The beauty of the Tramuntana Mountains

Whenever I thought of Mallorca, I always used to picture it overrun with stag dos and people on cheap package deals. But my recent holiday there showed me just how wrong I was.

Even the journey to the Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel gave us a glimpse of the sheer beauty of the Tramuntana Mountains. We travelled past palm trees and gazed straight ahead at the phenomenal panoramic mountains.

I go on hikes all the time in Germany, so, naturally, I had my hiking boots here with me too. On the first day, I'd already managed to explore some of the landscape and discovered a couple of amazing spots to stop and take in the stunning sea views.

And of course, now I'd dipped my toe in, I wanted to delve deeper into the hilly landscape. The Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel is the perfect base for hiking tours, because it's a stone's throw from the Tramuntana Mountains. The team quickly booked a tour for me and the next day, I was off hiking the archduke's old bridle path with an experienced guide called Salva from Mallorca Muntanya. We ventured upwards into the mountains along narrow paths, protected from the sun by pines and olive trees.

The views out over the countryside became ever more impressive as we climbed higher. At the top, I was greeted by a magnificent vantage point with views of miles around.

We took a break here and Salva treated us to some lovely local delicacies. There was ham, olives, local cheeses, tasty wine and garlic ... lots of garlic. Re-energized, we headed back down the mountain, meandering along winding paths that were just as beautiful as those we took on the way up.

I was so impressed with the landscape that I booked another tour with Salva for the very next day! This time into a canyon: Torrent de Pareis. OK, I thought to myself, a canyon is going to be really cool.

We arrived at the top, after heading through old terraced farmlands, sadly no longer cultivated. We passed a few wild goats by the roadside – they seemed to look at us as if to say: what are you doing here?

Until this point, it had been a fairly normal walk and I was wondering what was so special about this place. Then, we went down into the eroded boulders and it was amazing to imagine what sheer mass of water must have run through here to form them.

Then things got even better. The path got narrower and the surroundings got harsher. We clambered any which way: over, alongside and in between the rocks. We squeezed through small gaps, scrambled over boulders and then found ourselves on the other side back under the mammoth cliff faces.

It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We travelled the same path as the ancient waters. I called it "Canyoning without water“ – that was the best way I could sum it up.

We saw several small pools which still had water in them. I imagined what kind of enormous force must have formed these pools.

Through the rocky passages and out on the other side of the ravine, a fantastic beach surrounded with mountains on both sides awaited us. Out came Salva's delicious food again – the perfect way to let the sights of the day sink in: here, on the beach, with a glass of wine and some cheese.

We returned by boat, which took us directly from the beach to Port de Sóller. During this short (about 30 min.) journey, we were able to once again enjoy views of the magnificent landscape we'd spent the day exploring.

I know I'll be coming back here to hike again – and again and again!

Something about the landscape really captured my imagination – it's certainly different to Germany's! Every time I caught a glimpse of the amazing sea views, a huge grin appeared on my face. I really felt at home at Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel. Its relaxed atmosphere was maintained morning, noon and night – a welcome surprise when I was returning from my day of adventures.

If you fancy it, why not have a look at the tours the Bikini team have sourced? You'll find a list of accompanied tours from Mallorca Muntanya, as well as some you can take on your own with Komoot here: BIKINI HIKING