Orient - Castell d’Alaró / Puig d’Alaró - Alaró GR 221 D

Starting from Orient (the bus stop) (arrive with bus 331 from Consell/Alaró train station) one avoids the long journey from Alaró to reach the castle. Nice walk along the GR221 variant D and with spectacular views. Shade most of the way to Castell d’Alaró. Stunning views from the castle (822 meters), where a café offers drinks and home made cake. A castle has stood on this site since Moorish times. Below at the other side of the mountain is a farmside restaurant named Es Verger.

Orient:
The village lies in the municipality of Bunyola at an altitude of 460 m, in the middle of a karst depression, and is surrounded by mountains: to the north by the Serra d'Alfàbia range and the Puig de l'Ofre peak, by the Penyal d'Honor summit to the southeast, as well as by the slopes of the Talaia de Cals Reis and the Puig d'Alaró heights of the Tramuntana range. The settlement in the Orient valley goes back to the talayotic age and the first written reference that exists of the place name is dated 1233, when it is mentioned as "Aurient". The parish church, dedicated to Saint George, is to be found in the centre of the village, among narrow little streets and stone houses built on the site of a former chapel which was in existence as long ago as the 14th century. In the outskirts, the estate buildings of the Cals Reis and Son Terrassa are of particular interest.

Castell d’Alaró:
Alaró Castle (in Catalan: Castell d'Alaró) has been cataloged in Spain as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) since June 3, 1931 and is one of the three castles in Mallorca called roquers. In addition to the remains of the castle, there is also an inn and a hermitage. Access to the castle is partially paved, and can only be completed on foot and is located at a height of 822 meters.
On the mountain where the castle is located, there are archaeological sites of the Talayotic culture. It is believed that during the Roman Empire some type of fortification was already built and there is evidence through archaeological remains of the presence of the Byzantine Empire.
There is evidence of constructions with defensive or fortified purposes since the year 902 during the Islamic conquest of Mallorca, when the Saracens arrived on the island. It is recorded in the Arabic chronicle "Kitab Tarih Mayurqa", where the castle is cited as "Hisn Alarun". According to the chronicle, the castle could not be conquered until the inhabitants, called Rum possibly because of their Byzantine or Christian origin, exhausted their supplies and surrendered after more than eight years, and the Moors ended up occupying the whole island. In 1231, the castle was taken by Jaume I's troops, who made it their own, as they did with the other fortified strongholds on the island. It was here too that King Jaume III of Mallorca's loyal followers made their stand when his nephew, Alfons, usurped the throne. Over time, its importance waned, until the last army garrison was withdrawn in 1741.

Alaró:
A village framed by the peaks of Puig de la Font Seca and Puig d’Alaró, the latter crowned by a rocky castle steeped in legend. In the town, life revolves around the Plaza de la Vila, where the Baroque church of Sant Bartomeu stands. In olden times, the footwear industry provided employment for two thousand people in Alaró, but only one cowboy boot factory remains now. It was the first municipality in Mallorca to have an electrical grid, which was inaugurated on 15th August 1901.
Alaró with slightly over 5,000 inhabitants has its origins in the Moorish farmstead of Olorón. In the past, the local economy was based on industry and mining, with over thirty shoe factories and important lignite mines. In 1901, it was also the first town in Mallorca to have a mains electricity supply. Of special interest is the parish church, built between 1626 and 1785, and the seigneurial houses, where the owners of the great possessions or estates, lived, in addition to a good many examples of local architecture, such as wayside crosses, wash houses, etc.