From the pretty village of Biniaraix in the Valley of Oranges, the route goes up into the lonely summits of the Tramuntana Mountains.
A mountain tour for ambitious hikers
This tour is less dangerous than it is strenuous: 1,200 meters of altitude must be overcome on this hike on Mallorca between the small village of Biniaraix and the highest point of the tour, the summit of Puig de L'Ofre at 1,091 m. The way back leads through the famous gorge of the Barranc de Biniaraix. Biniaraix Mallorca Hike Ofre
My tip 1: If you are already tired at the Coll de L'Ofre you should skip the summit and descend directly towards Biniaraix.
My tip 2: If you are not tired yet, you can also climb the summit of the Cornador Gran on the way back (220 meters of additional ascent).
Key facts about the hike from Biniaraix to Puig L'Ofre on Mallorca
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Walking time : 6:30h
Altitude : 1,199 m up and down
Length : 13.8 km
Accessible by public transport? Those who want to do the hike by public transport can do so either from Sóller and then walk another 2 km to the starting point of the hike. Another option is to start the hike in Fornalutx, which is well connected by public transport. and finally walk to Sóller.
Refreshments along the way? Only at the start and end
GPS data: I have uploaded the GPS data for the hike to the Outdoor Active website
Start and end point: Biniaraix
Directions: From Palma on the MA 11 towards Sóller through the tunnel. At the third roundabout follow the signs towards Fornalutx/Biniaraix.
Parking: It is best to park on the side of the MA 2121 road near Biniaraix and then walk into the village to the starting point of the hike.
Hiking guide: Josep Suau, Tel. +34 680417900, mallorcawalks.com
Click on the first picture to start the photo gallery:
Directions
From Biniaraix, follow the signs for the hiking trail in the direction of Fornalutx. After about 2.3 km, this path branches off to the left into the small town. Ignore this and instead continue up the mountain on the right via the steps. The path follows the asphalt road, which can be shortened by taking the steps. After about 3 km, the tarmac road turns left, but you follow the path on the right steeply up the mountain.
The next 2 km involve a 550 m ascent. The beginning leads over a steep gravel slope that was created by a landslide. The higher the path climbs, the more beautiful the landscape becomes. Soon you have a wonderful view over the valley of Sóller down to the sea. In some places the path is a bit exposed and loose. The path continues to climb steeply until you reach the Coll de ses Solanes pass between two mountain flanks, which is marked by a gate made out of stones. You have now reached the plateau in the mountains and the alpine world of the Tramuntana mountains. Heading south, you cross above the ridge towards another small mountain. As soon as you reach the Pas de s'Encletxa, you can see the other side of the mountains. Soon you can see the Cuber reservoir and the next destination of the hike, the Puig de L'Ofre.
At the Coll de l'Ofre pass, which is marked with a stone cross, the path continues straight ahead on the left along the slope. After about 1 km the path turns right. It soon climbs in a southwesterly direction over rocks. The path is well marked with cairns. Shortly before the summit we come to the descent path, which continues straight ahead. To reach the summit we first take a detour to the right. The descent is initially steep over rocks and through a gully down to the Coll de l'Ofre pass. The path is well signposted here, as it leads on the GR221 through the gorge of the Barranc de Biniaraix back to the starting point.
Further information and links
INFO
Mallorca Tourist Office, Plaça de la Reina, ES-207012 Palma, Tel. +34 971 173990, https://www.mallorca.es/en/
Rolf Goetz: Hiking Guide Mallorca – The most beautiful coastal and mountain hikes . Rother Bergverlag, 2024
WEATHER
With 300 days of sunshine a year, the weather in Mallorca is rarely really bad for several days. On rainy days, the Serra de Tramuntana is often a weather divide. This means that when it is bad in the west, the weather in the east can be quite acceptable - and vice versa.
HIKING GUIDE
Josep Suau, Tel. +34 680417900, mallorcawalks.com
GETTING THERE
By plane :
Palma de Mallorca airport is served by numerous airlines from all major airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The flight time is around 2 hours.
A flight causes CO₂. On the page www.atmosfair.de/de/kompensieren/flug/ you can calculate and compensate for the CO₂ footprint of your flight.
With the ferry :
A ferry leaves Barcelona for Palma once or twice a day all year round; the journey takes around 7 hours, or just under 4 hours with the express ferry.
You can book the various providers, for example, via www.directferries.de .
By train :
Mallorca can also be reached in a climate-friendly way by train and ferry:
From western or northern Germany, the best connections go via Paris. From Paris, you can also take the TGV to Barcelona, where you can board the ferry (on the Balearia, Iscomar or Acciona lines) to Mallorca.
GETTING AROUND
Some of the bus connections on Mallorca are only designed for hikers during the high season. Timetables and prices can be found at www.tib.org .
To be a little more flexible, we recommend renting a car (for example via www.billiger-mietwagen.de ). However, some hikes are not designed as circular routes, so for the return journey you either have to get on a bus or take a taxi. There are taxi ranks in all larger towns, and the fixed prices are often displayed on a board at the taxi rank.
SLEEP
In my blog post:
I'll tell you where to find the most beautiful accommodations .
The best starting point for the high mountains and also some coastal hikes is the valley of Sóller, or Puerto Sóller. For the south, Sant Elm is recommended, and for the north, Pollença.
Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands - if you live in the "wrong place", the journey can be quite long. It is therefore best to check before booking which area you would like to hike in the most, or change accommodation during your stay.
Those who do the GR221 walk from hut to hut, but the beautifully situated, relatively inexpensive refugios are also a good choice for “normal” day tours :
In addition to the usual providers such as www.booking.com or www.airbnb.de , there are also some providers specializing in Mallorca:
The website www.fincaferien.de has a large selection of self-catering accommodations on all Spanish islands.
www.fincasmallorca.de specializes in renting houses around the valley of Sóller.
CARDS
A good hiking map is the Kompass hiking, cycling and leisure map at a scale of 1:75,000, which is also available locally.
For the Tramuntana hiking region, the three sheets "Mallorca Tramuntana Central", " Mallorca Tramuntana Nord " and " Mallorca Tramuntana Sud" from Editorial Alpina at a scale of 1:25,000 are the best choice. The map " Vall de Sóller " (1:15,000), also published by Alpina, is ideal for the Soller region. The Alpina map " Mallorca Nord " (1:25,000) covers the north.
EQUIPMENT
We recommend hiking boots with a good tread (otherwise the paved paths can be quite slippery...), rain and sun protection , and - for cooler days - warm clothing. Long, thin trousers or knee socks , because the less frequently used tours lead through tall, cutting grass that can scratch your legs.