Walking Routes in Port de Pollenca (Puerto Pollensa) — 2 of Our Favourites

The walk from Puerto Pollensa to Cala Boquer starts at the roundabout linking Carrer Ramon Vellenilla Lecuna and the Urbanització de Boquer, along the main road at the back of the town. It is fairly well sign posted and once you’re on the right road you’re pretty much sorted. The walk initially takes you through some local properties so be sure to close any gates behind you. The trail is approximately 6.5km round trip with only a small ascent/descent of 150m along the way. It boasts some impressive and stunning views of the Tramuntana mountain range and takes you between the town of Cala de Sant Vicenç and Formentor to a small bay area that is otherwise only accessible by boat (or goat).

The trail is most popular in the Spring and Autumn seasons when the weather is a bit cooler but the Mallorcan sea is still warm enough for a quick dip, although I wouldn’t let that discourage you from going in the summer. One thing to note is that there is very little shade along the path so any sun that is about you will feel it. The advantage of being in the mountain valley means that a cool wind channels through the path and helps take the edge off that heat.

The path is usually very quiet and your only other company apart from a few locals or tourists will be mountain goats showing off their nimble skills as they jump and run along the rocks. There are many goats on the mountains here but they don’t seem to be very fazed by human company.

After following the well paved path for a few kilometers and on approach to the rocky beach, it is worth your while to stop and take in the views of the sea and mountains in front of you. The sea is a stunning turquoise blue from here and looks very enticing after following the dusty path (or lack of) that you’ll now reach. From the moment the sea is visible the path turns into more of a rocky clamber than a paved path.

On arrival at the beach there is little else to do but get into the water, the rocks and pebbles mean you have to pick your spot wisely before performing a balancing dance to reach the sea. In the secluded bay the sea is very clear and cool, it’s pretty much perfect for after a trail walk.

Overlooking you as you walk to Cala de Boquer is the famous mountain named the “Sierra de Cavall Bernat” with ‘cavall’ meaning horse. When the sun moves over the Cavall Bernat the shadow of this mountain projects the image of a horse. The ridge at the top of the Cavall Bernat is very popular amongst climbers with even the most advanced climbers finding a challenge here.

The nature of the trail is ideal for anyone who enjoys a bit of walking but I imagine it must be good fun and exercise to run the path before taking a swim in the sea. With trail running becoming increasingly more popular I cannot think of a more accessible place to do it than at Cala de Boquer.

The trip is ideal for a mornings excursion but won’t necessarily keep you entertained all day. Although the views are stunning and the sea is cool, the beach isn’t the most comfortable one to sunbathe but it will most certainly be one of the quietest beaches in North Majorca.

It’s definitely not a walk for flip flops so sensible shoes are a must for this one, trainers or lightweight walking shoes would be ideal and be sure to take plenty of water.

Read more about Birdwatching in the Boquer Valley.

But you don’t need to head off on any long day trips or take a massive hike to commune with nature in Mallorca. If you’re looking to get your nature fix, but can't or don’t want to wander too far from civilisation, then La Gola natural park is the place for you. Situated in the centre of Puerto Pollenca only one street back from the beach, you can take a wander through a nature park, get your fill of wildlife and be back on the beach within the hour.

La Gola natural park is a small wetland centrally located in Puerto Pollenca town, small though it is, it’s a lush and beautiful spot to see and to walk around and is an area of ecological and ornithological importance being home to over 60 species of birds. Formed where the mouths of the two rivers the Siller and the Gommar meet this small wetland runs down to the sea which also flows back into the park making the water a mixture of salt and fresh and making for an area rich in bio diversity. Like the larger wetland areas Albufereta and S’Albufera, La Gola is an important feeding and resting for migrating birds and is also an oasis spot for birds during the hot and dry summer months in Mallorca.

A walk around the whole of La Gola will take you no more than 30 minutes as this small trail is only 1km long but there is no need to rush through the area, there are benches and look out points stationed along the trail which make for great spots to sit and to watch the birds or to come for a picnic lunch if you tire of the beach. If it's information you’re after then head to the Ornithological centre inside the park for displays and information about which birds you can expect to see in North Mallorca and keep an eye out for the information boards dotted around the park with pictures and information about the birds you are likely to see. This park is home to a plethora of ducks and sea gulls but you may also see Ospreys, Hoopoes, Herons and Crossbills and it’s not just birds you need to be looking out the river is packer full of fish and other river life and keep an eye on the ground for quick moving lizards as well as camouflaged grasshoppers and praying mantis’.

La Gola natural park is a great spot to take the family for a break from the everyday business of being on holiday, soak up some nature in this peaceful little spot with its over grown trails and back ground noise of babbling water and ducks quacking. The trails are easy to find, well marked and well maintained, and there are wooden bridges where needed to cross the streams. In some areas the path runs out and you are free to wander alongside the edge of the river bank. The park is easy to find, if you walk along the main beach front road of Puerto Pollenca you’ll come to a bridge that crosses the wetland stream, follow the road one street back and you’ll find the entrance to the park.

Unfortunately, in places this nature park has taken on a somewhat urban jungle vibe, with graffiti and abandoned bikes and rubbish marring the scenery - but for the most part it’s a beautiful place to spend an hour or two. Hopefully the powers that be in Puerto Pollenca will get on the case soon to see that this park returns to its unspoilt state.