Cala Pi, the second line of defense in the south of Mallorca

PalmOn this route, we explore the second line of coastal defense along a portion of the southern coast of Mallorca. One of the least known architectural and ethnological treasures of the municipality of Llucmajor is the defensive system formed by the towers of the manor houses. These, along with the watchtowers and lookouts built from the mid-16th century onwards along the coast, constituted the main guarantee of survival for the population inhabiting this area. This itinerary draws upon all the information provided by Joan Clar Monserrat (1952-2023) in his work. Interior defense towers of LlucmajorPresented at the first Llucmajor Local Studies Conference, held on November 10th and 11th, 2017, this route also incorporates the insightful guidance of Llucmajor-born historical researcher Cels Calviño. Public transport is available on line 519d (Cala Pi-Llucmajor).

The route

[00 min] From the Cala Pi bus stop, we backtrack and head towards the edge of this coastal village in Llucmajor, along Belén Street. On the left, we pass the small but short-lived streams of Cala Pi and Capacorb Nou, although their drainage basin covers more than 50 km². We walk just over a kilometer until we find the junction with the old Cala Pi road on the right [10 min]. We leave the asphalt and continue along a dirt track heading northeast. We proceed between dry stone walls and wide fields that stretch out to the right and left of the path.

We soon reach the Cala Pi estate on our right and Sa Bassa Plana on our left [25 min]. Since 2012, the latter has housed the vineyards of the Vi Rei winery. More than 100 hectares are planted with native varieties such as Prensal Blanco, Manto Negro, Giró Ros, and Callet, among others. Focusing on the heritage value of the surroundings, we must turn our attention to the old estate of Cala Pi, a strategic point in the second line of defense along Mallorca's southern coast. As has happened with almost all the towers, these have been incorporated into the estate's houses, forming part of them, as is the case with the Cala Pi tower, a three-story structure where the ground floor serves as a room and the upper floor forms part of the houses' porch and roof terrace.

A little over half a kilometer further on, we reach a major fork in the road [35 min]. Standing still, the old Cala Pi road continues, which is the way we will return. We must turn right onto the Son Moro road. It's worth taking a moment to look at the fence that occupies the corner of Can Puig, on our right. According to the historical researcher Cels Calviño, it is a prehistoric pond reused in later periods. We continue our walk along a beautiful cart track that skirts the properties of Can Puig and Son Moro. Once past the houses of the latter property, which we leave to our right [45 min], we come to a section of the path with vegetation that has thickened the interior, bordered by dry stone walls on both sides. We continue always heading east and leave to our right the path that descends towards the sea through the Vallgornereta lands [55 min].

The next point of interest is the Vallgornera Nou estate, which we find to the left of the path [1 hr 00 min]. This estate, separated from the former Vallgornera Vell estate, was already documented in the 17th century. The proximity of the houses to our position allows us to clearly appreciate all its heritage. The Vallgornera Nou tower, with three levels, has a second floor with a conical vault, practically made of dry stone, without any reference. Currently, there is a geodetic vertex on the roof. Closer to the path, we can see a small flour windmill, documented in 1859, with a base of irregular stones, 2 m high, and with two staircases. Its tower is narrow and retains the lower millrace and part of the upper one, as well as the shaft with six antennas, wheels, and other iron implements. At the same level as the houses, but on the opposite side of the path, we can admire a beautiful cistern.

The path we have followed so far leads to the Vallgornera road [1 hr 10 min], a currently paved road that connects the Presos road (Ma-6014) with the Vallgornera residential area in the Marina de Llucmajor. If we wish, we can walk about 400 meters towards the sea to see the houses of Vallgornera Vell and its defensive tower. Our route now continues with our backs to the sea. This part of the itinerary can be somewhat tedious due to the asphalt and the scarcity of points of historical interest. We pass the Guiamaranet solar park on the right side of the road, and a little further on, at the access road to the houses of Solleric, we leave a quarry on our left. We then cross the main road [1 hr 30 min] and continue straight ahead, towards the north, along the Vallgornera road.

Fresh Springs

We haven't yet been able to get a clear view, but to the left, beyond some thick undergrowth, we can make out the Son Alberto airfield. We enter the Fonts Fresques area. [1 hr 50 min] The Vallgornera path leads to the old Cala Pi road, which we join on the left, heading south towards the houses of So n'Albertí [1 hr 55 min]. We find them just after passing a fork in the road and following the path to the right, which goes past some gates that are always open. As Joan Clar Monserrat describes in his study on the inner defense line of the Marina de Llucmajor, the tower of Son Alberto, along with the Febrer or Villalonga tower, are two "fortified houses," still standing today. Furthermore, "they are the oldest of all and are Gothic in style, possibly dating from the 14th century for the tower and the 15th century for the other."

We leave this old fortified settlement, built to defend the local population from the constant pirate attacks that plagued the area, especially during the 16th and part of the 17th centuries. These structures "bear witness to the fear to which the people were subjected, due to the constant warnings of Moorish arrivals and landings." The path leads us to the wide, clear esplanade where the Son Alberto airfield facilities are located [2 h 00 min], which we walk around, keeping it to our left. We gradually approach the Pedreres Velles quarry. Very close to the Presos road (Ma-6014), we find another quarry on the right side of the path. [2 h 15 min] We cross the road and continue our walk along the old Cala Pi path, now on the final stretch of the route. We complete the loop at the Can Puig reservoir [2 h 30 min]. From here, we just have to retrace our steps until we reach the Cala Pi urbanisation, where we finish the walk [3 h 05 min].

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