Mallorca and Menorca - A Hikers Dream
If your idea of relaxation is to don your walking boots and head for the hills then you'll be familiar with many of Britain's best walking regions such as the Lake District, the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor. While these places are undoubtedly scenic and perfect terrain for walkers they are at the mercy of the temperamental weather patterns these places enjoy. In fine mild weather the views can be breathtaking, but cooler, wetter weather is often the norm and can ruin an otherwise perfect opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. Many people are now happy to travel abroad for their walking and remove the weather threat. Places like the Spanish Sierra Nevada and the Italian Dolomites are popular, as are the Balearic islands of Mallorca and Menorca which both have some superb walking opportunities.
For many people Menorca and Mallorca represent budget family beach holidays and that still holds true for certain areas. In fact whole resorts have been developed on Mallorca to cater for a huge demand over the past 20 years. Similar developments on Menorca have been on a smaller scale and the island is still more popular with Spanish natives than visitors from northern European countries. That has helped the smaller Menorca retain much of its native charm, but it hasn't meant the local authorities have been averse to investing money in scenes to attract visitors to the island.
The Cami de Cavalls walkway was originally established hundreds of years ago as part of the island's defenses against invasion. Lookout posts and small forts were constructed all around the island's coastline to prevent attack and invasion and in order to transport supplies and ammunition to those posts a track for horses was created. Once the need for these forts and posts disappeared the pathway was no longer need and gradually fell into disrepair.
But, seeing the history and cultural value of the pathway, the local council have gradually acquired access rights to the land and repaired the footpaths so that Menorca now has a superb walkway all around its coastal fringe. The renovation work has taken many years and seen some lengthy arguments with landowners, some of whom were totally opposed to the scheme, but the work is now done and the Cami de Cavalls is attracting visitors to the island. It is also helping to extend the holiday season because walkers are happy to visit the island during late autumn and early spring now, when the path is quieter.
The coastline east and west of Palma, the capital and in the north of the island around Alcudia, which was surrounded by stretches of unusable marshland anyway, were the main development areas on Mallorca. Away from these popular holiday resorts Mallorca already had plenty of wonderful inland areas for hikers to enjoy. Walkers have always enjoyed the mountain regions of Mallorca and there are now two recognised footpaths that welcome international walkers all year round.
The GR network of footpaths is recognised throughout Europe by various names, namely Grande Randonnà e in France and Grande Rota in Portugal. In the UK we would probably refer to them as Grand Routes, although we don't have any yet.
On Mallorca GR221 travels from Port d'Andratx in the south, northwards to Pollenca on the northern coast, a total distance of 135 km. Some of the route is still undergoing renovation but it is possible to walk the whole route â in stages ideally â stopping at different overnight hostels or more traditional accommodation.
The GR222 route is even newer, travelling east-west across the island, with signposting and renovation still be in progress at the moment. This route is almost as long as the GR221, again making a trip over several days advisable. This route passes through some of Mallorca's inland towns such as Llubi and Santa Margalida.
So hikers looking for alternatives to the UK's more common regions could easily hop onto a cheap flight to Mallorca or Menorca and benefit from a new walking experience, better weather for sure and well marked routes designed to showcase the best these islands have to offer.
Just by taking one of the many low cost flights to Mallorca whole new walking regions are suddenly within reach. Flights to Menorca are equally short and well priced. Mark provides informative articles covering holiday destinations across Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
For many people Menorca and Mallorca represent budget family beach holidays and that still holds true for certain areas. In fact whole resorts have been developed on Mallorca to cater for a huge demand over the past 20 years. Similar developments on Menorca have been on a smaller scale and the island is still more popular with Spanish natives than visitors from northern European countries. That has helped the smaller Menorca retain much of its native charm, but it hasn't meant the local authorities have been averse to investing money in scenes to attract visitors to the island.
The Cami de Cavalls walkway was originally established hundreds of years ago as part of the island's defenses against invasion. Lookout posts and small forts were constructed all around the island's coastline to prevent attack and invasion and in order to transport supplies and ammunition to those posts a track for horses was created. Once the need for these forts and posts disappeared the pathway was no longer need and gradually fell into disrepair.
But, seeing the history and cultural value of the pathway, the local council have gradually acquired access rights to the land and repaired the footpaths so that Menorca now has a superb walkway all around its coastal fringe. The renovation work has taken many years and seen some lengthy arguments with landowners, some of whom were totally opposed to the scheme, but the work is now done and the Cami de Cavalls is attracting visitors to the island. It is also helping to extend the holiday season because walkers are happy to visit the island during late autumn and early spring now, when the path is quieter.
The coastline east and west of Palma, the capital and in the north of the island around Alcudia, which was surrounded by stretches of unusable marshland anyway, were the main development areas on Mallorca. Away from these popular holiday resorts Mallorca already had plenty of wonderful inland areas for hikers to enjoy. Walkers have always enjoyed the mountain regions of Mallorca and there are now two recognised footpaths that welcome international walkers all year round.
The GR network of footpaths is recognised throughout Europe by various names, namely Grande Randonnà e in France and Grande Rota in Portugal. In the UK we would probably refer to them as Grand Routes, although we don't have any yet.
On Mallorca GR221 travels from Port d'Andratx in the south, northwards to Pollenca on the northern coast, a total distance of 135 km. Some of the route is still undergoing renovation but it is possible to walk the whole route â in stages ideally â stopping at different overnight hostels or more traditional accommodation.
The GR222 route is even newer, travelling east-west across the island, with signposting and renovation still be in progress at the moment. This route is almost as long as the GR221, again making a trip over several days advisable. This route passes through some of Mallorca's inland towns such as Llubi and Santa Margalida.
So hikers looking for alternatives to the UK's more common regions could easily hop onto a cheap flight to Mallorca or Menorca and benefit from a new walking experience, better weather for sure and well marked routes designed to showcase the best these islands have to offer.
Just by taking one of the many low cost flights to Mallorca whole new walking regions are suddenly within reach. Flights to Menorca are equally short and well priced. Mark provides informative articles covering holiday destinations across Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
