bridge carries a plaque with the chilling hallmark of its era: “Under the sign of Franco, the National Syndicalist Movement was made, July 18, 1953.”

Passing the houses of Fonollar, we walk the last section of the trail back into the village.

Plaça del Triquet

[1 h 20 min] We re-enter the village via Carrer dels Magraners, which brings us to Plaça del Triquet, home to Can Tem Alemany—a stately manor house fortified with a solid defensive tower, likely built in the 16th century, just like the church’s bell tower.

It was here, in an upstairs room, that Archduke Ludwig Salvator made a fateful decision: to purchase the estate of Miramar. “As I gazed out from this tower, my thoughts drifted to that of Miramar,” he later wrote. “‘How wonderful it would be to spend such hours on that terrace.’ That was the seed of the idea to acquire it.” (Lo que sé de Miramar, 1911).

In a collection of Mallorcan folktales compiled by Antoni Maria Penya at the Archduke’s request, one story even recounts a Moorish landing on the very coast of Estellencs.

Our loop concludes back at Plaça de la Constitució.

[1 h 30 min]