The kitchen entrance, a wide and deep sloping access to the Commune

PalmA comellar is a wide, deep expanse of land with a sloping floor due to the depression in the terrain, situated between higher ground. This is the most orthodox definition offered by the Alcover-Moll Dictionary (DCVB), which allows us to understand some of the toponymy of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. The route we propose is a hike through the Comuna de Bunyola (Buniola Commune), beginning at the emblematic Cocons estate and venturing into the heart of this immense communal space—the most important in the Balearic Islands—through the Comellar de la Cocina (Kitchen Basin). This toponym also refers to a large cave, which we will visit during the hike, and which in the past served as a refuge and meeting point for those who worked in the Commune. This natural area represents one of the largest forests in Mallorca, covering 716 hectares, which is 8.5% of the total area of ​​the municipality of Bunyola.

Bunyola can be reached by public transport. Bus line 204 (Puerto de Sóller-Palma) stops at Can Penasso; and bus line 205 (Bunyola-Palma) stops within the town. See the website for more information. tib.org You will find all the information about schedules and availability for each line.

The route

[00 min] We depart from the Plaza, between the parish church of San Mateo, the Town Hall, and Ca d'Espardenyer, heading towards Santa Maria along Carrer de l'Església. We soon reach the Garrigó neighborhood, where the road begins that climbs to the Cas Garriguer recreational area, the nerve center of the Bunyola Commune. We stay on the main road, [15 min] because it won't be until past the municipal cemetery (km 8 Ma-2020) that we turn towards the Cocons estate, along the path of the same name that we find on the left, behind the Bunyola electrical substation.

[25 min] Los Cocons is one of Bunyola's emblematic estates, through which one of the main paths to the Comuna mountain passes via the Coma Gran. It first appears in documents from the 13th century, although the most important records date from the 17th century onwards, such as the rise of the Muntaner family to the top of the property, a position they held well into the 20th century. This is a place touched by the muses that inspire the arts. "The estate appears in the literary work of Llorenç Villalonga; his godfather, the doctor Guillem Villalonga Gelabert, married Catalina Muntaner de los Cocons Sancho, the eldest daughter of the lord of Los Cocons, and he spent some periods of his childhood there" (The possessions of Bunyola, history and heritage. G. Valero y Martí, B. Suau Font and J. Mateu Verdera. Editorial Olañeta, 2012). Two novels by Villalonga, Bearn or the Doll Room (1956) and Ferrets (1967) take these lands as a reference point to recreate their respective literary spaces.

Furthermore, thanks to the book by Caterina Valriu i Llinàs, The Fables that the Archduke did not publish (Galés Edicions, 2022), we know that one of these stories, the one entitled 'Es dos amics', is set in this place. In addition, an anecdote collected by Gaspar Valero in the book Palma, city of legend (Editorial Olañeta, 1995) recounts that on the occasion of King Alfonso XII's visit to Mallorca in mid-March 1877, an audience was held at the Almudaina Palace, attended by all the island's mayors. The time came for introductions. When it was Jaume Muntaner's turn, he was introduced to the king as the mayor of Bunyola, but he proudly added:And Lord of the Coconuts!In short, the Bourbon replied:May God keep you for many years, Mr. Mayor"

We leave the houses behind and turn left onto a paved road that leads into a small housing development. We head towards the mountain ahead. [35 min] The asphalt ends and an old, traditional cart track begins, narrowing from the Cocina path and guiding us up the coast. Along the way, we come across at least two lime kilns. [h 05 min]

This is a natural space, hidden among the bushes and in the woods, which must have once served as a corral for the animals that grazed in the surrounding area and as a refuge for shepherds. The remains of buildings attest to its use, and the very name seems to evoke a past in which the workers of the Commune shared provisions and meals. We return to the track and resume our journey. On this short stretch of track leading to the Commune road, we find a viewpoint made of wooden logs, where an inscription announces the 'Kitchen Viewpoint' [1 hr 10 min]. Your eyes will be captivated by the wide and beautiful panorama that extends all the way to the sea.

We set off onto the Comuna road, turning right and heading uphill. After a few bends, on the left, [1 hr 30 min] we find the signposted path that leads through the Cupí valley to the Cas Garriguer recreation area. Soon we come across a monumental lime kiln, belonging to Palou, on the right-hand side of the path. To the left are the slopes that form the Can Fil valley. [1 hr 45 min] At the next junction, we turn left onto the Grau pass path. We head towards the crags overlooking Can Grau along a wide and comfortable path. Paying attention to the signs, at some sharp bends, near the Sa Màquina viewpoint, we will enter a narrower, older path towards Bunyola. This is an old bridleway that winds its way through what is actually the pass, a gap in the rocky terrain. Regarding the name of the viewpoint, with its beautiful views of the Honor crags, we can say that until the end of the 19th century, the Comuna was inaccessible by cart from the village. Hence, a funicular – 'Sa máquina' – was built to bring firewood down to Can Grau.

We pass charcoal burners' huts, small cisterns, and a lime kiln. A man-made landscape typical of mountain forests. We leave the Comuna and take the Planiol path between the Can Fil crag on the left and the Castellet mountain on the right. Keeping an eye on the signs, we turn right and walk the last few meters before entering Bunyola via the Carreró de la Comuna. A network of paths leads us to the Plaza, where our route ends [2 h 45 min].

@Fita_a_Fita