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Calls to extend Mallorca's Dry Stone Route from Pollenca to Cap Formentor
A council meeting will debate whether the popular hiking trail GR221 should be extended
A council meeting is being held today in the town of Pollenca with representatives from the Consell de Mallorca to discuss if the famous hiking trail GR221 Dry Stone Route should be extended to at least Cala Sant Vicenc or even as far as the lighthouse at Formentor.
The eight stage Dry Stone Route spans the length of the Tramuntana mountain range, beginning in Port d'Andratx and ending in Pollenca, just short of the northern tip of Mallorca. The trail follows ancient cobbled paths which used to link the mountain hamlets and villages. The name 'Dry Stone Route' comes from the terraces created by dry-stone techniques that run parallel to the paths and which are used to grow olive trees.
Other requests from the parties putting forward the motion - the Socialists, Republicans and Pollenca council - are that all routes that form the dry stone walk should be freely open to the public, and walkers should not have to think about problems with trespassing. Around 10% of the route travels across private land, and the Government is currently in consultation with land owners about how best to resolve access.
Currently the dry stone walk ends at the Pont Roma refuge in Pollenca which is supposed to offer accommodation and food for those walkers wanting to stay in the area after completing the hike. Disappointingly the Pont Roma has been closed for over a year. The council meeting will also address this issue and discuss if it would be better off being managed by public authorities.
For more information on the Dry Stone Route, please see our page on GR221 Dry Stone Route
For more information on hiking and mountain refuges, please see our pages on Walking in Mallorca.
