The Long Routes, along the arduous paths of memory

PalmOn this excursion, we're not aiming for any great peak; we're simply guiding our steps along the paths of memory. Old layers and ancient broken lands speak to us of a hard-fought agricultural past and also bear witness to the harsh repression exercised in Mallorca following the coup d'état of 1936. On one side, we'll cross the fine border separating the municipalities of Calvià and Andratx to reach Les Rotes Llargues, within the lands of So n'Hor, where all traces of harsh subsistence were erased by the domination and productivity of the territory. On the other, we learn of the existence of a prisoner-of-war camp at the Sa Coma estate, a short distance from Capdellà in the direction of Andratx. This camp was operational between January 1937 and June 1938. Republican prisoners, mostly Majorcans, from the Can Mir and Capuchinos detention centers participated as slave labor in the repair and expansion of the sections of road that currently constitute the Esteve and Peguera roads through the Valle Verde. In total, more than 800 people passed through this camp, according to Maria Eugènia Jaume, PhD in History, in her book Forgotten Slaves: The Concentration Camps in Mallorca (1936-1942), published in 2019 by Documenta Balear. Line 107 of Mallorca's intercity public transport connects Palma and Capdellà (information on lines, timetables, and availability on the website) tib.org).

The route

[00 min] We start walking from the bus stop into the town along Carrer Major to Plaza de Bernat Calvet, where the Galatzó path meets the roads to Andratx (Ma-1031) and Peguera (Ma-1012). We continue on foot, facing west, along Carrer del Coll de n'Esteve. Our first steps are a short walk on asphalt until we reach the houses of Sa Coma. Once past this, around a bend in the road, we find a dirt track on the left, signposted as a cycling route (Camino del Valle Verde/Peguera) [10 min].

We continue along the Coma Nova path, finding houses aligned to the right of the path [20 min], after making our way through carob fields and old seedbeds. Ahead of us is a prominent cliff, probably the Monte de las Tarteres (158 m). The cliff narrows and widens again at Solera [30 min]. We cross the Gorg stream and reach an important crossroads: on the left is the Vall Verda path, heading towards Peguera; on the right is the Cova path, which points towards the Son Vic estate. We turn in this direction and walk for a hundred meters until we come to an iron gate, always open, and a path to the right that penetrates a cliff parallel to the Gorg stream [35 min]. We come to an iron barrier that can be crossed on the left. Little by little, remains of the area's old agricultural and livestock activity begin to appear along the path: a well, irrigation ditches, and a sheep pen.

We follow the course of the stream without leaving the path until we come across a water extraction engine under an oak tree. The tree and the machine are located in the middle of a new crossing. For a moment, we follow the path to the right. We soon discover a irrigation ditch on our left. At the point where the hydraulic infrastructure and our bed meet, we find a huge pool [50 min], formerly used as a water collection point (a lock appears). We return to the previous crossing and turn right, at the top of the quotation mark. A wide path, opened with an excavator, climbs steeply up the mountain slopes. Where the track ends [1 h 15 min], we find remains of the old path that, after crossing a hill, seems to disappear into the undergrowth. We must go around the hillock on the right, without losing altitude, to reach the Cas Xoriguer seedbeds [1 h 25 min]. We follow the path that leads us from the houses towards the road (km 5/Ma-1031), at the height of Son Fenàs [1 h 40 min].

The Capdellà page

We continue on paved roads again, a short stretch. A few meters before the Son Sampola pass [1 hour 45 minutes], we leave the road to the left, facing east, to find a hill in sight. We pass a well with a drinking trough. We'll find remains of a tyrany and a few scattered cairns that will help us on this very orienting section of the route. At the end of the coastal path, we come across a dry wall, which we cross at the far right. [2 hours 05 minutes] Once we reach the ridge, we can take a moment to look over the Capdellà plain from this magnificent natural viewing platform.

Facing the gregal (northeast), we advance over the rock until we find an old cart track, wide and clear, which we will continue until we reach the houses of Rotes Llargues [2 h 20 min]. These are buildings in a state of disrepair, at the foot of Mount Grúa (482 m), a testament to the hard work of mountain farmers. We leave the path that climbs towards the mountain to the left and continue on foot, to begin the descent towards So n'Hortolà. [2 h 30 min] We pass below the Grúa pass, on our left, which marks the boundary with the Galatzó estate, while the path turns to the right towards an open gate. We can now see the end of the route below.

At the height of the houses of So n'Hortolà [2 h 45 min], to the left of a closed gate, a new cart track begins that will take us out of the estate onto the Galatzó path (GR 221.2) [2 h 55 min]. From here, we have a short stretch of paved road until we enter Capdellà through the Plaça de Bernat Calvet [3 h 05 min].