“Galilea was known in the early 16th century as the mola of Cortei, a quite revealing toponym”. Tomàs Vibot and Just Hernàndez make this clear in the book Son Cortei, Conques i Galilea, published in 2009 by the Puigpunyent Town Hall: the establishment process of this nucleus is “a slow process motivated by inheritance policies” that led around 1586 to the segregation of an old farmstead of Bartomeu Cortei and the creation of small plots for the new settlers of the area.

The center of Mallorca is located in Lloret de Vistalegre, within its municipal boundaries. We won't argue with that. But the true heart of Mallorca lies in the fertile plains within the magical circle formed by Sineu, Sant Joan, Montuïri, Lloret, Sencelles, and Costitx. Our route begins at the true 'geographical center of Mallorca,' certified by the National Geographic Institute, and heads towards the edge of this imagined circle, marked by one of its most legendary points: the Llorac well. All of this is a pleasant stroll along paths that gently caress the landscape's subtle nuances.

The Cingles path and the Bini Gran and Bini Petit estates form a unique section of the Tramuntana mountain range's cultural landscape. We find ourselves between the Sóller valley and the rugged, precipitous slopes of Puig Major de Son Torrella. Here, we discover a high plateau above Tuent, with fertile farmland, well-irrigated by numerous springs and two spectacular streams: the Al·lot Mort and the Gorg dels Diners. Our proposal is a hike in search of the human imprint on the land, its paths and estates. One cannot be understood without the other, and the other would be meaningless without the others. The memory of our journeys, the paths themselves, explain how we have related to the geographical space and how we have shaped it to our needs. All of this forms a complex cosmos, with the Lluc sanctuary at its center. Thus, the Bini or Cingles path, a name that refers to the pronounced cliffs of the Pelut headland and Puig Major, as it passes close to them, is the old royal road used by the inhabitants of Fornalutx to go to Lluc and Pollença.

Although the route we describe this week begins and ends in Santa Margalida, the town, it actually passes through four municipalities, including Muro, Llubí, and Maria de la Salut. In fact, the route's main focus is the Muro mountain range and the estates of Castellet, Tanca, and Son Tovell. Beyond municipal and property boundaries, we visit a territory marked by the long and dark shadow of the past: that of Count Mal. Ramon Burgues Safortesa Pax-Fuster de Villalonga y Nieto, the second Count of Santa María de Formiguera, waged a bitter and violent legal battle during the 17th century, with tragic consequences, against the town of Santa Margalida, its university, and its people. The lawsuits centered primarily on the nobleman and his family's interest in direct control and the collection of tithes from the common lands, as well as their claim to exercise civil and criminal jurisdiction over the inhabitants of his estates. "Because of the misdeeds he committed in life, his soul found no rest and he was condemned to wander the lands he ruled in life, from Santa Margalida to Galatzó" (source: Count Evil: Between History and LegendCatalina Valriu and Tomàs Vibot. El Gallo Editor, 2013). And before starting the route, a very special thanks to the historians Antoni Mas Forners, from Villa, and Pau Mateu Vives, from Muro, for all the historical and toponymic information collected on this route.

The Barca mountain range might be described as unassuming, but it must be added, in its favor, that it is extremely effective. Easy to climb, its crags offer a splendid view of the Granja plateau and the Planícia plateau, above the Les Rotasses valley. The route we offer traces a different path through the highlands of the municipality of Banyalbufar, between the estates of Son Valentí, Ses Mosqueras, and Sa Granja. A feast for the senses, a true test for the legs.

Biniparratx Beach is a small cove of sand and pebbles located between Binidalí and Binissafúller, on the southeast coast of Menorca, right on the border between the municipalities of Maó and Sant Lluís. The cove is very long with shallow, sheltered waters, surrounded by high, steep cliffs. To the right, towards the west, you can see a group of 11 artificial caves, dating from between the 6th and 5th centuries BC. The island's ancient inhabitants buried their dead in spaces excavated into the slopes of the ravines. During the walk, we will also have the opportunity to visit the Biniparratxet archaeological site, from the Late Talayotic period. Menorca has just over 700 km² with 1,586 archaeological sites. Not all of them are open to the public. However, UNESCO decided to include them (a good part of them) on the World Heritage list on September 18, 2023 under the Menorca Talayotic brand.

