or near popular hotels. Cars are generally white, with a stripe bearing the crest of the local municipality. The green sign Lliure/Libre means ‘free’ and any taxi displaying this can be used. In case of difficulty ask your hotel, or a roadside bar, to call one for you. Offer a couple of Euros if they seem reluctant. A general rule of thumb is that a long taxi journey will cost five times more than the bus fare. If three or four walkers share a taxi, the individual cost is close to the bus fare for the same journey. You can ask to see a scale of charges approved by the local municipality, but if you want to go on a long journey you may have to pay the fare both ways even if you’re not returning. Tips of 10 per cent of the fare are customary.
Transport to and from the GR221
Reaching the start
Catch an EMT bus from the airport into Palma. Get off at Plaça d’Espanya and walk into the nearby Estació Intermodal. Bus 102 runs directly to Port d’Andratx, otherwise use bus 111 to reach the alternative starting points of es Capdellà and Calvià. If arriving by ferry, both these buses can be caught near the port without needing to go into Palma.
Reaching the middle
Details of trains, buses and taxis are given at appropriate points along the course of the GR221 in this guidebook. Most villages along the route have good connections with neighbouring villages, as well as with Palma, and it is often possible to commute to and from the route, or leave the route in search of accommodation. Always arrive at a bus stop in good time, as the bus will not stop anywhere else. If in doubt, ask local people where the bus stop, or parada, is located.
Leaving the route
Bus 340 runs direct from Pollença to Palma. If using one of the alternative finishing points, other buses can be caught. These include bus 221 from Orient to Bunyola, which must be booked in advance, linking with bus 220 to Palma. Bus 320 can be caught at Alaró, linking with the SFM railway at the Consell/Alaró station. Bus 330 can be caught at Caimari, linking with other buses or trains at Inca. Once in Palma, EMT bus 1 runs frequently from Plaça d’Espanya to the airport and ferryport.
When to go
In theory the GR221 could be walked at any time of the year, but the peak summer period is very hot and any strenuous activity is quite exhausting. Spring and autumn are usually warm and clear, with a chance of rain, and most walkers would be happy with conditions at these times. The winter months can be clear and warm, but there is a greater risk of rain and the possibility of cold winds and snow on higher ground. Roughly every 20 years the whole of Mallorca is covered in snow, all the way down to the beaches, making transport to the GR221 and walks along mountain paths difficult.
Note the large number of religious or cultural holidays, or festas, on the island. Many businesses close on these days and public transport operates a reduced level of service. The main dates are 1 and 6 January, 1 March, Easter (Thursday to Monday), 1 May, 25 July, 15 August, 12 October, 1 November and 6, 8, 25 and 26 December. Some towns and villages have local festas, but these usually only affect local businesses and not public transport.
Mountain weather on Mallorca
Mallorca has a typical Mediterranean climate with mild, damp winters and hot, dry summers. The relative humidity is around 70 per cent throughout the year. This, together with sea breezes, makes the hot summer days bearable, providing you are not walking uphill too much. There are nearly 300 sunny days in the year and even the winter months see an average of five hours of sunshine a day.
Rain usually falls in heavy showers that soon clear up, although there are occasional days of torrential rain in the late autumn and early spring. The rainfall is greatest over the high mountains and least on the south coast. Snow is common on the mountain tops in winter but very rare at sea level, with falls there recorded in 1956, 1985 and 2005. When snow falls deeply on the mountain paths, they can be quite difficult to follow. Take nothing for granted with the weather, and obtain a forecast whenever possible.
The route could be in the Torrent de la Vall d’en Marc after rain (Stage 10)
Accommodation
The main tourism website for Mallorca is www.infomallorca.net. Tourist information offices are located in all the main resorts, but not all of them operate through the winter. Staff at these offices usually speak English and can assist with information about accommodation, transport and visitor attractions. There is a tourist information office at the airport and others in Palma if assistance is needed before trekking. Other offices are found along the GR221 and are listed in Appendix E.
Accommodation along the GR221 varies widely. Hotels occur at intervals along the way, and refuges, or refugis, are also available. There is only one campsite, which is at Lluc, but many trekkers manage by wild-camping. Although it is possible to commute fairly easily to and from the GR221 from the city of Palma, don’t assume that it would be easy to do so from one of the main tourist resorts around the coast. The best way to appreciate the GR221 is to stay on the trail and stay at a different place along it each night.
All accommodation options are open for most of the year. Some hotels close in the winter. Refugis are often available throughout the year, but the only way to be certain is to contact them in advance with specific dates.
Hotels
Hotels of varying grades are available in every town along the GR221 and almost every village, but some places have far more hotels than others. (See Appendix D for a list.) In Valldemossa, lodgings tend to be quite expensive, but buses allow walkers to move off-route in search of better deals. Former monastic cells at Lluc provide unusual and comfortable accommodation for visitors and are remarkably good value. Bear in mind that all beds could be taken at peak holiday periods, but most of the popular online accommodation booking websites will reveal something, somewhere. Prices range from about €40 per person in a budget hotel to well above €100 in some places, with meals costing extra. Prices of meals vary in hotels, and it is often possible to forgo whatever is offered and eat at a nearby restaurant instead. Breakfast buffets are usually very good value.
Refugis
The Consell de Mallorca established a number of excellent refugis, generally by restoring old buildings and equipping them to a high standard. In terms of services and facilities, they are like very good hostels, with beds in dormitories. They are certainly grander than the average Alpine refuge and are extremely good value. Since being established, some of the refugis continue to be administered centrally by the Consell, while others are run independently. In a few places, privately-owned refugis have opened, and a couple of long-established pilgrim hostels, or hostatgerias, are also available.
The Refugi de Son Amer is surrounded by forested slopes (Alternative finish F)
Mallorcans were very quick to take advantage of such economic yet quality accommodation, so weekends tend to be particularly busy with family groups. Trekkers who want a quieter experience would be well advised to avoid holiday periods and weekends, and use the refugis on less busy weekdays wherever possible.
Booking beds in the Consell-administered refugis can be done online at www.conselldemallorca.net (select English and follow the links), but be sure to follow the instructions, pay a deposit and keep a note of the confirmation. At the privately owned refugis it is possible to phone in advance. Sometimes it is possible just turn up at refugis without booking and hope for the best, but have a plan
