walkers should be aware of their presence. In the unlikely event that you find yourself too close to a shooting party, yell loudly in any language!
Most of the mammals native to the island are small, including pine martens, weasels, hedgehogs, bats, hares, rabbits and rodents, and many of them are hunted by birds of prey. Snakes are only rarely spotted and should cause no concern to walkers. Geckos are unlikely to be seen, except by those keeping a keen watch. Frogs and toads may be common in well-watered areas, and they are notable near the large reservoirs at Cúber and Gorg Blau. Snails can be easy to spot because of their distictive shells. Insect life includes abundant butterflies in spring and summer, and even more species of moths. In the hot summer months cicadas and grasshoppers chirp and whir in the vegetation.
A notable ‘pest’ insect is the pine processionary moth. The female lays up to 200 eggs, which hatch into voracious caterpillars that can cause great damage to trees. They live in dense, spherical webs and move to new foraging areas by marching nose-to-tail, thus giving rise to their name. Don’t handle them, as they are covered in hairs that can irritate the skin. They are constantly monitored and controlled using pheromone traps.
Bird watching
Serious bird watchers should get in touch with the local experts, the Grup Ornitològic Balear (GOB), www.gobmallorca.com. GOB has long been involved in renovating an old building as a refugi at La Trapa, above Sant Elm. Unfortunately, construction has stalled and its future is in doubt. Other Mallorcans have a passion for hunting birds, especially thrushes, which cause a lot of damage to olive groves. Shooting and netting take place from the end of August to the end of January, but this should not inconvenience walkers as it usually occurs in the evenings. Most species of birds are protected.
The black vulture is unmistakeable when seen above remote mountains. Numbers dropped alarmingly in the last century and a programme was set up to assist their recovery. This involves minimising disturbance, leaving carrion out for them, setting up breeding programmes and introducing black vultures from other areas. The breeding season is exceptionally long, extending from January through to July. One stretch of the GR221 was planned to climb above Valldemossa, through an area frequented by black vultures. Permits are now required to walk in that area, so the projected course of the GR221 has been shifted onto other paths. Black vultures are more usually seen over the Serra de Tramuntana between Sóller and Pollença.
Raptors include red kites, peregrines, kestrels and booted eagles. Harriers are occasional visitors, while ospreys may be seen at the large reservoirs at Cúber and Gorg Blau. Eleanora’s falcon breeds along the northern coastal cliffs.
Hoopoes are eagerly spotted in many places, while large flocks of crag martins are notable in the mountains in winter. Alpine accentors also frequent the highest mountains in winter. The blue rock thrush keeps itself out of sight, while swifts breed safely on cliffs. During the winter there is a big influx of birds from northern Europe, including starlings, thrushes, finches, waders and wildfowl. Woodlands support blackcaps, black redstarts, crossbills and goldfinches. Look out for white wagtail, meadow pipits, serins and greenfinches. Linnets and great tits are common and robins and chaffinches are abundant. Firecrests are found fairly high in the mountains.
Travel to Mallorca
By air
Most visitors fly to Mallorca from airports as far apart as Iceland and Israel, from all over Europe, including over two dozen British airports. The choice of routes and airlines is bewildering, but there are plenty of budget operators and deals for those willing to search online. It is worth accessing the Palma de Mallorca airport website to discover just how many routes and operators are available, www.aena.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Palma-Mallorca
By road or rail
Few travellers consider an overland journey to Mallorca, but the Mediterranean ports of Barcelona and Valencia are served by trains and buses. For coach travel check Eurolines, www.eurolines.com, or for trains check www.renfe.com. Driving overland is a very time-consuming approach, but may suit British expatriates living in southern Spain.
Ferries
Ferries sail from Barcelona and Valencia to Palma, including Iscomar, www.iscomar.com, Trasmediterranea, www.trasmediterranea.es, and Balearia, www.balearia.com. Ferries berth so close to Palma that it is possible to walk straight through the historic city centre for onward bus or rail connections, or use EMT bus 1 to get from the port to the Estació Intermodal on Plaça d’Espanya. Some buses heading west to the GR221 can be caught near the ferryport, without the need to go into the city. These include bus 102 to Port d’Andratx and bus 111 to Calvià and es Capdellà.
Taking or hiring a car
Taking a car to Mallorca is not a good idea. The GR221 is linear and returning to a parked car is a huge inconvenience. Some walkers may wish to use a car in order to have a personalised backup service. If so, choose a good navigator to meet you at intervals along the route. Car hire can be arranged in advance, on arrival at the airport or through most hotels.
Travel plans
Shop around travel agents or browse websites to find appropriate flight, coach, rail and ferry schedules, as well as fair prices. Choose outward and return dates, but build in a couple of extra days in case delays, fatigue or inclement weather cause alterations to your planned walking schedule. See Appendix E for a selection of useful contacts.
Travel around Mallorca
By train
There are only two railway lines leaving the centre of Palma, just off the Plaça d’Espanya. An expensive, rickety, vintage train called the Ferrocarril de Sóller runs northwards to Bunyola. It then passes through 13 tunnels beneath the Serra d’Alfàbia and spirals down to Sóller. It links with an electric tram to Port de Sóller. For timetables, tel 971 752051 or 971 752028, www.trendesoller.com.
Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM) trains don’t serve the GR221 directly, although buses can be caught from a couple of railway stations along the line to points on the GR221. For instance, bus 320 links the Consell-Alaró station with Alaró, and bus 330 links the Inca station with Caimari and Lluc. For train timetables, tel 971 177777, www.tib.org.
A vintage tram, or ‘tranvia’, links Sóller and Port de Sóller
By bus
Bus timetables are published to cover summer (April to September) and winter (October to March) seasons. The Estació Intermodal in Palma provides them, and they are posted on brightly coloured bus stops around Mallorca, but otherwise printed copies are difficult to obtain. Most buses, but by no means all of them, are red and yellow. Buses run from early until late, but some remote villages have few buses. A list of useful bus services covering all parts of the GR221 is given in Appendix C. For bus timetables, tel 971 177777, www.tib.org.
By taxi
Taxis are available in all towns and most villages throughout Mallorca,
