Location & Geography

Mallorca is one of the Balearic islands and, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, its old Latin name was 'Balearis Major' - the larger Balearic island. The islands were also known to the Greeks and, indeed, the Balearis part may be derived from the Greek 'ballein', meaning 'to throw' (hence, also, 'ballistics') as the early inhabitants were renowned - and feared - for their expertise with a slingshot. The island lies off the eastern coast of Spain and is almost equidistant from France and North Africa, which have both been important export destinations for agricultural products. Its surface area is 3,650 square kilometres - over 70% of the total area of the Balearics - and the coastline extends to almost 550km. There are three main bays - those of Palma, Alcúdia and Pollença - but the real gems are the countless smaller inlets and coves that are scattered all around the coast, some of which are visited on the walks in this book. The varied geography of Mallorca offers a wide range of walking opportunities. The central plain - 'Es Pla' - is a gently rolling landscape of extensive farmland and picturesque villages. The north-west has the dramatic Serra de Tramuntana limestone mountain range, about 100km long and up to 12km wide: that's about half the total area of Snowdonia or the Lake District, but with more mountains per square kilometre. The mountains extend from Cap de Formentor in the north, all the way to Sant Elm and Dragonera in the south-west. The highest is Puig Major (1450m), surmounted by a military communications complex, and not generally open to the public. Other peaks include Massanella (1340m), L'Ofre (1080m), Teix (1060m) and Galatzó (1025m). The south-east has a parallel upland area, the Serres de Llevant, with peaks up to about 500m; this region is famous for its limestone caves and subterranean lakes. Despite the low rainfall, much of the island is surprisingly green, thanks to the subterranean aquifers from which water is pumped. Windmills were traditionally used for this purpose - there used to be almost 1000 of them on the Balearics, and many hundreds on Mallorca, but most pumps are electrical nowadays. The windmills of Mallorca are now regarded as minor national monuments and there is a web site for more information (see end of this chapter).

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