Calvià - Puigpunyent - Estellencs GR 221 variant 2

Calvià (bus stop) - Son Font - Ses Llegitimes - Coll des Moli des Vent - Puigpunyent 10.3 km - Son Fortesa - Coll d’Estellencs 14.5 km - Estellencs (bus stop).
This walk is the most recently signposted part of GR221. It starts from the town of Calvià and between the slopes of Puig Gros de Mofarès and Puig de Son Font, hillsides that are covered by leafy pine woods and olive groves, and then crosses the boundary into Puigpunyent.
Overlooked by Puig de na Bauçana, and with the hamlet of Galilea and the Puig de Galatzó in the background, one ventures into the lands of the roters (smallholders), who, in conditions that nowadays would be quite unthinkable, cleared the soil of rocks, trees and shrubs to bring under cultivation this marginal land, which turned out to be highly unproductive and so today has been abandoned. Via the short cuts of the Royal Path, ones reaches the village of Puigpunyent, surrounded by huge mountains and thick holm oak woods.

The government’s leaflet:

From Calvià to Puigpunyent:
You begin the route by walking down Carrer Major, Calvià’s main street, where you will soon pass the cistern known as Aljub Vell, as far as the town square, where the most notable features are the twin bell towers topping the parish church and one of the walls of the cistern. From here, you should turn left into Jaume III street which runs round the Plaza Nova square, before joining up with Son Mir street, which takes you eastwards and out of the urban centre. You will then take the Molí des Castellot path, before turning left onto a dirt track which will shortly after take you past Cas Caderner house. From here, there is a steep uphill climb along a shady riverbed, running between the hills of Puig Gros de Mofarès and Puig de Son Font, lined by the Font de la Vila irrigation channel, which today has fallen into disuse. You will now find yourself in the Son Font plots of land, walking first along the Molí Fariner road and then Son Font, until you come to the boundary marking the urbanised area, which you must cross. Today a dirt track, your route will take you through Ses Llegítimes as far as a gate indicating the boundary between the municipalities of Puigpunyent and Calvià, leading to the Son Cortell estate. From here, you will make your way through olive groves overgrown with garrigue, yet which afford spectacular views of the Calvià coastline and the village of Galilea, sheltered from the Tramuntana mountain winds by the imposing Mount Galatzó. The route crosses the Comellar des Cocó de na Quintana trough and rounds a steep curve at the Comellar de ses Covotes trough, where wheat was once grown, before continuing through Sa Planeta.
In the distance, half-hidden by the undergrowth, you will be able to make out the houses of Son Cortell as you walk towards the foot of the Puig de na Bauçana peak along a track that will take you through a forest of pine, holm oak and strawberry trees as far as the Coll des Molí de Vent, a col that leads onto the Ma-1032 road between Puigpunyent and Es Capdellà. You must then turn right and follow the tarmacked road for several metres until you come to the ancient mule track, which takes you across the road twice, although the final stretch as far as Puigpunyent will follow said road.

From Puigpunyent to Estellencs:
Once in Puigpunyent, you will go past the church and across the bridge over the Sa Riera watercourse. You should then continue along Sa Travessia and Major streets until you join up with the Vella d’Estellencs road. Carry straight on, passing the Sa Vela track on your left and the Puigpunyent to Esporles road on your right, until you come to the bridle gate leading to Son Fortesa. Among the cultivated fields, you will be able to spot the Graner des Delme barn on your left, and a little further away, perched on a hilltop, the manor houses. You will walk round the hill after passing through a canopy formed by the branches of the magnificent plane trees. After passing the des Salt crossing gate, you will turn off the track leading to the houses to follow a path that will appear on your right, leading up to the Coll d’Estellencs col. After a series of bends, you will go past the base of s’Ermità cross, and after a shortcut you will find the remains of Sa Teulera and s’Albelló fountain, practically concealed by the undergrowth. To the left stand the houses of Sa Muntanya, marking the entrance to the woodland. Leaving the Es Grau route to your right, you will come to the Coll d’Estellencs col, which leads to this municipality and the lands of the Son Fortuny estate. You should ignore the turning on the left and continue along the forest trail, before leaving it to take the ancient mule track. You must then follow this track downhill, ignoring the forest tracks that occasionally cross your path. Further down, with the magnificent houses of Son Fortuny before you, you must now change direction and walk past the estate’s kitchen garden before crossing a small stream and continuing along the banks of the Torrent Major stream. You must then cross a tarmacked track and after going through the bridle gate, make your way again in the direction of the stream. The right-hand bank will bring you out onto the Banyalbufar road, next to the Estellencs wash houses, where you will join the main Ruta de Pedra en Sec trail.

Calvià:
The principal centre of population of the municipality of the same name until the arrival of mass tourism and the creation of new residential developments on the coast. Until then, rainfed agriculture, cattle farming and forestry were the principal sources of income. Highlights of its built heritage include the s’Aljub Vell, a large rectangular public water cistern dating back to 1616, and the 19th century parish church, erected in the historicist style with a basilica floor plan. Noteworthy features include the Baroque-style reredos (18th century) in the chapels dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Sebastian.

Son Cortell:
This estate was originally part of a Moorish farmstead, known in the 15th century as Albuzani. It owes its current name to the lineage of the family that owned the estate between the first half of the 16th and the early 20th centuries. Records reveal the existence over the centuries of vast olive groves and a considerable number of carob trees, which grew alongside the cereals. Forestry and pig and sheep farming were other major areas of activity.

Puig de na Bauçana:
Although it is just 616 metres high, its isolated location and rounded shape make this mountain a landmark that is easily recognisable from many parts of the island. In the early 20th century, Gabriel Alzamora, owner of Son Cortell, President of the Society for the Promotion of Tourism and mayor of Palma, commissioned the construction of a viewpoint on the peak, overlooking the Calvià coastline and part of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range.

Puigpunyent:
A town divided into two traditional quarters: the older Son Bru and the more modern La Vila, which sprang up around the church. Agriculture, livestock farming and forestry were the principal economic driving forces until the mid-20th century, traditionally associated with the activity of the large estates. As for the built heritage, look out for the Church of La Asunción de la Virgen María, constructed between the 17th and 19th centuries and home to a 14th century gothic image of Our Lady of Navigators, which came from the Cathedral, and the mannerist reredos of Our Lady of Loreta, which dates back to 1597.