Sant Elm - La Trapa - Mirador Josep Sastre - Ses Basses - Collet de sa Barrera - s’Arraco GR 221 variant 1

Very nice walk and views. Signposted GR-221 from La Trapa. Wikiloc track starting and ending at bus stop. The last part to s´Arracco is variant 1 of the GR-221.

Sant Elm (also known as San Telmo in Spanish) is a charming coastal village in the far south-west corner of Mallorca. With the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains behind it and the uninhabited island of Sa Dragonera in front, it is a beautiful spot.
Sant Elm was named after the patron saint of sailors. Formerly known as Palomera, this is the spot where the Christian troops of Jaume I arrived in 1229 to conquer the island of Mallorca from the Arabs, before heading to Santa Ponça. Over the centuries, Sant Elm has seen many attempted invasions, which led to Cala Basset watchtower being built in 1585 as an observation point from which to view attackers. Until the beginning of the 20th-century it was a quiet fishing village. There is still very much a local feel to Sant Elm even if the village is receiving more attention from holidaymakers visiting the island. The winters here are particularly quiet with many restaurants closing for their annual break at this time of year. In the summer, Sant Elm receives a good influx of day visitors due to its beautiful location. Many spend the day on the pretty sandy beaches or enjoy a lunch in one of the seafood restaurants on the coastline. Others travel to Sant Elm to catch a boat over to Sa Dragonera for the day.

From the Government´s GR 221 leaflet:

La Trapa´s origin can be traced back to 1810, when some 40 monks, threatened by the Napoleonic troops, travelled here from the Iberian Peninsula. The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as “the Trappists”, whose values were rooted in manual labour and silence as a form of prayer, remained here until 1820, although the number of monks dropped sharply from the third year onwards. These monks were responsible for the construction of part of the dry stone works and the fountain, always with the invaluable aid of the Mallorcan margers or master dry stone wallers. However, many of these walls were built after the estate was seized by the State and sold in 1859. In 1980, the estate was acquired by the environmentalist organisation GOB (the Balearic Ornithological and Nature Conservation Group) thanks to donations by private individuals, public institutions and a number of other entites.

Mirador Josep Sastre is also known as the Cap Fabioler viewpoint, it stands some 450 metres above sea level. It is the result of the work of the “Society for the Promotion of Tourism on Mallorca”, founded in 1905 in order to drive the industry of “the outsiders” – in other words, tourists. The society organised a number of activities such as walking trips, and also restored and created paths and viewpoints in areas of particular significance.

s’Arraco is nestling at the bottom of a valley, halfway between Andratx and Sant Elm. The town boasts neoclassical and modernist-style buildings, erected in the early 20th century by emigrants returning from France and Spain’s overseas territories. Highlights include the church that dates back to 1704. It is dedicated to Sant Crist de s’Arracó and houses the image of the Mare de Déu de la Trapa, which came from the ancient monastery of the same name.