Level: Medium
Duration: 6 hrs +
This is a long loop walk starting either from the Monastery of Lluc or the Mussa estate entrance on the way from Lluc to Pollensa.
The landowners both on the Mussa side and on the Lluc side of the walk only allow access on Sundays. It can therefore get quite busy on the single day of the week during which this hike is open to the public. The most interesting part of the hike is on the north western, sea side of the mountain, where the path (reputedly built by smugglers) overlooks some very wild areas towering high above the sea shores. For the amateurs of wild shorelines, this is a hike well worth integrating in a trans Tramuntana jolly. Long trousers are best as the tall grass on the way is sharp
By passing the restricted access routes is possible, but the sheer distance needed to be covered to do so would make it (an exciting) one way hike rather then a loop.... unless wheeled transport was prearranged to return to the starting point.
Duration: 6 hrs +
This is a long loop walk starting either from the Monastery of Lluc or the Mussa estate entrance on the way from Lluc to Pollensa.
The landowners both on the Mussa side and on the Lluc side of the walk only allow access on Sundays. It can therefore get quite busy on the single day of the week during which this hike is open to the public. The most interesting part of the hike is on the north western, sea side of the mountain, where the path (reputedly built by smugglers) overlooks some very wild areas towering high above the sea shores. For the amateurs of wild shorelines, this is a hike well worth integrating in a trans Tramuntana jolly. Long trousers are best as the tall grass on the way is sharp
By passing the restricted access routes is possible, but the sheer distance needed to be covered to do so would make it (an exciting) one way hike rather then a loop.... unless wheeled transport was prearranged to return to the starting point.
Getting There
Bus line number 330 is your only public transport option to Lluc from Palma on a Sunday. It leaves Palma Placa d'Espanya at 10 and arrives in Lluc quite late, at 11.15 am. The return trip only departs however at 17:45 from Lluc, which leaves you six hours to complete the walk... long enough but do not linger. Otherwise one could arrive on the saturday night, stay at the monastery or refuge or campsite and set off earlier on Sunday morning.
With your own wheels, you can park either at Mossa or Lluc (parking by the restaurants es guix above Lluc is free). As the walk on the main road between Mossa and Lluc (or vice versa) is for the most part tedious, groups with two cars should leave one at either end... or just drop a bicycle at one end and park at the other!
Bus line number 330 is your only public transport option to Lluc from Palma on a Sunday. It leaves Palma Placa d'Espanya at 10 and arrives in Lluc quite late, at 11.15 am. The return trip only departs however at 17:45 from Lluc, which leaves you six hours to complete the walk... long enough but do not linger. Otherwise one could arrive on the saturday night, stay at the monastery or refuge or campsite and set off earlier on Sunday morning.
With your own wheels, you can park either at Mossa or Lluc (parking by the restaurants es guix above Lluc is free). As the walk on the main road between Mossa and Lluc (or vice versa) is for the most part tedious, groups with two cars should leave one at either end... or just drop a bicycle at one end and park at the other!
The Hike
This walk can be hiked clockwise or antilockwise; the restriction allowing only an anticlockwise passage seems to have now been lifted. I will describe the walk starting from Lluc, as this is the way I hiked it.
Starting off from the big car park in Lluc, take the small road on the left side of the carpark when facing the monastery. This will lead you to a gate with 'no entry except on Sundays' signs. Follow the winding road down, by passing the curves whenever possible to gain a bit of time if this is a precious commodity.
You will arrive to the grand Finca d'Alborca; after yet an other detour you will be on your way towards Puig Roig; the asphalt will turn to dirt after a set of houses. Just keep on, you still have a long way to go. Progression is quite slow but you will eventually reach the foot of the mountain and some more bends on the track, going up hill this time. Once again, it is possible to shorten the way by cutting straight.
After one more gate, the road will level off and you will soon arrive to the impressive troglodyte houses of Es Cosconar, a settlement inhabited since the 13th century. It will take you at least 1:30 hour from Lluc to arrive here. From here on, the walk becomes far more interesting, penetrating in the wild and rugged northern shores of the Serra deTramuntana.
Push on after the houses in the direction of the impressive Quarter des Carabiners building, looking for a cairned path on the right branching off the main track. Follow this path, and your are now on the so called smuggler trail. The views on the Torre de Lluc and the sea shore are fantastic. The old path is cairned most of the way, with some passage involving minor scrambling where the dry stone work has been washed away. The tall grass can make the cairns hard to spot and the path is very faint at times.
The pas d'en Segarra, a small overhang on a cliff through which the path goes offers more good views, then it is the return inland towards the Col des Ases. After the Col, the path goes down a cliff side towards the Mossa farmstead (some pretty impressive drystone engineering here), and makes a detour around the finca (far less impressive), before rejoining the track to the gate on the main road.
