Port d'Andratx to Banyalbufar
Where the Walls Begin
The route's namesake dry-stone walls first appear here, on a cliff coast above Sa Dragonera and the open Mediterranean.
Self-guided · Mallorca
Your walk from
Port d'Andratx to
Port de Pollença
You'll walk 138 kilometres along the spine of the Serra de Tramuntana, on old mule paths and dry-stone walling rather than the coast road, with more than 5,000 metres of climbing and one night in a mountain refuge with no road in. A route that earns its quiet.
- Distance
- 138 km
- Ascent
- 5,231 m
- Stages
- 3 – 9 days
- Grade
- Moderate–Strenuous
Trail Essentials
Start
Port d'Andratx
Mallorca
End
Port de Pollença
Mallorca
Distance
138 km
86 miles
Total Ascent
5,231 m
17,162 ft
Difficulty
Moderate–Strenuous
Hilliness
Mountainous
Time to Complete
Explorer
7 days
~20 km/day
Hiker
6 days
~23 km/day
Fastpacker
5 days
~28 km/day
Trail Runner
4 days
~35 km/day
When to Walk
Best Good Avoid
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
The Serra de Tramuntana is Mallorca as most visitors never see it — terraced olive groves and dry-stone walls climbing straight from the sea, honey-stone villages where Chopin and Robert Graves once settled in for the winter, and warmth on the trail long after the beaches have emptied out.
The GR221 — Mallorca's Ruta de Pedra en Sec, the Dry Stone Route — runs 86 miles down the Serra de Tramuntana from the harbour at Port d'Andratx to the bay at Port de Pollença. It is a mountain route in a place most people only see from a beach — steep, dry, and walled on both sides by the centuries-old stonework that gives it its name. Most of it is well above the resorts, and most days you have it to yourself.
How the trail unfolds.
Your trail divides naturally into three parts — not by day, but by where the path runs. First the western cliffs and the first dry-stone walls; then inland through the villages where Chopin and Graves settled; finally the high Tramuntana, a refuge night, and the long descent to Pollença Bay.
Banyalbufar to Sóller
The Writers' Coast
Inland through holm-oak forest and the Archduke's engineered cliff paths, into the villages where Chopin and Graves came to work.
Sóller to Port de Pollença
The High Tramuntana
The mountain section — a stepped gorge, a refuge night under Massanella, a high pass, and the long fall to the bay.
Build your trip
Customise your GR221 Dry Stone Route.
Pick your pace, party size and dates. The itinerary, distances, nightly stops and the price all update live — no commitment until you're happy.
- Days sized to your walking speed
- Each night ends at a stop with accommodation
- Pricing reflects party size and seasonality
- Save and share the itinerary with your group
Hiker · 4.0 km/h
2 walkers
Days
7
Distance
138 km
Walking
56 hrs
Your day-by-day itinerary updates live in the Your itinerary section below.
Trip total
£1,778
£889 per person · 6 nights · party of 2
Build your itinerary above.
This is the itinerary you're building. Change the pace, party size or start date in the planner above and every stage, distance and date updates here.
Where you'll stay
Where you'll sleep.
Family-run rural hotels and restored manor houses in the mountain villages, plus one night in a bunk at the Tossals Verds refuge with no road in. Book early — the smaller villages have very few beds.
- Mediterranean breakfasts of local oranges, cheese and coca
- One remote night in a mountain refuge under Puig de Massanella
- A rest-day option in Sóller's orange-grove town, roughly the midpoint
- Half-board where villages are too small for much choice
Every trip is planned around your dates and party, so we can't promise you a specific inn — but we can promise the kind of welcome that makes a walking holiday feel like a proper holiday.
What's included?
Self-guided, but properly supported. You turn up, you walk, you eat well, you sleep well. We handle the logistics.
Historic dry-stone route through Mallorca.
140km / 5,500m
Get your personalised itinerary
Not included
- Travel to Port d'Andratx and from Port de Pollença
- Lunches and evening meals (we'll recommend the best places)
- Travel insurance
Travelling solo? You're still connected.
Walking the GR221 Dry Stone Route alone doesn't mean being out of touch. We lend you a small GPS tracker for the trail, and a private map link lets the people who care about you follow along from home.
A lightweight GPS tracker
Carry it in your pack and it updates your position as you walk — no phone signal required.
A private live map
See your own progress on a secure map, with your overnight stops visible at a glance.
Share with people you trust
Send the private link to family or friends so they know you've arrived safely each day.
Book your GR221 Dry Stone Route adventure.
Your GR221 Dry Stone Route adventure
Configure your trip in the builder above and it will appear here.
Per Person
—
Trip Total
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Deposit Today
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- Free cancellation to 60 days
- Confirmation within 24 hrs
- ABTOT financially protected
Not quite ready?
We'll start planning your trip right away. Not happy with anything? We'll adjust it or refund you — no questions asked.
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Big Trail Adventures (member 5690). Protection is provided for non-flight packages. Full details in our booking conditions.
Things walkers ask us.
How fit do I need to be?
You'll want to be comfortable walking around 22 kilometres a day with a daypack, with several sustained climbs of 500–800 metres, often in heat. That's the Hiker pace, seven days. If that sounds like a lot, the Explorer pace spreads the same route over nine days with shorter days and more recovery.
When should I walk it?
March, April, May and October are the best months — manageable temperatures, the refuge open, water in the springs. February and November can work depending on the year. Avoid June to August: the Tramuntana gets very hot and exposed, and the long climbs become genuinely punishing.
Do you include luggage transfer?
Yes, on the village stages — one bag per person, up to 20 kg, moved hotel to hotel while you walk. The exception is the mountain section over Tossals Verds: there's no road to the refuge, so you carry an overnight bag for that one night and your main luggage skips ahead to meet you on the far side.
What kind of accommodation do you book?
Family-run rural hotels, restored manor houses and traditional village guesthouses, with breakfast and en-suite rooms. In Sóller and Pollença there's more choice; in the smaller villages options are limited, so we book early. The one mountain night is a bunk in the Tossals Verds refuge — simple, shared, and the only thing up there.
Can I walk it solo?
Yes. The GR221 is well waymarked with red-and-white flashes the whole way, and between March and October there are usually other walkers around. The villages are small and used to walkers. We add a single supplement to cover single-occupancy rooms, and you'll never be far from a village with a café.
What's the realistic total cost?
The Hiker package starts at £889 per person. On top of that: flights to Palma (cheap and frequent from the UK), lunches and drinks on the trail, tourist taxes and any extra nights you add at the start or end.
Not sure what shape your trip should be?
The GR221 is what I point people towards when they've done something like the West Highland Way and want sun and a different kind of rock underfoot. Book the Tossals Verds refuge early — there's one night up there and the beds go. Go in spring if you can.
Notes from Big Trails
From the trail journal.
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