Port d'Andratx and the Serra de Tramuntana: a west coast guide

Port d'Andratx is the best base for Mallorca's west: a deep natural harbour with a working fishing quay, a marina and a waterfront of cafés, set right where the Serra de Tramuntana drops into the sea. From here you can take a boat to Sa Dragonera, start the island's great long distance walk, or drive the mountain road north towards Valldemossa and Sóller.

This guide updates the west coast feature from our print guide. The landscape has not changed; several of the addresses have, and we have only kept those we could confirm today.

What is Port d'Andratx like today, beyond the yachts?

It is still a real harbour. Traditional fishing boats share the port with leisure craft, and the promenade along the water is lined with cafés, restaurants and boutiques. Come in the late afternoon, when the light softens over the hills and the waterfront fills up for an aperitif.

The southwest has a reputation as Mallorca's most glamorous corner, and Port d'Andratx is one of three marinas that earned it, alongside Puerto Portals and Port Adriano further east towards Palma. Puerto Portals is the most polished of the three; Port d'Andratx feels the most like a village. If you are thinking about a home on this coast, our selection of top properties is a good place to start.

Marina Views, Great Food · Portals Nous

Wellies Restaurant

A long-standing café, restaurant and bar on the marina at Puerto Portals, useful if you stop on the drive between Palma and Andratx.

See on our guide →

How do you get from Port d'Andratx to Sa Dragonera?

Drive or take the bus to Sant Elm, the small village just north of Port d'Andratx, and catch an excursion boat from the pier; the crossing to the island takes about 15 minutes. Some operators also run boats directly from Port d'Andratx, and public bus line 100 connects Palma with Sant Elm.

Sa Dragonera has been a natural park since 1995. Boats land at Cala Lledó, where the information centre is, and four signposted paths lead to viewpoints and the island's lighthouses, including the Tramuntana and Llebeig lights. There is no bar and the water in the toilets is not drinkable, so bring water, food and sun protection. Regular crossings run mainly from March to October and depend on the weather, so check times with the operator before you go.

What makes the Serra de Tramuntana a World Heritage site?

UNESCO inscribed the Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana in 2011 for what people built in it, not only for its scenery. Over centuries, farmers carved the steep slopes into dry stone terraces, and irrigation channels and cisterns, a system first introduced during the island's Islamic period, made the mountains farmable. The protected area covers more than 30,000 hectares.

The range runs for about 90 kilometres along the northwest of the island, from Sant Elm and Sa Dragonera to the Formentor peninsula. Its highest peak is the Puig Major, at roughly 1,440 metres, but the summit is a military installation and closed to walkers, so the highest summit you can actually climb is the Puig de Massanella. Below the Puig Major lie the two reservoirs of Cúber and Gorg Blau, a favourite stop on the mountain road.

Which Tramuntana walks suit your level?

Pick by time and fitness: a signposted family loop for a half day, a single GR 221 stage for a full day, or several stages linked by mountain refuges for a week. The table sets out the main options from the Andratx end of the range.

Calvià's new signposted trails

In July 2026 the municipality of Calvià opened four new signposted short routes, PR-MA 1 to PR-MA 4, with 21.6 kilometres between them. They run from Peguera to Es Capdellà and across the Galatzó public estate in the foothills of the Tramuntana, which is being restored. The shortest, Font de Sa Cometa, is a 3.4 kilometre family loop.

Puig de Galatzó

The pyramid-shaped Galatzó, at about 1,026 metres, dominates the view inland from Andratx and Calvià. The summit route from the Galatzó estate is the longest and steepest walk on the estate and is not for inexperienced walkers, but the view from the top is among the best on the island.

The GR 221, the Dry Stone Route

The GR 221, or Ruta de Pedra en Sec, begins at Port d'Andratx and crosses the Tramuntana to the north of the island, following old mule tracks and terraced paths. It is walked in stages that start and finish at mountain refuges run by the Consell de Mallorca, including Can Boi in Deià, Muleta near Port de Sóller, Tossals Verds, Son Amer near Lluc and Pont Romà in Pollença. Book beds and meals through the Consell's refuge booking site; route lengths vary between sources because of the many variants, so plan with an up to date map.

Where should you stay and eat in the western Tramuntana?

For a mountain stay near Andratx, Castell Son Claret sits at the foot of the Galatzó near Es Capdellà, about 25 minutes by car from Palma. It is a restored historic estate turned five-star hotel and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. Its fine dining restaurant, Sa Clastra, holds a Michelin star under chef Jordi Cantó and serves a single tasting menu, "Wind and Memory", that reinterprets Mallorcan cooking. The more relaxed Olivera cooks Mediterranean dishes with produce from the estate's garden.

A correction for readers of our print guide: the two-star restaurant we described at the castle has since left, and Sa Clastra took its place in 2021. For more tables across the island, see our restaurant selection, and for places to stay, our hotel pages.

Is the drive from Andratx to Valldemossa and Sóller worth it?

Yes. The Ma-10 mountain road climbs out of Andratx and follows the coast high above the sea through Estellencs and Banyalbufar, with terraces dropping to the water. Allow most of a day with stops, and drive it in the morning before the tour coaches.

In Valldemossa, visit the Real Cartuja, the former Carthusian monastery where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838 to 1839; one of the cells is now a small Chopin museum. Further on, Sóller sits in a valley of orange and lemon groves. The wooden train from Palma has run since 1912, and a tram links the town with Port de Sóller on the bay.

Harbour Views & Sunsets · Hotels

Hotel Espléndido

A seafront hotel on Port de Sóller's promenade, with a spa, on the tram line; a calm base for the northern half of the drive.

See on our guide →

Port de Sóller is also a good place to break a longer walk: the Muleta refuge on the GR 221 is close by. For a quieter corner of the island after the mountains, our day in Santanyí covers the southeast, and our guide to golf in Mallorca covers the island's courses.

When is the best time to visit Port d'Andratx and the Tramuntana?

Spring and autumn are best for walking and for the drive; summer is best for the harbour and the sea. In July and August, plan walks for the early morning and spend the afternoon by the water. In winter, refuges, boats and some restaurants run reduced schedules, so check before you go.