Mediterranean · Spain

Mallorca

Beyond the beach resorts, the Tramuntana mountains hold a Mediterranean life close to the Blue Zone original: stone paths, orange groves, sea swims and long lunches of tomatoes, bread and oil.

Longevity Index 83 · Serra de Tramuntana

The Serra de Tramuntana runs the length of Mallorca’s north-west coast and is a UNESCO cultural landscape of dry-stone terraces, olive groves and villages that have not changed their shape in centuries. The GR221, the dry-stone route, links them; a week of walking from Valldemossa through Deià and Sóller to Pollença is one of the great Mediterranean hikes, with a swim at the end of most days.

The food is the Mediterranean diet as it was before it became a diet: pa amb oli, bread rubbed with tomato and drowned in olive oil; sobrassada in small amounts; tumbet of aubergine, peppers and potato; grilled fish; oranges from the Sóller valley; almonds; a glass of local wine. Markets in Sineu or Santa Maria sell it all, and the island’s cycling culture means fit people in their seventies are a normal sight.

Come in spring or autumn, stay in the mountains rather than on the coast, walk or cycle every day and eat the way the villages eat. Palma, with its old town and its sea promenade, deserves two of your days.

The longevity profile

Best months: Apr · May · Jun · Sep · Oct
Ideal stay: 7 to 10 days
Budget: €€€€
Night from: €150

Signature ritual: Pa amb oli for breakfast: bread, tomato, olive oil, salt. Nothing else needed.

A day in Mallorca

From first light to last light.

07:00
Cala Deià
Down the path to the cove for a swim before anyone arrives, then back up for breakfast.
08:00
Pa amb oli
Bread, tomato, olive oil, a little cheese, oranges from Sóller, coffee.
09:00
The stone route
Three hours on the GR221 from Deià to Sóller through olive terraces, with the sea always on the left.
13:00
Lunch in Fornalutx
Tumbet, grilled fish, salad, bread and oil, in the square of the prettiest village on the island.
15:00
Siesta
Shutters closed, as everyone does.
17:00
The valley
A bicycle through the orange groves of the Sóller valley, or the old tram to the port for another swim.
20:00
Dinner
Late, outside, with the mountains going dark. Stars after.

Nourishment Movement Light & Environment

Good to know

Tips for Mallorca.

Stay in Sóller, Deià, Valldemossa or Pollença; the beach resorts of the south and east are another island.
April, May, late September and October are ideal; July and August are hot and crowded on the coast, though the mountains stay pleasant.
The GR221 can be walked in stages with a car or bus back; refuges must be booked in advance.
Cyclists have made the island a training ground; rent a road bike in Sóller or Port de Pollença and ride at dawn.
Visit Palma’s Santa Catalina market and walk the sea promenade to the cathedral at sunset.

Design a trip to Mallorca What does a week cost?

Frequently asked questions

Is Mallorca a healthy destination?

The mountain and rural interior, yes: excellent hiking and cycling, sea swimming, a fresh Mediterranean diet and mild weather most of the year. The party resorts are a different story.

What is the GR221?

The Ruta de Pedra en Sec, a long-distance footpath through the Tramuntana mountains on ancient dry-stone paths, walkable in about a week with stages of three to six hours.

When is the sea warm enough to swim?

From late May to early November. Locals swim year-round, and a cold winter dip is part of the culture.

Journeys here