Nature / Park Sights in Mallorca

Just off the coast road 5km south of Port d'Alcudia in the north west of Mallorca, the S'Albufera wetlands make a welcome relief from long stretches of crowded beach.

This uninhabited island off Mallorca's western tip was the focus for a turning point in Mallorcan history in 1977, when it was occupied by environmentalists protesting against a planned tourist development. The campaigners won, the island became a nature reserve instead, the seabirds survived, and for the first time the authorities realised that mass tourism had reached its limit.

The Mondragó Natural Park is one of our favourite places on Mallorca. It is situated in the south, close to Santanyí, down tiny winding lanes lined with immaculate stone walls.

The Serra de Tramuntana mountains (translated as the "mountains of the north wind") run the length of Mallorca's northwestern coastline extending for almost 90km and claim some of the island’s most magnificent scenery. In 2011, it was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO under the cultural landscape category.

S'Albufereta de Pollensa is a wetland nature reserve in the north of the island, however, it is largely private property.  Visitors can drive along the main road from Pollenca to Alcudia to view the habitats.

This 200-hectare nature reserve on a headland jutting out from the east coast of Mallorca is an oasis of peace amid a desert of high rise apartments and hotels.

The Cabrera Archipelago is a maritime-terrestrial national park which lies 10km off the south east coast of Mallorca.

The Llevant Peninsula is found on the north east of Mallorca. This hilly terrain could almost pass for the Scottish highlands (on a good day!), with its covering of heathers and shrubs at the higher altitudes.