Easy excursion in Mallorca: Route through the Lofra valley

PalmaOn this long and demanding route, we aim for the Puig del Sementer Gran (1,013 m), in the municipality of Escorca, bordering Bunyola and Sóller. A summit that often goes unnoticed, discreet, but which becomes a monumental balcony over the Lofra valley and a natural viewpoint towards the central sector of the Tramuntana mountain range. A pleasure for the senses and a real torment for the legs; nevertheless, the effort is worth it. We start from the Cúber barrier, located near milestone 34 of the Ma-10 road (Pollença-Andratx). Very close by, at the height of the recreational area of the Font del Noguer, the bus of line 354 of Mallorca's interurban public transport stops. On the website tib.org you will find all the information on timetables and availability of all lines.

The route

[00 min] We begin the walk from the gate of the public estate of Cúber. The GR 221 (Ruta de Pedra en Sec) crosses this point. One option is to follow the signage that diverts us along the path to the right, skirting the reservoir without passing over the dam. The other consists of continuing along the wide, paved path that, oriented to the southwest, leads us directly towards the Rateta mountain and, at the same time, coincides with the old path from Lluc to Sóller through the Biniaraix ravine.

While we take a look around, we can recall that the Gorg Blau and Cúber reservoirs were inaugurated on April 19, 1972, 54 years ago. The works lasted two years and involved about a thousand people. The tourist and population growth of Mallorca since the 1950s forced the exploration of new water supply formulas. The result was the construction of two dams and the consequent flooding of the valleys of Almalltux and Gorg Blau.

The path passes over the dam [10 min]. To the left is the Almadrà torrent, with the large pipe that carries water to Palma. Soon we observe to our right the Cúber refuge, on the edge of the reservoir. The path, wide and now dirt, reaches an open barrier over the watershed between the public estate of Cúber and the property of Binimorat and Lofra [15 min]. A pedestrian crossing opens to the right, with a small barrier. From here, along the path, some small constructions appear that once served as shelter for the farmers who cultivated those lands and, at the same time, grazed flocks of sheep.

We arrive at the houses of Binimorat [45 min], which retain the name of an ancient Muslim farm documented in 1231. The property has been linked for centuries to the neighboring estate of Lofra. The GR-221 signs point to the right, to climb to the Lofra pass via the old path. [1 h 00 min] Past the pass, the path plunges through the dense forest towards the interior of the valley. After crossing on several occasions the dirt track that allows vehicle access to the houses of Lofra, the GR signs finally guide us towards the gorge where the waters flow into the interior of the ravine. [1 h 25 min] We leave the main route (GR 221) to the left, following the signs that guide us towards the Quesada viewpoint and the Cornador Gran refuge. A beautiful bridle path, refurbished by the Foment del Turisme in the 60s of the 20th century, which climbs comfortably up the steep slopes of the mountain.

We reach the pass that separates the Sementer Gran peak, to the left, and the Cornador Gran peak, to the right [2 h 00 min]. It is on these north-facing slopes that we find, a few meters from our position, the Joaquim Quesada refuge, inaugurated on April 30, 1961, along with the viewpoint that, five minutes from the refuge, offers us a spectacular view of the Sóller valley. Now we turn left and tackle the last important climb of our route.

From one moment to the next we follow the path that descends towards l’Arrom, but immediately we distinguish on the left a small path that goes uphill, with cairns and good to follow. Just when the track seems to have reached the highest point and turns towards the southwest, we leave it and climb directly towards the rocky outcrop we have on the left. In a couple of scrambles we find ourselves on top of the Puig del Sementer Gran [2 h 15 min], it is worth stopping there and enjoying the wide and beautiful panoramic view it offers us.

We follow the route at the point where we left it before reaching the summit. Now, without a trail, but with numerous cairns guiding our steps, we progressively approach the peak of Son Palou (1,044 m), our next objective. [2 h 40 min] At the top we find a slab, upright and clearly visible, which may indicate the division between properties or the union of the terms of Escorca, Bunyola, and Sóller. The views are simply spectacular over the houses of Alfàbia and the Valley of the Oranges, all the way to the sea. Our route continues south over a wide and comfortable ridge, with a string of cairns that ensure our way. [2 h 55 min] Suddenly we leave the bare rock, we enter the thick of the holm oak forest and reach a very important crossroads. To the right, the cairns would lead us to the rock of l'Anyell and the Serra d'Alfàbia. We must follow those that are oriented towards the east, to our left, and point directly to the Coll del Jou, which we can now see. There is no clear path, but it is not very complicated either.

The Coll del Jou

With firm steps and clearly oriented, we arrive at the Jou pass [3 h 10 min]. It is a large clearing, at the foot of the peak of the same name, which opens onto both the Orient valley and the Lofra valley. We find a stone hut and remains of ancestral agricultural and mountain farming activity. As we enter the pass, we move to the left, counter-clockwise, to orient ourselves towards the gully that descends to the Lofra houses. From now on, we follow a path that moves along the left side of the slope, cleaner and clearer. Suddenly, we reach a dry stone wall that cuts across the gully transversely [3 h 30 min], we move towards the center where a landslide makes passage easier. From here, a small path is born that now moves along the right side of the gully and points directly to a pine forest we see a little further down.

Upon reaching the pine forest [3 h 45 min], the little path moves towards the center of the gully, here flatter. We leave an old stone hut on the right and move towards the left of the small valley, oriented towards the northeast and following a path that goes to seek the path up to Cornador Gran [4 h 00 min]. From here, we follow the GR 221 towards Lofra pass, Binimorat and the Cúber reservoir to the road, where the walk ends [5 h 45 min].

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