The 'secret' viewpoints of Son Ferrà, proud and discreet

PalmaIf we adhere to the definition given by the dictionary, a viewpoint is a lofty place from which one can look and see a large expanse of terrain. This is the case for the main objective of our route: an itinerary around Esporles and the hermitage of Maristel·la through old bridle paths, charcoal burner huts, and a long and extensive road and hydraulic infrastructure for the exploitation of mountain forests, which should lead us to the 'secret' viewpoints of Son Ferrà. Popularly attributed to the neighboring estate of Son Poquet, these two historical spaces are located a few meters from the wall that marks the division between both properties. The confusion arises because it is from these points that the aforementioned estate houses are best glimpsed. The walk will also take us through the hermitage of Maristel·la and the viewpoint of Cor de Jesús, a heritage of a recent and well-documented history of the 'contemplative' life of Esporles. If we want to use public transport to approach the start of our walk, the L-202 (Estellencs-Palma) is the best option. On the website tib.org, you will find all the necessary information about schedules and availability of the line.

The route

[00 min] We start walking along the Rafal path from Joan Riutort street (the main road of Esporles that runs parallel to the stream), where we find the GR 221.4 signage in the direction of Establiments. The first steps of our route take place along the beginning of this variant of the Stone Route that connects Esporles and Palma via Establiments and the UIB.

Soon we leave the asphalt behind and advance along a path bordered by dry stone wall that passes between the manor houses of Rafal dels Capellans [10 min], on the left, documented in the 16th century, and a small hamlet, on the right, an old establishment of three small houses, formerly composed of a Civil Guard barracks and a tavern. Immediately after, we leave the Rafal cistern on the right, from 1787, essential for the establishment of the Vilanova neighborhood, the second expansion of the town of Esporles on Rafal lands at the end of the 18th century.

Little by little, the GR signage leads us uphill through different sections of the old road that crosses the Verger and Sobremunt road to the coll de l’Heura [30 min]. Here we leave the main route and, situated at the foot of the Son Ferrà houses, we pass the metal gate giving access to the Maristel·la path. We go around the houses, which we leave to our left, and follow a short section of the path until we are just behind them. At the first right turn [40 min], we exit to the left following a flat path, heading southwest. Skirting the outer part of the path, along the edge of the terrace, we can see the old aqueduct that fed the Son Ferrà cistern, probably with water from the Font Nova. Although greatly affected by the most recent past storms, Juliette in 2023, the path is easily followed. [45 min] A handful of pine stumps sawn with a mechanical saw and thick branches scattered on the left side of the path hide a rock formation known as ‘la cadira de la reina’ (the queen’s chair), a popular toponym contributed by the legendary Esporles hiker Bernadí Morey.

Shortly after, the path forks. We take the left one, which leads us directly to the portell dels Lladres [50 min], a boundary between the estates of Son Ferrà and Son Poquet. Regarding the curious toponym, Bernadí Morey himself explains, without specifying the historical moment of the events, that it is due to the successive sheep thefts that took place between one estate and the other, and which passed through this point. From here, the path crosses terraces and fields of Son Poquet before entering, uphill, the dense holm oak forest that clothes a narrow gully, furrowed by a small stream tributary to the one that flows through the lands of Son Malferit. The path, badly damaged by continuous landslides, overcomes a steep gradient with force after some well-made turns until it reaches a dry stone wall and a gate [1 h 15 min]. It is the Son Poquet pass, also known as the donkey pass.

Just after passing this point, we should see a landmark on the left indicating the access point to the path leading to the Son Ferrà viewpoints. Facing east and with the cliffs of the rocky outcrop as our main reference on the right, we diagonally cross the holm oak forest until we reach a charcoal burner's hut and a silo [1 h 20 min] and, immediately after, a dry stone wall, perpendicular to the cliff. It is the boundary between Son Poquet and Son Ferrà, behind which and a few meters further up we find the first viewpoint [1 h 30 min]. The second viewpoint, visible from our current position, is a few meters away. We just need to follow a faint path that leads us directly there without losing altitude [1 h 35 min].

Aljub de Son Poquet

We turn back, for this we have to retrace our steps until we recover the path of the Son Poquet pass [1 h 55 min], which we now follow uphill. A few meters further up, on a knoll that opens to our right, we find the Son Poquet cistern [2 h 00 min]. The diversion is unclear, but with a little effort it is easily intuited. We rejoin the main route, continuing to ascend. Soon we come across a dry stone wall with a gate [2 h 05 min]. We leave it to the left and follow a flat track that connects with the cart track that goes up from Maristel·la to the Fita del Ram, which we will join on the right [2 h 10 min].

From here it is all downhill. We leave the Podrit sinkhole to the right before landing on the plain of the old hermitage [2 h 20 min]. Immediately afterwards, and at a certain distance, the hermitage of Maristel·la [2 h 25 min]. Both places are intimately linked by the presence of Carmelite tertiaries, a secular branch of the Order of Carmel, on this mountain between 1890 and 1926. We continue downhill. We can follow the wide path or another that starts to its right and which, after passing through the Cova del Camí, bifurcates. Either of the two options returns us to the main path.

A few turns further down, to the left, we find the diversion to visit the monument of the Sacred Heart of Jesus [2 h 40 min], inaugurated in the summer of 1940. After the visit to the viewpoint, from where we can appreciate the curious and enigmatic silhouette of the town in the shape of a dolphin, we rejoin the main path and descend to the houses of Son Ferrà and the coll de l’Heura [2 h 55 min]. Once we have closed the circuit, we hook up with the GR 221.4 again in the direction of Esporles [3 h 20 min].