Serra de Tramuntana: an overview of Mallorca's mountain coast

What defines the Serra de Tramuntana

The Serra de Tramuntana forms the northern backbone of Mallorca. UNESCO describes it as a cultural landscape on a sheer-sided range parallel to the north-west coast: over centuries people made the terrain workable with terraces, dry-stone walls, water mills and an interconnected system of channels and storage basins. Arab water technology and the land division that followed the Christian conquest in the 13th century work together here.

The highest point is Puig Major, in the municipality of Escorca. Wikidata and Wikipedia give 1,436 metres, while other references, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica, give 1,445 metres. The summit is a military zone, so Puig de Massanella at 1,364 metres counts as the highest accessible mountain. The climate is clearly wetter and cooler than in the rest of the island, and a few days of snow in winter are not unusual.

Towns and places in the Tramuntana

• Sóller: The town lies in a wide valley bowl, three kilometres inland from Port de Sóller. Its centre is Plaça Constitució, with the church of Sant Bartomeu and the Banco de Sóller, a Modernista building from 1912. The municipality has 13,882 residents (2025) according to Wikidata. The village of Fornalutx and the hamlet of Biniaraix share the same valley.
• Valldemossa: The village is known for its charterhouse. King Martin of Aragon gave the former royal palace to the Carthusians in 1399, and they stayed until 1835. Frédéric Chopin and George Sand lived here in the winter of 1838 to 1839, and one cell is now a museum.
• Deià: This small village above the sea drew writers and musicians after the First World War. The English poet Robert Graves lived here until his death and his house is a museum. The municipality has 741 residents (2025).
• Santuari de Lluc: The monastery in Escorca sits at 525 metres in a basin and is considered the most important pilgrimage site on Mallorca. It was founded in the 13th century, and the boys' choir Els Blauets dates from 1531.
• Sa Calobra: A single winding road leads to this small port village, designed by Antonio Parietti and opened in 1933. It crosses the Coll dels Reis at 682 metres and includes a bridge with a 270 degree loop.

Getting there: train, tram and road

The Ferrocarril de Sóller links Palma with Sóller. The electric narrow-gauge railway, with a 914 millimetre gauge, stops at Son Sardina and Bunyola among other places and passes through 13 tunnels. In Sóller the tram to Port de Sóller connects with it: 4.868 kilometres long, single track with passing loops, opened on 4 October 1913. It is one of only two first-generation tramways to survive in Spain. Timetables and fares are published by the operating company, Ferrocarril de Sóller.

By car you reach Sóller from Palma on a road with a tunnel. The mountain road between Andratx and Pollença also runs through the Sóller valley and links the coastal villages. In a straight line Valldemossa is about 16 kilometres and Sóller about 22 kilometres from Palma, and driving distances are longer because of the bends. The map gives an overview of all regions.

Hiking and weather

The Tramuntana is the island's high mountain range and so the obvious hiking area. The protection instruments listed by UNESCO include a dedicated plan for the Dry-Stone Route. You will find routes by difficulty under hiking in Mallorca.

Expect different weather in the mountains than on the coast: according to Wikipedia, up to 1,507 millimetres of rain fall here each year, while other parts of the island stay below 400 millimetres. See best time to visit for which activity fits which season.

Who the Tramuntana suits

The region suits you if you want mountains, villages and views and do not mind winding roads. Valldemossa and Sóller work well as day trips from Palma, and with the train and tram you can do them without car hire. If you stay several days, choose Sóller or Port de Sóller, the largest of these places, or a finca in the valleys.

For a pure beach holiday this coast is less suitable, because it is steep and rocky. Sandy beaches are found in the north, east and south, see beaches.