Puig de l'Alzinar, immense balcony over the Binis valley

PalmThis week we propose a route that's not very long, but intense. An itinerary that takes us along paths steeped in history and through mountains that draw our gaze to the most rugged slopes of the Serra de Tramuntana, a World Heritage Site. Our starting point is the parking area we find before passing through the Monnàber tunnel, below the Son Torrella mountain range. We are in the Sóller valley, within the municipality of Fornalutx and next to the municipality of Escorca. All of this is in the heart of the Serra de Tramuntana, at the foot of Puig Major.

Our walk heads towards the Camí dels Binis, a dirt track built over old bridle paths that formed one of the important routes from Sóller to the Lluc sanctuary. It is no coincidence that Father Rafael de Lluc (1908-1989) located a 13th-century hermitage in this area. While not quite a church, it evidenced one of the earliest cultural traces of the island's new inhabitants after the conquest of 1229. Furthermore, the cultural landscape combines charcoal kilns and broken ground, livestock enclosures, and mine springs. A delight for the senses, an invitation to enjoy the mountains through both footsteps and observation.

The Route

[00 min] Since there is no public transport available to reach the start of this route, we begin walking from the designated parking area at the foot of the Coma de n'Arbona, at kilometer marker 37.7 on the Ma-10 road, heading towards Sóller. After about 400 meters [05 min], we find the start of the track on the right side of the road. This track connects to the Binis Valley (Bini Gran and Bini Petit) via the Cards Colers pass and the old Els Cingles path. Formerly known as the Fornalutx path, this was one of the usual routes to Lluc, connecting with the path that climbs up the Biniaraix ravine, near Turixant.

All this while progressing along a historical route, with place names and echoes of the past that take us back to the era of reforestation after the conquest of 1229. This first stretch of the path is a pleasant walk through the dense holm oak forests of Fornalutxencs, sheltered from the dust of the rice paddies of Puig Major. A first glimpse of the spongy nature of the central massif of the Serra de Tramuntana, between the Monnàber and Binis estates. [15 min] We arrive at the Bini Gran pass. It is usually closed, but the path for hikers is to the left. It is a pass that can be crossed without much difficulty. Next, we come to a fork in the path, but don't worry, both paths lead to the same place. However, we recommend taking the left-hand path, which starts level and heads towards a clearing amidst the dense woodland, a still-active seedbed (an old field). Along the way we'll find donkeys roaming freely and peacefully through the surroundings.

A few meters further up, to the right of the path, we have the Fonteta [25 min]. "This name suits it very well," says Father Bartomeu Roig in his book The sources of the Lluc district and their routes (El Corte, 1993). It is a small and humble spring. It always yields little water; in summer it almost dries up. The shaft from which it emerges is also narrow. A person cannot pass through. It has a basin where its waters fall, which then flow into a larger basin about three meters long. This entire group is located on the sidewalk of the path leading to the Binis houses, so it is quite visible.

We leave the fountain behind and after a few bends, we reach the Cards Colers pass (890 m) [30 min]. Binis and the northern slope of Puig Major de Son Torrella. The boundary between the municipalities of Fornalutx and Escorca is located at the pass. Juan y Mestre (Porreres, 1908 - Lluc, 1989) had found documentary evidence of the existence of a reforestation chapel in the vicinity of the pass, along the route from Sóller to Lluc via Binis, Cals Reis, and Turixant. The 1989 memorial is precisely the mountaineers' tribute to Father Rafel, an enthusiastic hiker who loved all of Escorca and its surroundings, in addition to thoroughly studying the history of the entire region.

To the left of the cross is an old shepherd's hut. A path leads west from here, skirting Mount Nofre (923 m). It soon becomes an old, badly damaged bridleway that descends to a road, where we find a weather station. We continue downhill to a wide pass covered in a dense pine forest [45 min]. To the right is the start of the old Binis road, and ahead of us, to the north, rises Mount Alzinar.

To reach our objective, we don't attack it head-on. First, we follow cairns that guide us towards the left-hand slopes of the mountain, describing a semicircle that leads us to the easiest and most accessible ascent, although it's worth noting that there is no path, just a better route than the other possible options. After a first ridge, we reach the mountain's crest [55 min]. The cairns lead us to turn left and climb onto a first plateau. The summit is to our northeast, although to our left we find a large cairn marking a false summit with excellent views over Montcaire, Bàlitx, the Fornalutx Commune, and, in the distance, the Sóller pass.

We head towards a small promontory to our northeast, accessible via a small gap marked with numerous and visible cairns. Once past this small step, the summit of Mount l'Alzinar is to the right [1 hr 05 min]. If you happen upon a clear day with good visibility, it's worth spending some time at the top and taking in the surrounding views. The panorama stretches from Puig Major de Son Torrella to Puig Roig; in between, the Castellots, Morro de sa Vaca, and Mola de Tuent; and at your feet, the immense Binis Valley, an oasis amidst the rugged coastline and coastal features of the highest peak in the Tramuntana mountains. The return journey follows the same route [2 hr 10 min].

@Fita_a_Fita