You have a long and rather boring walk ahead on the main road back to Lluc, five or six kilometers away. Hitch hiking is a good option, but if you are walking you have a choice of a few shortcut trails to the right leading you in a slightly straighter line back to the monastery. Trails are signposted here so finding your way is no problem; there are some strangely shaped boulders on the way, but the track passes otherwise through fairly dense woodlands with no view. It is a long way home.
For those on a one way ticket through the serra, it is possible to reach Es Cosconar from Escorca and by pass the Mussa farmstead at the other end any day of the week. Be warned, this is a demanding 8 hrs + walk in very remote country side, with no real trails on many sections, no phone reception and no water on the way.
Head down to the bottom of the Torrent de Parreis gorge on the main trail from Escorca; once in the gorge you will be facing a gully to the north going all the way up to Es Cosconar. The easiest route is to start on the right hand side (east) of the gully, then cross over to the left side (there are cairns showing the best crossover spot) and climb all the way up. This is a steep and difficult route.
Follow the Puig Roig circuit on the sea side to the Col des Ases, where you turn left onto the trail around the puig de Caragoler de Femenia. The way is cairned but there is no real trail; after passing the Col des Pinetons you will join a dirt track that will lead you all the way to the Femenia farmstead. A kilometer or so before the farmstead, an ancient track winds its way downhill on the left towards a flat, cultivated piece of land called L'Ordial. From here an other dirt track will lead you to Mortix farmstead, where you either rejoin the main road and hitch a ride to Pollensa or head for the Lavanor refuge that you will have magically pre booked.
You can download a PDF of this page here
This walk can be hiked clockwise or antilockwise; the restriction allowing only an anticlockwise passage seems to have now been lifted. I will describe the walk starting from Lluc, as this is the way I hiked it.
Starting off from the big car park in Lluc, take the small road on the left side of the carpark when facing the monastery. This will lead you to a gate with 'no entry except on Sundays' signs. Follow the winding road down, by passing the curves whenever possible to gain a bit of time if this is a precious commodity.
You will arrive to the grand Finca d'Alborca; after yet an other detour you will be on your way towards Puig Roig; the asphalt will turn to dirt after a set of houses. Just keep on, you still have a long way to go. Progression is quite slow but you will eventually reach the foot of the mountain and some more bends on the track, going up hill this time. Once again, it is possible to shorten the way by cutting straight.
After one more gate, the road will level off and you will soon arrive to the impressive troglodyte houses of Es Cosconar, a settlement inhabited since the 13th century. It will take you at least 1:30 hour from Lluc to arrive here. From here on, the walk becomes far more interesting, penetrating in the wild and rugged northern shores of the Serra deTramuntana.
Push on after the houses in the direction of the impressive Quarter des Carabiners building, looking for a cairned path on the right branching off the main track. Follow this path, and your are now on the so called smuggler trail. The views on the Torre de Lluc and the sea shore are fantastic. The old path is cairned most of the way, with some passage involving minor scrambling where the dry stone work has been washed away. The tall grass can make the cairns hard to spot and the path is very faint at times.
The pas d'en Segarra, a small overhang on a cliff through which the path goes offers more good views, then it is the return inland towards the Col des Ases. After the Col, the path goes down a cliff side towards the Mossa farmstead (some pretty impressive drystone engineering here), and makes a detour around the finca (far less impressive), before rejoining the track to the gate on the main road.
You have a long and rather boring walk ahead on the main road back to Lluc, five or six kilometers away. Hitch hiking is a good option, but if you are walking you have a choice of a few shortcut trails to the right leading you in a slightly straighter line back to the monastery. Trails are signposted here so finding your way is no problem; there are some strangely shaped boulders on the way, but the track passes otherwise through fairly dense woodlands with no view. It is a long way home.
For those on a one way ticket through the serra, it is possible to reach Es Cosconar from Escorca and by pass the Mussa farmstead at the other end any day of the week. Be warned, this is a demanding 8 hrs + walk in very remote country side, with no real trails on many sections, no phone reception and no water on the way.
Head down to the bottom of the Torrent de Parreis gorge on the main trail from Escorca; once in the gorge you will be facing a gully to the north going all the way up to Es Cosconar. The easiest route is to start on the right hand side (east) of the gully, then cross over to the left side (there are cairns showing the best crossover spot) and climb all the way up. This is a steep and difficult route.
Follow the Puig Roig circuit on the sea side to the Col des Ases, where you turn left onto the trail around the puig de Caragoler de Femenia. The way is cairned but there is no real trail; after passing the Col des Pinetons you will join a dirt track that will lead you all the way to the Femenia farmstead. A kilometer or so before the farmstead, an ancient track winds its way downhill on the left towards a flat, cultivated piece of land called L'Ordial. From here an other dirt track will lead you to Mortix farmstead, where you either rejoin the main road and hitch a ride to Pollensa or head for the Lavanor refuge that you will have magically pre booked.
You can download a PDF of this page here
