Pollença – Puig de Maria Hiking Trail on Mallorca, Spain

Reaching the starting point

We started this hike at the Pollença bus station, which is located just outside the historic center of Pollença. There is a playground next to the bus station which is really convenient if you’re coming there with kids. We made a short stop there so that our kids got some play time before tbe hike. The trailhead is easy to reach from the bus station and after only a couple of hundred of meters of walking the directions signs for Puig de Maria start appearing.

If you’re arriving by car, there is also a big parking lot at the bus station that seems to be free of charge. If you’re travelling by public transport, Pollença is well connected by buses operated by TIB. The following bus lines stop at Pollença bus station:

• Bus 301, running between Palma and Port de Pollença via Inca
• Bus 340, connecting Alcúdia and Port de Pollença
• Bus 334, linking Pollença with Sa Pobla and nearby towns

You can check current timetables, routes, and fares on the official TIB website at www.tib.org or by using Google Maps. During the summer season, buses run frequently, while outside the high season it’s best to check departure times in advance. Payment is straightforward: You pay by tapping your credit card when boarding and again when getting off.

Trail Description

From the Pollença bus station, you should first walk a bit towards south-west on the Carrer de Cecili Metel street. Soon you’ll see a gravel parking lot on your left. Enter the parking lot and continue towards south-east until you reach the main road, Ma-2200. Carefully cross the road here and continue on Camí d’es Puig, which marks the beginning of the hiking route towards Puig de Maria. Some caution is required when crossing the Ma-2200, as traffic can be heavy and cars often pass at high speeds.

Once you’ve crossed the road, you’ll soon reach a trail information board showing the route on a map along with some basic details about the hike. The trail follows the GR 221 route also known as the Dry Stone Route, which is well known for connecting several classic hiking paths across Mallorca.

After walking a little further, you’ll come to a direction sign pointing to the right, indicating approximately 50 minutes of hiking to the top of Puig de Maria. From here on, the trail is consistently marked with clear navigation signs, so navigation should not be a problem.

At this point, the trail is still asphalted, but it quickly becomes quite steep as it ascends the southern slopes of the mountain. After hiking a total distance of around two kilometers, the route turns sharply to the left, and the asphalted path changes to a path made of relatively large stones. We had a stroller with us and decided to leave it here, as continuing on the rocky path would have been quite hard. From here you only have 500 meters of hiking left to the top of the peak.

From the top, you get wide panoramic views over the town of Pollença, the surrounding countryside, and, on clear days, all the way to the Bay of Alcúdia and the distant Tramuntana mountains. The monastery complex itself is very relaxing, with stone walls, courtyards, and shaded terraces that invite you to take a break and enjoy the scenery. When we arrived, the area around the monastery was also home to numerous goats, which wandered freely around the buildings waiting for tourists to give them some food.

Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid 2

I bought the Salewa Mountain Trainer 2 Mid GTX boots last year after my old pair of Mountain Trainers finally gave up after nine years of regular use. At first, I was a bit worried that the new version wouldn’t live up to the previous model, but those concerns turned out to be unfounded. The boots perform excellently and are particularly well suited for carrying heavy loads and rocky and uneven terrain.