The Borges stream, at over 40 km long, is the longest watercourse in Mallorca. It collects the waters of one of the island's largest river basins, covering more than 330 km². It rises between Manacor and Felanitx, flows north, crosses the municipalities of Vilafranca de Bonany, Petra, and Santa Margalida, and empties into the sea near Son Serra de Marina. On its journey between Petra and Manacor, the Borges stream becomes the backbone of a long and fertile valley that we propose exploring, both on foot and by observing, to savor the rich cultural landscape and natural heritage of inland Mallorca.

The port of Fornells, in the municipality of El Mercadal, is one of the most important on the island. Although its main uses today are fishing and recreational boating, historically it has been the main harbor for the north coast of Menorca and a significant center for salt production. Stretching four kilometers from the harbor entrance to the breakwater, it is one of the largest nautical havens on the island, second only to the port of Maó. It boasts many charms, gastronomy being one of them, but its heritage is perhaps, in our opinion, the most outstanding. Although, who can resist the temptation of trying a good caldereta (fish stew)!

This week's route takes us to the outskirts of Palma, to the northernmost limits of the municipality, where it meets the municipalities of Valldemossa and Bunyola. This short, flat itinerary between the hamlet of La Garriga and the Mestre Pere spring along the Passatemps path introduces us to a part of Palma's immense and fascinating hydraulic heritage. Since ancient times, three springs (the Villa spring, the Baster spring, and the Mestre Pere spring) supplied the city with water through very long irrigation channels. But that wasn't their only function. Along their course, parallel to the current Valldemossa road (Ma-1110), their significant flow filled public washhouses and powered flour mills. This variant offers a glimpse into the agricultural past of Palma's outskirts.

This week's route explores the dry, earthen hills of the municipality of Andratx. El Arracó is a hamlet within the municipality of Andratx, established during the 18th century, halfway between the town of Andratx and the port of Sant Elm, following the construction of the Church of Sant Crist in 1704. Inside, we find the image of the Virgin of La Trapa, from the lost world. It retains the charm of traditional inland village houses, although some Modernist-style buildings reveal the economic evolution of some families who migrated abroad, mostly to France. We find them on the main street, on Carrer de França (numbers 98 and 58), and on the corner of Plaça de Toledo, next to the church.

The Barcelona writer, doctor and politician Joan Colomines i Puig (1922-2011) defined Cape Barbaria as "one of the wildest, most inhospitable, desolate, barren and lonely places on the island. But one of the most attractive." It is not in vain that the Basque filmmaker Julio Medem chose this space as the main setting for his film "The Cape of Barbaria." Lucia and sex (2001). Medem's Formentera was Lucía's (Paz Vega) escape route, a hole into which she could fall and restart her life. The southernmost tip of the Balearic archipelago is a good place to rediscover solitude and, at the same time, the essence of the most primal earth.

On this route, we explore the surroundings of Punta Xarracó, which rises to an altitude of 73 m. This is a prominent landmark of the inn of the same name, at the northernmost point of the municipality of Sant Joan de Labritja. The inns are territorial organizations specific to the island of Ibiza that have long sought to group and coordinate a traditionally very dispersed population. The inn of Xarracó occupies an area of 622 hectares and is located at the northwestern end of the village of Sant Joan; it is bordered to the east by the inn of Niu dels Corbs and the inn of Xarraca; to the south by the inn of Cas Vidal; to the west by the inn of Benirràs in the village of Sant Miquel de Balansat, and to the north by the sea. Towards the eastern half of the inn, it formed part of the ancient medieval cavalry of Labritja. Later, it was included within the larger inn of Xarraca, until the latter was divided and the inn of Xarracó emerged. It is a rugged, uneven terrain, with no significant elevations, but it also has no notable plains. In this same area, we find the Jaumet Channel and Caves, coastal sites on the eastern slope of Punta Xarracó.

