Wild Mallorca: The Island's Most Adventurous Trails

Mallorca's gentle side — the cove swims and café terraces — gets all the attention. But behind the beach the Serra de Tramuntana rears up into limestone ridges and slot canyons that reward anyone willing to scramble, squeeze and abseil for their view. This is the adventurous island: six routes that ask for grippy shoes, a head for heights and, in two cases, a wetsuit. On foot, the spread runs from the airy cliff-edge balcony of the Camí de s'Arxiduc and the sea-facing ruins of La Trapa, to the hard-won 1,364-metre summit of Puig de Massanella and, wildest of all, the boulder-choked depths of the Torrent de Pareis gorge. Then the island goes vertical-and-wet: the beginner-friendly pools of Torrent de Coanegra, and Sa Fosca — "the dark one" — a world-class canyon where the walls close to forty centimetres and the daylight disappears for two hours. Before you go: Free trails carry no organiser and no safety net — the gorge and summit demand settled weather, water and surefootedness, and the Torrent de Pareis is dry-season-only because it floods within minutes after rain. The two canyoning lines are guided experiences; book ahead and let operators assess your experience, especially for Sa Fosca.