The Tramontana mountain range (in Majorcan Serra de Tramuntana highlighted by red dots in the picture below) is the main mountain range of the Balearic Islands, in Spain . The mountain range is located in the northwest of the island of Mallorca, hence its name, since the Tramontana is the wind that comes from that direction, although more specifically its northern component, which is the Tramontana wind according to the local wind rose (Mediterranean). Its origin dates back to the alpine retreat of the secondary era. It is home to the three large reservoirs of Mallorca: the Cúber, the Gorg Blau and the military one for use at the Puig Mayor base, which is smaller. This mountain range also gives its name to one of the regions of Mallorca: the Sierra de Tramontana region.
In June 2011, the cultural landscape of the mountain range was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
The roads to get to the Sierra de Tramuntana are a series of multiple S bends either climbing or descending, never straight. Our speed remained below 60Km the whole way, around 31kms in 53 minutes.
Darren parked at this favourite spot, where he had parked the camper and remained for quite a few days exploring the area. It is so beautiful. We were unable to find the sheep that kept him company while he was there during his previous stay.
The initial 3kms is rough stone and road, up and down, then another 5km or so on road and then another 7km through beautiful forests.
Our first stop was St Lluc for coffee and a sandwich.
According to legend, in the years following the Reconquista, the recapture of Mallorca in 1229 by Jaume I., a young boy called Lluc found a statue of the Virgin Mary in the Tramuntana mountains. The boy took the statue to the village priest who gave it a place of honour in the church. The next day, however, the statue had, without explanation, returned to its original spot where it had been found in the mountains.
The people here interpreted this “miracle” to mean that the Virgin Mary wanted to remain at exactly this spot and a small chapel was, therefore, built here which formed the origins of Santuari de Lluc.
In 1962 Pope John XXIII declared the Church of Lluc, which had been built in a Renaissance style, a “Minor Basilica”, an honorary title which is granted to special churches. The Black Madonna statue, where the pilgrims head to, can be found in the main alter. Similar to Palma’s La Seu cathedral, part of the interior was also designed by Antonio Gaudí at the beginning of the 20th century.
We carried on our walk, the blue circular route to Binifaldo, Refugi Pent Roma where Darren and I had a beer and back to St Lluc and then back to Darren's camping site.
Binifaldo