Puerto de Andratx is now the official starting point of the first stage of the GR 221. It marks the starting point of the Dry Stone Route, which, after nine stages and 150 km, ends at Puerto de Pollença. Last March, the Consell de Mallorca (Majorca Council) presented the signage for a 13-km section between the port and La Trapa. On this route, we propose reaching Puerto de Sant Elm, a place steeped in history and legend, all linked to the Catalan conquest of Mallorca in 1229.

Mount Nunó is a mountainous elevation located on the west coast of Ibiza, in the municipality of Sant Antoni de Portmany. It measures 258 meters in height and marks the beginning, on the western coast, of the northern mountain range known as Els Amunts. It forms high cliffs overlooking the sea that are an emblematic point on the coast, as they are visible from anywhere around the Bay of Portmany. At its summit is a geodesic vertex. The name derives from one of the Catalan lords who arrived in Ibiza in 1235, Nunó Sanç, who was awarded the quarter of Portmany; in fact, this mount served as a demarcation between this quarter and that of Balansat (Guillem de Montgrí). At the top of the mount, you can find remains of stones that bear signs of having served as milestones in different eras.

On this route, we explore the beginning of the future variant of the Dry Stone Route that will connect Valldemossa and Alaró Castle, after a long journey through Pastoritx, Raixa, and the commune of Bunyola to the Oriente Valley. The GR-221.5 is partially signposted, especially on the Bunyola-Orient section. All of this sets us on an intense itinerary, thanks to the beauty of the surroundings and the cultural significance of the landscape. Paths steeped in history where we can still hear the echo of the footsteps of muleteers and their shepherds, and the restless chatter of the galufas (a type of muleteer) on the way to the olive groves of Valldemossa and Bunyola. The excursion we propose is not circular, so the use of public transport is absolutely necessary: line 203 to go to Valldemossa and lines 204 and 303 to return from Bunyola (all service information on the website). tib.org).

The following proposed long and complex itinerary brings us closer to the reality of mountain agriculture, which, despite its history, was purely subsistence. Crops were grown on thin, stony soil, often connected by poorly tracked paths and trails. The main objective is Mount Feles, a spectacular and daring balcony overlooking the west of Mallorca.

The Civil Guard has rescued a 39-year-old Belgian woman who had an accident after falling down a ravine about 10 meters high in the Cala Deià area.

It's rare to find such a short itinerary that combines such a combination of elements to create a powerful cultural landscape and natural heritage. The route crosses the Cala Mesquida dune system, areas of accumulated sandy sediment that develop inland on most of the beaches of the Balearic Islands; it climbs to the Son Jaumell watchtower (273 m), a former 16th-century watchtower reused in the 19th century as another link in the optical telegraph linking Palma and Mahón, and continues to a second peak, Monte del Águila (234 m), where we find an archaeological site. The route starts and ends in the coastal town of Cala Mesquida, in the municipality of Capdepera, which until 1858 was part of Artà.

On this circular route, we connect two very important routes in the context of the communications network of the Tramuntana Mountains: the Castelló and Baix routes. The former was the main route connecting Deià and Sóller, that is, the Royal Road, along which the entire life of that region was aligned. It is not in vain that we find some of the most important and long-established estates in the mountain range, such as Son Coll, Son Mono, Can Prohom, and Bienes de Avall, among others. The Baix route—as opposed to the Amunt or Grao route, also called the Son Coll or Castellón route—is a very old route that ran along the same maritime slope of the Tramuntana Mountains as the former, although much closer to the sea.

Alcudia, Pollentia 'the powerful' by the Romans, Al-Kudi or the city of the hill by the Muslims, the 'Most Faithful City' that resisted Germania in defense of Emperor Charles. But, above all, a town equidistant from the two natural exits to the sea: the Puerto Mayor (Pollença). Precisely the latter was the one used by Charles V when he visited the town on June 4, 1535, to thank it for its support during the Germania revolt (1521-1523). Probably at the Tamarells port, at the end of the port, because it offered better shelter and draught. Since Roman times, we know that there was a port in the part of the bay of Alcudia. Mimi P. in the Bay of Alcudia on November 19, 1883, marked a milestone in the history of the port and tested the courage and character of Alcudia's sailors.