Sooner or later, every cyclist on Mallorca aims for Coll de sa Batalla, the pass on the way to Santuari de Lluc. If you wear hiking boots, however, the col is one of the starting points to another spectacular Tramuntana summit. Puig de Massanella is the third highest mountain on Mallorca after Puig Major and Penyal de Migdia. And an almost Alpine challenge. The 360-degree-vista from the top is just breathtaking.

The hike begins as an easy walk on soft ground through light woods. Even on a hot day, the semi-shade allows for moderate temperatures. But soon the path becomes steeper and rockier. And once you’ve crossed the tree line the landscape opens onto a wide plain.  Revealing the distinctive double peak. The last stretch of the ascent leads across rough karst terrain.

From the very top of Puig de Massanella you get a stunning view. To one side the Tramuntana mountains, the Cúber reservoir and the Mediterranean Sea. To the other the island’s flatlands extend to the Parc Natural de Llevant on the distant horizon. You can hardly imagine a better place to pause.

On the way back you pass the Font de s’Avenc, a small cave with a well. Steps lead down to pitch black darkness. The flashlight of the smartphone doesn’t really make a difference, the rocks swallows it completely. But if your timing is perfect and you are really lucky, a bright ray of sunlight might fall in and illuminate it for you.